LP+FCP+iPad
Well THAT was an interesting announcement…
Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro are coming to iPad. Both apps look seriously powerful, with very few features left out—and new ones to boot. It finally seems like software is about to meet hardware. Brave new world.
A few thoughts on this:
Requirements: FCP requires an Apple Silicon chip, which is absolutely not surprising. What IS surprising is Logic Pro's compatibility with older devices (any iPad with the A12 Bionic chip or later).
Sneak Peek: both apps are introducing new features, along with a visual overhaul. Pretty sure this means we're about to see new desktop versions.
Subscriptions: here we go. I think Apple's pricing is more than fair given what these apps offer...but: are we about the enter a new era for Apple software? And if the company does decide to move pro apps to a subscription model, how will these be priced/bundled? With WWDC on the horizon, I have a feeling we're about to find out.
My biggest concern/interrogation is with storage, especially for Final Cut Pro: 4K video devours drive space. I read something about the iPad version not being compatible with external drives, but I can't find anything on the matter on Apple's official webpage. I'm hoping that's not the case—it could turn into a serious limitation. Logic projects aren't as space hungry, but audio files (and especially sample libraries) quickly add-up. So it's important to factor this in.
For fun I just checked Apple's website:
A 12.9-inch M2 iPad Pro with 1TB is $2439 CAD
A 14‑inch M2 MacBook Pro with 1TB is $2849 CAD.
A 13.6-inch M2 MacBook Air with 1TB is $2249 CAD
That's the Air with the 16GB memory upgrade btw. The 8GB option brings the price down to $1999 CAD (!)
They're two very different devices...but IMHO, if the goal is to run these two apps, you're getting a lot more machine, and versatility, with the Macs. And extended storage issues become moot. Food for thought.
Still: exciting news.
UPDATE: Interesting take from Dan Moren at Six Colors This stood out for me:
But the changes that Apple is making, including the touch interface version of its pro apps, don’t have to be purely about the iPad as a future. Maybe the iPad wasn’t a third revolution, but a stepping stone to a world where Apple’s main computing platform can do what an iPad can do and what a Mac can do.
We’ve yet to experience Apple’s “translation” of these apps to a touch UI. But it’s clearly been a huge undertaking: long term strategy?
