@010101 Thanks for the kind words. I completely agree and I think we're on the same page. Had a funny feeling that Steve's health had something to do with the way it was announced. It kind of feels like they are figuring out how to do business again since his passing.

I spent the day with 10.0.3 and I can say that it's more stable but still not ready for prime time for me. On my Dual dual-core 3Ghz tower with 8GB ram and a 1GB nvidia card with cuda, it's sluggish with broadcast video output through my Kona 3. The AJA drivers released today are betas, though, so I'll keep checking to see when they update those.

I purchased Philip Hodgetts' 7toX and I can say that, for the most part, it works. A little buggy in terms of what comes over. But, he is actively fixing it. If you have a simple timeline, it looks like it will do the job. it will also bring over an entire project which is quite nice.

@Shaveblog FTW!

Hoping to add some clarity to all this. As an editor of over 10 years and an "avid" FCP editor since v1.25, I can say that I was appalled when I saw X revealed at NAB last year. Since then, I have become more neutral on the topic. There are features in X that I really like and there are features that I absolutely hate.

The success of an editing app, for me, is all about the timeline. I am not a fan of the magnetic timeline, but I do see some potential there. However, when I see workflow tutorials like this one, I get a little happier about the future of X: http://library.creativecow.net/payton_t/FCPX_Editing-During-Playback/1

I've said this on other forums, especially over at Creative Cow, but my biggest gripe is how Apple marketed and released X. As someone who has made a career off of FCP (and fought long and hard using my battle-earned skills) I felt like its release was a major body-blow. I'm not referring to its lack of features when it was released, rather I'm talking about it's potential effect on my income.

I'm open to learning new and old tech. But every time I sit down to Avid and Premiere, something just feels completely unintuitive.

With Avid, I feel locked into their vision of editing. It's a vision that was born out of the needs of the film editor and the limitations of computers in the 90's. While I've had the pleasure of working on a flatbed Steenbeck, those editing allegories are, unfortunately for some, a thing of the past. Please understand that I am not saying that Avid is bad. Quite to the contrary, I think it's pretty amazing. It's just not built for my tastes and preferences.

Premiere has lots of potential. I love it's integration with AE and PS. It kind of feels like what FCP 8 might have been. But I also would need 16GB of RAM and a better GFX card to run it. Both of which I refuse to purchase until we figure out what's happening with the future of the Mac Pro.

At the end of the day, I'm most frustrated because Apple created a negative industry impression about FCP. It was a long battle to get FCP accepted by producers and post houses. With Bunim-Murray moving back to Avid, it will be a longer battle to get it back. The way I see it, that's one less place I am qualified to work (until I get my Avid chops up to my FCP chops).

Today's update, I hope, is one step in that direction. For now, I'm still working in FCP7 and 6 and learning Avid in my spare time. I've been tinkering with X and today will be happy to sit down and see if it's more responsive and reliable on my 2007 Mac Pro. Really looking forward to broadcast video out, but not sure if drivers are needed from AJA. Curious to see what the new crop of bugs are, too.

@Gabel I do remember the discussion that most of the top editors were talking about regarding FCPX. Mainly about FCPX not being ready yet... I forget who said it- but one said: if you use FCPX10.0.0 then "I want your clients!".

I have used LW to cut stuff, and hv managed to work around the issues you mentioned. It's awkward but it's not like FCP X, a half-baked attempt to take editing software technology forward.

To me, FCP x should have never been released before they patched up all the kinks. Apple's greed?

FCP X!!!!!!

What a load of rubbish! I am proud to be a first generation adopter of FCP. I used version 1.0 and still have the box proudly displayed on my shelf. But FCP X??? Middle finger comes to mind

I now run Avid and Adobe CS5.5, and am loving them. Also check out Lightworks! It's brilliant and it's free!

Yay, now it's only missing multiple sequences and it's a software that does everything the four year old original could but in 64 bit (like Premiere or Avid). I was a longtime FCP user, but with X I jumped over to Premiere instead (I need multiple sequence editing, as I often do grading and EFX work) and haven't looked back since... A shame as I hoped that Apple would repeat the success of Logic 8, but failed miserably.

YES YES YES

Motion 5 is also update to 5.0.2 (don't know about round tripping though- however with XML1.1 linking to NUKE etc should be a breeze) not that it isn't now... but most probably more robust.

@oneday

Sounds like the only software you could be happy with is open source- as change of direction occurs with 'ALL' software. Avid just did it with Pro Tool by axing their plugin architecture for a new one.

I do wonder if 'any' software that we use now will look the same in 10? 20? 30 years? Let alone be compatible...

PS: I am not trying to flame here... just state fact.

Being in the process of testing out FCPX for myself- (got sick of all the UGC tutorials etc.)

Have to say that to be completely honest this is the first 'serious' effort of editing and clip database integration out there. FCP is fantastic - but there is NO clip management option. Remember that they had that horrid FCP Server for this task... :-Z

I gave Final Cut Pro X another try. Loving it more and more. Hope the early 2012 update fixes some of the issues that have been plaguing it. The more I use FCPX, the more I hate Avid and Premiere. The problem with FCPX is that it is a 1.0 product and that it was built for the future. It is so taxing for my system. The good thing is: in a year or so the performance will be optimized and the hardware will be improved to a great extent. I expect external thunderbolt videocards and maybe a new Mac Pro. That's the problem with FCPX... throughput. I notice that people working on a SAN or Thunderbolt Raid with high-end SSD equipped Macs don't have much problems. FCPX was built for that. Adobe can't fix Premiere with time because they lack a vision... CS6 will be like FCP7, which some may like, but FCP7 was broken as well and the more I work in FCPX, the more I hate how things worked the old way. Performance and bugs are easily fixed over time. Video and photo will converge and FCPX is more suited for that... Adobe is answering with Lightroom 4 but I don't think it will replace Premiere anytime soon.

One of the things I really like is load SD card, import as Camera Archive and optimize in ProRes 422. I can visually see what is on my cards in FCPX, unless Avid and Premiere where I am forced to import before I can see what clips I have. Also the Metadata and filtering in FCPX are very powerful... because you can search your library instead of the current project. Huge time-saver with B-roll footage. I use Aperture and iTunes and their libraries are available to FCPX even when they are not open. Another huge time-saver for me.

I will keep experimenting with Avid and Premiere Pro but so far I like FCPX most. Can't wait for the next update (multicam, broadcast monitoring), future iCloud integration (collaboration) and iPad control (sure this one is on the roadmap, as the UI of FCPX is the same as the UI of edit video on my iPhone in iOS (yellow range selector).

Apple to-do list (if you ask me): - iCloud integration - iPad - Multicam - Broadcast monitoring - Better pasting of clip effects - Remembering in/out points - Project file size (performance) - Multiple selections on import - Window lay-outs (save/import/export/sync icloud?) - Send to Motion - Send to Logic - Mute all audio (like in Avid) - Redesign of compressor (just use Share monitor) - Set memory for FCPX (like in Motion/Adobe)... FCP uses up to 100% cpu/RAM bringing my iMac to its knees sometimes if you do multi-tasking)