[Eug Wanker]

OK, I don't use Shake, but I was surprised at the wicked price drop. Just a question... Is the price drop for Shake 4.1 reflective of complaints about Shake, or is it just another heavy push for Apple hardware? I note that Aperture was priced at $500 to push Apple hardware, but due to complaints they dropped the price to $300, even offering a rebate to those who paid $500.

BTW, Shake for Linux is still available, but I don't see a price listed.

http://www.apple.com/shake/

Today, Apple delivered Shake 4.1, the first Universal version of its industry leading compositing software, and cut its price from $2,999 to $499 to fit almost any production’s budget. Final Cut Studio editors can now take advantage of Shake for sophisticated 3D compositing, keying, image tracking and stabilization. Shake continues to be the tool of choice for major motion-picture studios and leading effects houses to create award-winning visual effects. [Jun 20, 2006]

Mac OS X
1GHz or faster PowerPC G4, PowerPC G5 or Intel Core processor
Mac OS X 10.4.6 or later
QuickTime 7.0.4 or later
512MB (or more) of RAM
1GB hard disk space for disk cache
AGP or PCI Express graphics card with at least 32MB of video memory and OpenGL hardware acceleration
Display with 1280-by-1024-pixel resolution and 24-bit color
Three-button mouse
Optional: AJA Kona or Blackmagic DeckLink card required to preview composites on a broadcast video monitor

Linux
1GHz (or faster) Pentium III, Pentium 4, or AMD Athlon processor or faster
Fedora Core 4
512MB (or more) of RAM
1GB hard disk space for disk cache
Workstation-class graphics card, such as NVIDIA Quadro2 or Quadro4
Display with 1280-by-1024-pixel resolution and 24-bit color
Three-button mouse

[scottiB]

U$249 for academics/students.

Apple's done this occasionally--dropping DVDSP from $999 to $499. And Web Objects from $xx,xxx (I forgot what price) to $799.

[slugslugslug]

MacRumors (not MacOSRumors) reported last night that a source told them this would happen. Interestingly, they said the reason for the price drop is that Shake development is being axed and a replacement is coming in '08ish.

[hmurchison2001]

I welcome a Shake replacement. Not because Shake is bad but because anything bult from the ground up with OS X frameworks is going to be easier to evolve.

It's clear from the evolution of Shake since Apple acquired it that Shake is a bit harder to add significant features. I look for the next big compositing app to erase this issue. Watch out Autodesk....Final Cut Studio Exreme Mega Giga is coming.

[Socially Awkward Solo]

Originally Posted by slugslugslug

MacRumors (not MacOSRumors) reported last night that a source told them this would happen. Interestingly, they said the reason for the price drop is that Shake development is being axed and a replacement is coming in '08ish.

Wow so now we are getting the inside scoop 12 hours early.

[slugslugslug]

People were excited when the rumors of the original Al PowerBooks and the MBPs turned out to be true. Those were all originally posted < a day before the event.

Anyway, I mentioned the MacRumors report because it came along with the rumor that Shake will be replaced. That's interesting in its own right, and more so because it came from a source that called the update/price drop correctly.

[Demonhood]

Shake isn't very mac-like, but it is quite powerful. i don't see Apple scrapping it completely. they will probably just make significant interface changes in version 5.

pretty dramatic price drop too.

[real]

Sounds kinda good but vers. A of any Apple software sucks(they are always really slow) and that will not be good in the production pipeline. But i do welcome the price drop.

[Socially Awkward Solo]

Originally Posted by Demonhood

Shake isn't very mac-like, but it is quite powerful. i don't see Apple scrapping it completely. they will probably just make significant interface changes in version 5.

pretty dramatic price drop too.

Can't they just integrate it into Final Cut?

[CatOne]

Originally Posted by Demonhood

Shake isn't very mac-like, but it is quite powerful. i don't see Apple scrapping it completely. they will probably just make significant interface changes in version 5.

pretty dramatic price drop too.

I wonder if this would make sense. Before Apple acquired Shake, it didn't even HAVE a GUI. It was all command-line driven (gasp!). So people that want to be compositors... learn Shake.

Maybe the price drop is an attempt to get ready to grab 100% of the Linux users of Shake, as I doubt the price there dropped... is the Linux version still available?

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by CatOne

I wonder if this would make sense. Before Apple acquired Shake, it didn't even HAVE a GUI. It was all command-line driven (gasp!). So people that want to be compositors... learn Shake.

Maybe the price drop is an attempt to get ready to grab 100% of the Linux users of Shake, as I doubt the price there dropped... is the Linux version still available?

It's still available, but you have to contact Apple sales via email. Hmmm... Sales push to buy Apple hardware?

[Demonhood]

it also makes all the video production tools on the mac relatively inexpensive compared to the high end competition.

the more i think about it, the riskier it seems for Apple to dramatically change the interface for Shake. it's a bit odd, but it works for what it does. i'm thinking they may alter up to 40% of the app without annoying too many hardcore users in the process. when i used the program, it was at version 2.5 (and 3 a bit after) and the interface hasn't changed much since then (now at 4.1).

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by Demonhood

when i used the program, it was at version 2.5 (and 3 a bit after)

Wow. You keep your picture links for forum threads alive even 3 years after the fact?!?

[Demonhood]

yup. even the movies work
one of the reasons i keep my dot mac account.

[real]

Originally Posted by CatOne

I wonder if this would make sense. Before Apple acquired Shake, it didn't even HAVE a GUI. It was all command-line driven (gasp!). So people that want to be compositors... learn Shake.

Maybe the price drop is an attempt to get ready to grab 100% of the Linux users of Shake, as I doubt the price there dropped... is the Linux version still available?

Shake did have a beard.

I mean Shake did have a GUI before apple bought them up just a heads up.

real

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by slugslugslug

Anyway, I mentioned the MacRumors report because it came along with the rumor that Shake will be replaced. That's interesting in its own right, and more so because it came from a source that called the update/price drop correctly.

Confirmed

Apple will no longer be selling maintenance for Shake and no further
software updates are planned as we begin work on the next generation of
Shake compositing software. While we're excited about the innovations we can
bring in the future, we understand you have a business to run today that
requires Shake. To that end, we will provide all Maintenance customers with
the following three options:

A. Customers can continue with end-user e-mail support, as well as SDK
support for the duration of their Maintenance contract.

B. Customers may elect to cancel their Maintenance and receive a pro-rated
refund for the unused portion. Existing software licenses would continue to
function according to the Software License Agreement. Maintenance customers
that wish to cancel their contract must do so by July 23, 2006.

C. Additionally, Maintenance customers may choose to license the Shake 4.1
Source Code for $50,000. The Source Code license includes a 5,000 seat
volume license of Shake 4.1. This offer is designed to help facilities with
significant Shake investments maintain a reliable and controllable visual
effects pipeline. Maintenance customers that wish to license the Shake 4.1
Source Code must do so by July 23, 2006. Apple reserves the right to refuse
any maintenance customer source Code access.

[Demonhood]

i hope they keep some of the interface elements in their version. while the learning curve is steep, it's too damned powerful to dumb down.

[tooki]

Considering Apple's other Pro Apps (FCP, Motion, DVDSP, Aperture, etc), I don't think there's any reason to assume Apple will have a "dumbed down" interface in a pro app.

tooki

[Eug Wanker]

MacRumors claims the codename will be "Phenomenon". And, some of it is loosely based on Motion?