Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 Blog
Thoughts on CS3 by Jeff Schell

Why even bother making a Mac version of Premiere Pro CS3?

In my last blog, I looked at reasons why Adobe chose to skimp on some of the "professional" HD formats in the latest version of Premiere Pro CS3. In my view, it boils down to this:

1.)     Adobe feels like the majority of users will not mind getting better HD support through paying for third party integration.

2.)     Passing the buck on native HD format support allowed Adobe to focus on increasing their user base by creating a Mac version.

This whole gambit really hinges on that darn ol' Mac version. If Adobe doesn't increase their user base, then they wasted many, many, many resources on the Mac version, that could have been spent fixing some of the other shortcomings of Premiere Pro.

Which begs the question-- will the Mac thing pay off? My first reaction was, "Oh c'mon. How many Mac users will Adobe really sway?" After all, Mac users are the most loyal in the world. This seems like a weak return on investment since Adobe faces a steep, uphill battle trying to lure Final Cut Pro users to CS3. So, given all this-- it's logical to ask, "what was Adobe thinking?"

Here's what Adobe was thinking: Adobe has a lock on Flash creation. They own that part of the universe, hands-down. And everyone -- outside of traditional video editors -- wants to do Flash now-a-days. This is the direction the world is heading. Television may continue to stick around, but our cultural zeitgeist is heavily sucking us towards YouTube, mobile phone content, and iPod delivery. For every 1 editor delivering broadcast tape, I venture there are 10 new editors who have no other plans but to deliver online or mobile content.

And, if Flash is what you need to deliver in the 21st century, whether you are a Mac editor or PC editor, CS3 gives you undoubtedly the quickest and easiest way to deliver Flash. In addition, CS3 has the best-of-breed applications in Photoshop and After Effects, and no other editing application can touch the "Dynamic Link" integration between Photoshop, After Effects, and Premiere Pro.

In other words, Adobe has positioned themselves quite smartly as owning the best tools for interactive Flash creation and mobile content delivery. (Look no further than Adobe's "Device Central," the heart and soul of Adobe's new-found love affair with mobile content creation.) 

Traditional Mac video editors -- those who work in television broadcast or deliver their finished product on tape or DVD -- will likely not jump ship from Final Cut. Adobe will probably concede those users without pursuit. But if you are a Mac creator of interactive online and mobile content, which is an ever increasing crowd, Adobe is heavily angling themselves as the software suite of choice for you. Heck, ever since they bought Macromedia, they're basically the only game in town.

Posted at 04:09PM May 25, 2007 by Jeff Schell in General  |  Comments[2]