Creation on a Mac

After remarking that Apple “seems determinedly intent on fucking itself over” explaining

I’ve never edited a movie in my life, never mastered a video DVD, and never even considered making a multi-track music recording. Neither have you, if I might be permitted to play the odds here. By aiming its media tools at creators instead of consumers, Apple is either confusing Jobs’ Pixar coworkers and celebrity friends for normal people, or deciding that its long-time 5% market-share is too big.

Mike Koslowski was then criticized by Patrick Nielsen Hayden and Ginger Stampley saying basically that they do in fact want to create, and so do plenty of people they know.

Mike then responds:

Apple knew this was coming. In 2001, they announced their vision of the PC as “digital hub”, and I gaped: Yes, exactly, that was it. This integration and convergence was the next great challenge facing the industry, and if Apple focused on it, they could create the future.

…

But they didn’t. They got sidetracked with their vision of content creation, which is fine for those who are going to use those apps, but leaves the rest of us waiting for the future to arrive. And, as a side effect, cuts Apple out of the picture when the future does get here. None of those devices that are being introduced at CES have Apple logos. Many of them won’t even work with a Mac. Meanwhile, Microsoft is rapidly developing and expanding its Media Center software (currently at its second version; and we know what that folklorically means for the next version), and working with oodles of consumer electronic manufacturers to release devices that work well with their software.

Well Apple has hardly been slacking with itunes, has just announced several (much needed) improvements to iphoto, and expanded its hightly successful ipod line (not that I really like the new mini ipods), all of which Mike had previously praised. These have also been far more successful than, for example, Microsoft Media Center.

It is also worth noting that all of the creation apps he criticizes are based on professional apps: iMovie comes from Final Cut Pro, iDVD comes from DVD Studio Pro, and GarageBand comes from Soundtrack. These professional apps have all been highly successful with real content cretors. Apple had to put considerably less effort into making these apps than if they had to start from scratch (the way a company like Microsoft would). It should be noted though that Apple didn’t start from scratch even on the pro apps: they brought applications from other companies and developed them further (they did the same with iTunes).

No matter how much I might use them, I am simply glad to see these apps on my computer. I have only used iMovie a few times, but I am glad it’s there and is simple enough that I don’t have to use it all the time to learn it. I have also used Final Cut Pro, at least until it crashed my computer (it was an older version, acquired totally legitimately), and I use Photoshop daily, so I may not be typical, but even I, who have never made anything musical in my life, am very interested in GarageBand. I remember using a similar program, FruityLoops, as while back on a PC, and although I never got anywhere with it, it was fun.

Apple also includes an extra CD, Developer Tools, with its OS. I have done a little programming, and I am generally geeky, but I certainly don’t ever plan on developing my own Mac apps. I installed it anyway (mostly to get the compiler), and I poked around a bit. There’s some cool stuff there. I am glad I installed it and I am glad Apple provides it.

Via Jim Henley, who has discussed this before without coming down on either side.