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What's the latest or best OS compatible with FCE 4.0.1?

What's the latest or best OS compatible with Final Cut Express 4.0.1? I don't want to get burned as I did with Freehand which is compatible only up to OS 9.2.2. Thanks.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jul 8, 2015 6:28 PM

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7 replies

Jul 13, 2015 6:11 PM in response to wiseguyser

From my experience, OS X 10.6.8 is the final version of OSX to use if you want to continue using FCE 4.0 (4.0.1). FCE was discontinued in June 2011 prior to the release of Lion (OS X 10.7.x) and is no longer supported. Some users have reported success installing FCE on Lion, Mt. Lion, Mavericks and even Yosemite, but even among those there have been reports of various gremlins after installation.


If you intend to keep using FCE 4.0 (4.0.1) then I strongly suggest you stick with OS X 10.6.8. This will probably mean you cannot upgrade other software (Safari, Firefox, iTunes, Netflix, etc.) to the latest versions. It's a tradeoff you have to make depending on what you feel is necessary in your situation.

Jul 14, 2015 12:15 AM in response to wiseguyser

A workaround is to upgrade to Yosemite.


You can then create a small partition on your hard drive on which you can install OS X 10.6.8 and FCE 4.0.1


You can then use Yosemite for all your other work and boot into OS X 10.6.8 when you want to edit on FCE.


Another possibility is to simply upgrade to Yosemite and use the free iMovie which is an exceptionally capable NLE.


I don't know your editing requirements but I do know that there are many people editing with FCE and FCP whose needs would be met perfectly with iMovie.

Jul 16, 2015 4:02 PM in response to wiseguyser

FWIW, if FCE is working for you, great…and why change? After all, its main limitation is that it doesn't support some newer formats.


I favor Ian's partition idea. Or have a separate physical disk as an alternate boot drive. The newer Apple NLE's, including iMovie, are so very different from FCE and legacy FCP. You can preserve 10,6 (a very fine OS release) for FCE and whatever else and use 10.10 for other stuff (and to eliminate those annoying messages).


Russ

Jul 19, 2015 1:42 PM in response to wiseguyser

I bought a mac mini with 10.10.3 installed and I was able to install FCE 4 and it looks like it works ok. Have not yet done much work on it as I am still coming to terms with other difficulties which 10.10.3 brings (and the flat dull look has been made so that another upgrade will look attractive, I presume, otherwise why the flat look?).


My own question is whether FCE 4 is worth changing for FCP. FCX I downloaded and it is rubbish (as has been stated by most professionals) so which version of FCP is "the best" and what exactly are the reasons for it being better?

Jul 20, 2015 1:03 AM in response to nhjvdra

The reason you and a (very) few others think the latest version of FCP X is rubbish, is because it is completely new and you don't understand it.


The only time FCP X received any valid criticism was back in 2011 when it was introduced a little prematurely.


There were several features missing such as multicam editing but within a year all the omissions were made good.


So why should you use it?


Well, it's far better in every way than previous "20th. century apps" . . . it works faster and editing is far quicker, easier and efficient. It is designed to lever every bit of performance from modern (2009 onwards) computers and modern cameras shooting on memory cards as opposed to tapes. (It can still be used with tape cameras).


Jobs that could take hours with earlier versions of FCP can now be done in seconds with a few keystrokes or clicks of a mouse. Everything has been streamlined.


Even though most tasks are easier to accomplish, there are still more manual controls available under the hood to satisfy the most critical users.


The only people who will be dissatisfied with it are the diehards like those who a decade ago were saying that digital cameras will never be as good as ones using film . . . well they were right, digital cameras are not as good . . . they are light-years better!


In short, the difference is like moving from a 1915 Model T Ford to the latest 2015 automobile . . . I'm sure that a Model T owner would initially think the baffling new machine was rubbish until he learned how to use it and discovered all the benefits.

What's the latest or best OS compatible with FCE 4.0.1?

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