iMovie 10 review: A lot to like, a few quibbles
Apple’s consumer video editing software, iMovie, has had ups and downs over the years. It’s been a testing ground for the company, and a place to experiment with new video features, gimmicks, and simplified layouts to balance the needs of basic and intermediate users.
Apple’s latest iMovie is a stunning renovation, and I gushed about it at length in my hands-on with the new version. It’s also a no-brainer upgrade because now it's free—and those yearning for the rare omitted feature or two can always revert to iMovie ’11, which is left installed on your computer. Unlike the iWork suite, it doesn’t suffer from major feature removal in an effort to unify the Mac and iOS; in contrast, iMovie offers new partnerships between the two operating systems (as in iMovie Theater) while still remaining a separate program for each of your devices.
Wonderful interface changes
iMovie has always been a bit of an odd sibling to its big brother, Final Cut Pro, in terms of both features and appearance. It never quite had the same timeline handling, or the right look; sometimes it would be ahead of Final Cut’s development curve, sometimes far behind. This version of iMovie, however, can stand proudly alongside its big brother. It has the same “space gray” coloration and timeline handling, and though it pales in comparison to Final Cut’s feature set, it still has a decent number of tools in its toolbox.
But unlike previous versions of iMovie, those tools aren’t out in the open—they’re instead secreted away behind simplistic-looking buttons that won’t scare off casual filmmakers or beginners. The first thing you see upon launching the program is a collection of your event clips and a big viewing screen—you don’t even have to make a project if all you want to do is find and share a particular clip. Its initial treatment reminds me far more of iPhoto’s management options than of a piece of video editing software. But once you open up a project, it becomes clear that those editing chops are still there.
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