Picture this: you've got two corporations, Company A and Company B, and they both compete in the same market. Company A was first out the door with its product, and makes proprietary hardware and software systems that cost a ton of money, but a certain segment of the market consists of staunch supporters who (sometimes snobbishly) insist that you get what you pay for. Company B, on the other hand, competes with newer software that's perhaps not quite as nice, but is available for far less money and offers customers the ability to choose from a greater variety of hardware. Many people are defecting to Company B's product because it's much cheaper up-front, and as far as they're concerned, it generally gets the job done just fine in most circumstances. Consequently, Company B is gaining fast on Company A.

By now, you're probably thinking Company A is Apple and Company B is Microsoft, circa 1995. But allow us to blow your minds: we're actually talking about video editing systems, and so Apple is cast as the brash young upstart Company B, who's looking to steal marketshare from Avid, the Old Guard Company A. Holy Role Reversal, Batman! How's that for a surprise ending? It's like we've gone from "soap opera" to "Twilight Zone," here. (But don't go calling us "Rod.")

Yes, when faithful viewer Helen Balasny tipped us off to a Salon article about "Apple's moviemaking revolution," we thought we were going to find a story about how iMovie has brought video editing to the masses via $899 iMacs; instead, we found an engrossing tale about how Apple's high-end video software, Final Cut Pro, is the "cheapest, quickest possible way" for many filmmakers to edit their projects. Cheap? At $1000 bucks a pop? Well, yeah; when the industry standard is an $80,000 Avid system, you'd better believe that Apple's option is cheap-- especially when students can pick up a copy for $250. Plus, Final Cut Pro on a PowerBook G4 makes for a very compelling mobile editing rig, while it's considerably less convenient to drag around a few hundred pounds of Avid gear. (Forget about asking for the middle seat; you'd need a chartered jet.)

It's an interesting read, especially to those of us who aren't exactly in on the whole high-end video editing game. If you're used to Apple being criticized for providing closed architectures and expensive equipment, it's a real trip to see the company cast as the good guy. Take this quote: "They announce upgrades to their system, then don't make it compatible with older versions, so what you just bought often becomes quickly obsolete... It's quite a racket. They know that they're the only game in town, so they take advantage of it." Believe it or not, he's talking about Avid, not Apple. And you've got organizations like WGBH switching to Macs with Final Cut Pro because they're "cost-conscious" and "always looking for anything that's going to be cheaper." Spooky, isn't it? Don't miss this chance to see how the other half lives.