Apple will jilt the PowerPC for what Steve Jobs claims will be a
long-term commitment to Intel CPUs. With the talk I hear from many Mac
faithful, you’d think that my conjugal metaphor is more than
metaphorical. I know several video professionals who are fretting about
the change. Will they need to upgrade their software? Why should they
buy a new computer with a different CPU? How could Apple covet a
neighbor’s CPU? The answers are "yes," "because we always buy new
computers with different CPUs," and, "huh?"
So what does this shift mean for Apple and, more importantly, what does
it mean for us? Some Nattering Nabobs of Intel Negativism predict Intel
will buy Apple. Others think it’s a ploy to get IBM to deliver faster
PowerPC CPUs. Frankly, I don’t really care what CPU is inside my Mac
(or my XP and Linux machines). I interact mostly with the applications
I run. I spend some time with the operating system. My interaction with
the CPU is limited to hearing it start up a cooling fan. XP runs fine
on Intel and AMD CPUs. Mach and BSD, the left and right ventricles at
the heart of Mac OS X, run on many CPU architectures.
I understand the CPU’s role in performance, but look at Avid Xpress Pro
and Adobe After Effects. Both run fine on OS X and on XP. CPU choice is
a problem for programmers, not for us. If one company’s programmers
make the wrong choice, there is still enough competition to provide
perfectly acceptable alternatives. We don’t need to be scared by
Apple’s change.
In fact, we should embrace, or at least expect, change. Last year I
bought a new Mac with the works — dual 2.5 GHz G5 with 2.5 GB RAM, a
23-inch LCD screen, AJA hardware, etc. This year I’ll get a beefy new
XP machine. Next year, I’ll probably buy another computer, but I may
wait until the Mac/ Intel transition is past the tartar-chicken phase
before I bite into one.
My "Mr. Obvious" point is that we replace equipment more frequently
than most, and each time we replace equipment, we compare the
competition. Think back to when DV-based video started to replace
analog component formats (or I should say, "format"). Sony Betacam SP
was the undisputed ruler of the analog world. But Sony for some reason
restricted DV to its consumer division and DVCAM to its industrial
line. Digital Betacam may make those decisions understandable and Sony
produces some great DV-based cameras. But Sony opened the door for
Canon, JVC, Panasonic and others. Those companies charged through with
broader definitions of what DV-format cameras could be.
The changes at Panasonic were the most dramatic. In the analog days, no
videographer I knew would ever choose a Panasonic camera or MII over a
Sony or Ikegami with Beta SP. Some were forced to and produced fine
images, but even my MII friends preferred cameras running Beta SP. Then
came DV.
Panasonic transmogrified DV into DVCPRO and released and sold a bunch
of broadcast ENG cameras. The company’s next big hits were DVCPRO HD
and the Varicam. Then came the DVX100 and SDX900. It wasn’t just
Panasonic’s expansion of the DV format that impressed people; it was
the cameras. Today, Panasonic cameras are the preferred choice for many.
For those of us working with video, the transition from analog to
digital was disruptive but worth it. We had to buy some new equipment
and retire or sell some old equipment. I’m many computers down the road
from my first paycheck for video work. But I still have equipment from
the analog era; a couple of months ago I bought a Betacam SP VTR. And I
have one five-year old computer that I use to run old software, connect
to a scanner and gather dust.
I don’t use my first digital video camera much anymore, and I haven’t
bought my last; though I have probably bought my last
standard-definition camera. All these changes show that everything is
expendable. Maybe not lights and microphones, but almost everything
else. Even if we can’t convince our accountants and the IRS that we
should depreciate everything more quickly, we need to approach
equipment purchases that way.
Here’s what I do:
Plan to upgrade each computer every two years. If you work at
a multi-platform house, upgrade platforms on alternate years.
For each new computer, buy all the CPU, RAM and storage you need at the
time. Don’t buy more thinking you’ll grow into it. By the time you grow
into it, you will have outgrown the core system and better, cheaper,
faster options will be available.
Budget to replace some piece of equipment each year. It could be your
camera, VTR, capture board or key software.
Buy the best non-expendables you can afford. Tripods, lights,
microphones, mixers and monitors remain current longer than digital
technology.
Determine the monetary value you’ll derive from a piece of gear during
two to three years, add the price the equipment will command on the
used market at the end of those years (remembering that buyers are as
stingy as you) and decide if you can live with the difference.
Consider holding on to old equipment, especially VTRs, or donating it
to a good cause. Make sure someone is using it.
When technology changes, brand allegiances can also change. If Apple
fumbles the transition to Intel, Mac users will look at alternatives
such as Microsoft’s still-gestating XP successor, Longhorn. Conversely,
if Microsoft screws up Longhorn, Apple stands to gain more customers.
For us, it means we’ll have choices. If you’re looking for a tool
instead of a totem, that’s all you need.
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