Video editing: Mac or PC?

I started using Final Cut Pro almost eight years ago. Its so easy and intuitive now that its no surprise to see kids in High School picking it up (as I did) and really making very impressive projects.

I know what the alternatives are, but for my money (and belive me, Apple knows how to get it), I just won't bother with anything else. Some programs *may* be a little bit better, but because Final Cut was so easy to get started with, I've become accustomed to it and won't go any other way. Which is just fine because Apple continuously improves it to higher and higher standards :)

Vegas Pro is so intutitive if is had a little bit more support from the Market it will kick FCP and Avid because its just so intuitive.

As an AVID and FCP certified editor, Hollywood is 80% AVID, and yes when Apple gets into gear, FCP will get a bigger chunk, but not yet, still too many things that the snobby AVID users, me included, think they need in order for it to be "Professional" enough. But in my heart I am an FCP user. I have both in my studio but use FCP more often--it is just easier to edit with.

Both have features that I wish the other had, so the question is not which one is better, as once you start editing they are essentially the same, the question is at what point in your project do you need certain features? What can you live with and what can you live without?

Most "professional" Avid snobs put up with the struggles of editing just to get to the high end output and media management, but for me the heart of the whole editing world it editing--if you are not free do to what you want and do it easily, then who cares what comes out at the end.

Final Cut Pro, on my iBook G4

Personally, I have used Premiere Pro and FCP. I gotta say they both have their strengths and weaknesses. The whole thing about different formats and having to render them on FCP is a pain. But at the same time, when we do subtitles (hard subs for our video podcast), FCP can do it so much faster... unless we have to render over some weird video format!

In anycase, if there was just some sort of FCP prerenderer that would make an optimized version of whatever video you throw at it, it would be awesome. And if there is someway to do that, someone please teach me! ;)

I cut in both FCP and Avid, and they both have their ups and downs. Lately, I'm leaning FCP though, if only because Avids are getting more and more Windows-only.

On any Mac, I can sync with my home system, use the web, download graphics, burn a DVD (drag and drop!), chat, etc while I'm at work. Meanwhile, more and more Avid houses won't even hook their systems up to the internet because of the virus threat. (And apparently, patching a Windows Avid to avoid this problem can actually cause it to be unstable.)

Anybody ever edit on a Pinnacle System?

I cut in both, and for smaller projects, FCP (FCS) is fine, if a bit pokey. Anything over 20 minutes of program time, and Avid's media management rules. No lost files, no render all the time (try doing a seven layer video effect and then soloing track 4 on FCP - tears on constant re-rendering without changing anything). If they let me see and manipulate the clipboard for track assignment or overwrite several track of video and audio with less from the source sidde, I would forgive them many things.

Different tools for different things.

I'm an ENG cameraman and professionally trained FCP and AVID editor. I prefer FCP personally, because A. AVID is buggy on PCs, and I don't have access to it on a mac, and B. I feel that Final Cut makes a lot of my life easier, because so many people have it I can just swap files around, no more messy little files hidden somewhere, no more wierd render necessities, nothing. Just a good ol' editing system. Just the way I like it.

Haven't needed to use Final Cut for anything yet. I just helped a friend with iMovie HD to compile a bunch of clips from TV shows over a music track and that was painstaking. Not from a usability or workflow standpoint, but the performance on a 1.67Ghz PB with 2GB RAM was horrendous. The timeline would eventually become unplayable and there were many problems importing h.264 and mpeg-4 clips. Finally completed it, but I don't know if we'll be using iMovie again soon.