I have no idea at all if anybody down in Cupertino reads these things, but if you're compelled to do so, you can voice a complaint regarding iMovie 08's terrible feature set reduction at the page below:

http://www.apple.com/feedback/imovie.html

The chatter of disapproval with iMovie 08 is fairly loud:

http://penguinsounds.org/2007/08/07/...-trepidations/

http://www.engadget.com/2007/08/09/h...software-edit/

http://www.podcastingnews.com/2007/08/09/imovie-08/

And in Apple's forums:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread....82399&tstart=0

http://discussions.apple.com/thread....82960&tstart=0

http://discussions.apple.com/thread....1311&tstart=45

http://discussions.apple.com/thread....2400&tstart=45

And on and on -- although Apple is deleting or locking some threads critical of iMovie 08.

I listed a bunch of problems I have with iMovie 08 -- but I JUST read that you cannot put iDVD chapters in an iMovie project!! The big problem is that iDVD only allows for chapter markers at fixed intervals, NOT precise points in time.

An ironic point is that, along with a long list of feature clawbacks, iMovie 08 cannot import iMovie 06 project files with edits and titling events as being editable! The irony of this? I don't care that it can't because I won't be using iMovie 08. I CANNOT believe what they did to iMovie. For the first time since 1995 when I started using Macs, I am truly disappointed in their efforts Some one at Apple's forums is referring to iMovie 08 as "iMovie Lite (v. 01)". Truer words were never spoken.

I'm seeing very mixed reviews for now. Seeing how Apple did put out iMovie 06 for download, why? Were they expecting even more transitions? Even more themes? I love iMovie 06 but find it tedious at times for certain projects. If iMovie 08 can be that quick and easy movie editor then that's pretty awesome, and use iMovie 06 for more advanced things, or why not just go with FCExpress?

Problems with your suggestions, dona83, are:

The handwriting's on the wall as to why Apple pointed out that iMovie 06 is available for download -- AND that iLife 08 does not overwrite iMovie 06; the handwriting reads that Apple KNOWS there is a huge divide between these two versions of iMovie in terms of features. They KNOW it.

I was expecting more themes and hoping for greater flexibility in configuring a theme render (length, number of dropzones, etc.). But it goes WAY beyond their destruction of animated themes. How about the lack of a plugin architecture, "rendering" (pardon the pun) people's investment in iMovie plugins useless unless they stay with iMovie 06. How about the lack of DVD chapter creation? Or the restrictive audio manipulation environment? I tell you, they've ruined a good thing here, and I wonder just how long Apple will choose to support iMovie HD as time goes on? Will support die with OS 10.6? I hope not, because I want to keep using iMovie -- not PAY for another licence with FCE -- long past 10.6 or 10.9 for that matter.

As for switching between 08 and 06, project files are incompatible. I have read that you lose ALL titles, transitions etc. when moving a project from 06 to 08, and I'll bet that the 08 project files -- wherever they are -- are NOT backwards compatible to 06.

If Apple maintains iMovie HD ad infinitum, I can live with that... but will they? "Knowing" Steve Jobs as we all do, I can't see him being comfortable with such an imbalance in Apple's product matrix...

...I'd hate to be the "brilliant engineer" who came up with this... if he's reading the forums, he's gotta be on the receiving end of a big ego blow...

Maybe it's time for Apple to pull a "Coke". Continue to support and release updates for "iMovie HD Classic" and also offer "New iMovie" for the uncomplicated crowd...

M

Interesting stuff.

I can certainly see that if you were comfortable with iMovie 06 then this change would be a blow.

I have not used iMovie 08, but I am looking forward to it. I used '06 a few times, but found the learning curve too steep for my needs. This new version appears to be everything I was looking for.

I would guess that Apple has detected a large user base that barely edits movies but would like too - but without the time and learning sacrifices needed with iMovie 06. The new version seems to be a great basis for a nice, easy to use consumer movie editor.

For those who feel let down, then hammering Apple with feedback may be the way to go. Who knows, maybe the next version of FCE will be rebuilt and re-priced too.

I seriously think they killed the easiest video editing program out there. The '08 version is more complicated, IMO. Lack of clear cut clips, timeline, less transitions, no live preview of text and trarnsitions... wtf?! Also I'm not sure about this one, but I haven't found out how to change the length of your transitions (it's Standard throughout the project). The new timeline which is more of a time square is hard to read in my opinion. I often make beer movies with 50 or so clips and they all have the same image. With '06 it was easy to see where I was at in the timeline. Now you don't even properly see the time progress.

There are some upgrades, like when you rollover the clip and see it play, or the new export features, but seriously in terms of features, user-friendlyness and plain video editing possibilities, I feel like I just came back from a time travel to 2001.

I guess I'm telling Apple what I think since I'm not planning to buy iLife 08. Of the lot, the only program I use regularly is iMovie. I don't have a need or desire for an 'iPhoto for movies' type program, so I just don't feel any compelling reason to upgrade iLife.

If anything, since I'm more interested in the usual way of editing video, I'd be far more likely to buy Final Cut instead of upgrading iLife. Perhaps Apple was intending to force people interested in video editing into two streams? If so, it's unfortunate that the costs of the Final Cut route are so significantly higher than iLife for those of us on small budgets.

the whole ilife '08 suite kinda sucks. i played around with iphoto and imovie at the sherway apple store and left unimpressed.

Anything specific that left you unimpressed: what do you need that was not there, or what were you expecting?

Well, despite iMovie 08 I'll probably pick it up after I complete some current projects and let some patches come down the pipe, first. I use EVERY iLife app regularly except for garageband (and even that one I use some times). The photo editing improvements in iPhoto are nice, like shadow reduction and the copy-paste function in the editing palette. If iDVD is faster (even on my MBP) then this is good news... and I look forward to using the new iWeb features, too. I currently have TWELVE unique iWeb sites on the go!