Apple Offers Premiere Users Easy Switch to Final Cut Pro

MACWORLD CREATIVEPRO, NEW YORK—Apple announced an easy new wayfor Adobe Premiere customers on Mac or Windows to switch to Final CutExpress or upgrade to Final Cut Pro 4. Through September 20, 2003,Premiere customers have the choice of trading in their disks for a freecopy of Final Cut Express, Apple’s industry-leading video editingsoftware optimized for DV, or receiving a $500 (US) rebate from thepurchase of Final Cut Pro 4, the next generation of Apple’s Emmyaward-winning editing software for film, HD, SD and DV.

“Professional video editors and film students have chosenFinal Cut Pro as the de facto standard for video editing on anyplatform,” said Rob Schoeben, Apple’s vice president ofApplications Marketing. “We're offering Premiere customers aunique opportunity to join the party for free or half price. There hasnever been a better time for Premiere customers to make theswitch.”

Additionally, Apple is offering customers who purchase any newMacintosh computer the opportunity to purchase Final Cut Express at thesame time for just $99 (US)—a savings of $200 (US) from thesuggested retail price.

Video enthusiasts editing in DV can use Final Cut Express tocapture, manage and edit digital video and achieve professionalresults. Final Cut Express provides users with the ability to applytransitions, titles and video effects in real-time; create compositelayers and produce high-quality graphics and animations; and performcolor correction. Additionally, Final Cut Express projects can beexported for use in iDVD or DVD Studio Pro, saved back to tape, orexported to any QuickTime format, including MPEG-4.

Final Cut Pro 4 offers a smooth transition for Final Cut Expresseditors who want to make the leap to a professional-grade editingsystem that supports all formats. Final Cut Pro 4 is packed with morethan 300 new features including RT Extreme for real-time compositingand effects, powerful new interface customization tools, newhigh-quality 8- and 10-bit uncompressed formats, full 32-bit floatingpoint per channel video processing, advanced trimming and timelinetools such as support for dynamic and asymmetrical trimming, andenhanced audio editing capabilities with multi-track audio mixing andmulti-channel audio output.

Final Cut Pro 4 also includes four complimentaryapplications—LiveType for advanced titling; Soundtrack, aninnovative, royalty-free music production tool with over 4,000royalty-free, professionally-recorded audio loops also availableseparately for $299 (US); Compressor for full featured batchtranscoding; and Cinema Tools for 24 fps capabilities with support forfilm cut lists and 24-frame EDLs for HD video.

Pricing and Availability

The promotion is available worldwide starting today throughSeptember 20, 2003. Adobe Premiere users upgrading to Final Cut Expresssimply need to fill out a coupon at www.apple.com/finalcut/offer/,send their Mac or Windows install disks to Apple, and a copy of FinalCut Express will be sent to them. Adobe Premiere users upgrading toFinal Cut Pro 4 need to purchase a copy of Final Cut Pro 4 from theApple Store (www.apple.com),Apple’s retail stores or Apple Authorized Resellers for asuggested retail price of $999 (US) then fill out a coupon at www.apple.com/finalcut/offer/,send their Mac or Windows install disks and proof of purchase to Apple,and a $500 (US) rebate will be sent to them. Additional terms andconditions apply, see www.apple.com/finalcut/offer/for full details.

Additionally, Apple is offering customers who purchase any newMacintosh computer from the Apple Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retailstores and participating Apple Authorized Resellers the opportunity topick up Final Cut Express for just $99 (US)—a savings of $200(US) over the suggested retail price.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with theApple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with theMacintosh. Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computingexperience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumersaround the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internetofferings.