Apple released its latest version of Final Cut Pro overnight, and despite the video editing program costing $US300 on the US Mac App Store, it received a $350 price tag locally.
There’s always plenty of debate about Apple’s international pricing models, but when it comes to digital sales, the discrepency across regions doesn’t seem to reflect the current dollar market. Even with 10 per cent GST added to the US price, there’s still a premium for a product that doesn’t require shipping, boxing, or printing.
Then again, given that Final Cut Pro 7 had an RRP of $1500, $350 RRP for this latest version is a huge improvement, and twenty bucks or so in exchange rates compared to a grand dropped between versions seems like small fry.
But what do you think?
Dirk
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 3:50 PMNo reason to slug us another $50 for a digital download. If anything, we should be getting it for A$285.
Muzza
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 4:17 PMTake advantage of the offers of 2x$20 cards for $30, buy heaps, and you’re paying $262.50.
Greg
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 6:43 PMnice!
Hamish
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 9:39 PM+1. Good idea right there
Randomambling
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 10:43 PMPretty sure the US price will not include what the locals call sticker shock. Taxes are different by state so it will be calculated based on shipping address. Yes, it probably also applies to downloaded stuff. So then the diff is around $20USD, and for that 20 I am perfectly happy living in Aus, thanks for asking…
/randomambling
Gino Rodrigo
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 3:57 PMHaving had so much difficulty making a movie with Final Cut Pro the first time, I’m understandably apprehensive to the new release, but that is a darn good price for the software compared to the kit I was using before.
I might get Motion first, though.
Matt
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 3:58 PMRidiculous.
Anthony
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 4:08 PMThe price is a scam, but not as much as the downgrade in features.
1. No dual monitor support
2. No Batch Capture for tape formats
3. No EDL support
4. No chapter markers for DVDs
5. No support for XML
6. No multicam switching
7. No OMF support (essential for audio sweetening with pro tools)
8. No backward support of older Final Cut files
8. No decent media management outside a single project.
No thanks! I’m going to buy some Adobe shares.
wsDK_II - Anon and Lulz participant
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 4:28 PMI have all of those features on my windows 7 PC with Adobe…..
But they must be bad features, as Apple is the best for multimedia….right?
ozoneocean
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 4:48 PMThat’s misplaced- the earlier versions of this product DO have all that. From what I’ve read it seems that this elcheapo version of FCP is aimed at casual consumers who want an upgrade from iMovie, it is NOT an upgrade or replacement for the previous industry standard professional versions of FCP and should be avoided by professional users.
olearymo
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 4:51 PMBut you’re missing out on the Magic(tm). Apple stuff has more Magic(tm). Also, it makes you a more attractive person.
Todd
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 5:04 PMI assume you mean Premiere then? Which is also available on the mac, and is a joke to use for anything more than a short clip.
Dave Greenway
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 4:19 PMIf you think Apple are bad just check out Bose in Australia. Their well-regarded noise-cancelling headphone have not dropped one little bit and are almost 100% (yes 100%) more than the US price. It’s disgusting. No wonder than so many Australians are turning to grey markets and unofficial channels to purchase new products.
Joshua Sanchez
Thursday, June 23, 2011 at 12:21 AMI don’t know what it is, but headphones and earphones always seem to cost an astounding amount more in Australia than anywhere else. If I wanted to get my HD 598′s from JB-HIFI, I’d be looking at spending AUS$400. Instead, I bought them from an authorized retailer on Ebay for less than AUS$250.
Ollie
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 4:56 PMNot much different to Adobe price gouging…
Haven’t checked Lightroom et al lately, but back when the Aussie dollar was slightly under the US the difference was still double.
Alex
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 4:57 PMimagine you could download digital furniture from harvey normal. Boy would he be angry
Callum
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 7:01 PMIf only I could torrent myself a new sofa…
ozoneocean
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 9:27 PMThe first place I ever saw a couch with CUP HOLDERS was that place. Shocking. -_-
Hardly Normal shouldn’t be allowed to sell anything in this country, let alone be a spokesperson for our retail industry.
He wants Aussie consumers to be fat, stupid, and chained to buying overpriced crap from his shops- staffed by morons. (no offence to those working at HN who aren’t morons. Statistically, there must be some)
Steve
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 5:57 PMThe grass is always greener. We want our digital goods to reflect our transient currency strength. But you won’t hear anyone demanding this fluctuating ‘market value’ pricing during the <60 US cent years. People want their cake and eat it too.
Americans have a lower minimum wage, lower cost of living, and sales tax. So relative to them, it's much more than what we're paying. It's like someone complaining that we're being ripped off in groceries, because it only costs $1 a meal in the Mekong Delta. Even though for the locals, it's a fucking fortune.
George
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 6:42 PMI’m no Fanboi but… US prices are quoted before sales tax, which is levied at state level. Our price will be inclusive of 10% GST which means a net price of $315.
Even with a download Apple still incur some costs locally which will be allocated against the sale, and will most likely also have set the pricing on the assumption that the exchange rate will recover in the near future.
Doesn’t seem that bad to me. On the other hand, the prices HN continues to charge for stuff? Don’t get me started…
Richard
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 7:48 PMFine IMHO. Unless they change the Australian store to list all prices in $US, which clearly they don’t want to do (and theres god reasons for not doing so), then they either have to factor in the fluctuations of the dollar with a static price or be prepared to change the prices on all goods in the store constantly which would be confusing for consumers.
If the dollar stays strong against the $US one then prices will continue to get better…they certainly have recently. But even last year the dollar was around 90c at stages so I think its fair for a business that wants to keep a fairly static price on its good to price them with some leeway.
Just my opinion anyway. With GST it’s not that big a hike anyway.
Aaron
Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 8:42 PMim a adobe guy, and ive always payed out my friends who use final cut/motion, but recently ive learnt the advantage of using both, and this one has such great workflow features. im glad they released a new version and at such a great price.
and for all you adobe fanboys out there, maybe cs6 will have some of the new final cut features.
competition: how great programs are made better.
Will
Thursday, June 23, 2011 at 12:52 AMHah. As if I’ll be paying for that. Even if I wanted FCP I would just torrent a cracked version in protest of the pricing. No excuse to charge more for a digital download with currency parity.
Cunts.
Jason
Thursday, June 23, 2011 at 7:38 AMTwo points here, already mentioned separately above, but:
a) The price on the US store does not include sales tax. I recently returned from the US where I purchased a MacBook & some $US iTunes cards. Sales Tax added around US$200 to the MacBook and everything I purchased from the App Store had sales tax added.
b) In Oz we have those 2 x $20 cards for $30 deals. Speaking to friends in the US, that isn’t something they have over there.