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Apple is in negotiations with autodesk to buy the Discreet’s desktop video unit. It includes, Cleaner, 3DS Max and Combustion, also autodesk plans to sell the rest of Discreet. What will happen to combustion?
On many forums people have blasted Apple and Discreet. I for one think it is a good thing.
I don’t understand how Mac users can compare Apple purchasing Discreet to a Microsoft purchasing several companies. Apple is no monopoly. When have we seen Microsoft port any of it’s programs to the Mac Platform other then Office, Windows Media Player, MSN, and Internet Explorer. So many programs they own are not on the mac platform. I feel good knowing that Apple is extending itself further into the Video and Compositing world. I hope this deal is accurate. Long ago I felt Apple should have purchased Terran Interactive, but Media 100 purchased Terran Interactive then sold it’s software division to AutoDesk. Currently lets see how Apple would profit from such a move.
Not too long ago Apple had a Lawsuit with Sorenson Media. Even though they settled out of court, Apple believed it’s lawsuit had merit. Sorenson is a rival to both Apple’s Compressor software and to Discreet Cleaner. Cleaner could be a Pro app to Compressor which is more of an i-app as it is bundled with all Apple Pro applications except Shake.
Apple and Discreet share many intellectual properties pertaining to Compositing. Remember several Apple employee’s are former programers for Combustion. Apple discontinued Tremor a hardware based Compositor that was acquired with Shake from Nothing Real. By purchasing Discreet it would obtain hardware acceleration compositors without having to put R&D into Tremor.
Now for Apple and 3ds max. Yes this competes with Maya. In the past Apple was considering a purchase of Maya. SGI who owns Maya, would not sell Maya to Apple. The two programs are 3D programs. Yes they do compete with one another, but in different areas. Maya is mostly used at Pixar and other Hollywood Studio’s. Pixar is managed by Steve Jobs. 3Ds Max is used in the gaming industry. This would be an easy way for Apple to enter the gaming industry. 3ds Max is used to create many 3d visuals for Game manufactures such as Sony, Sega, and Nintendo. This can be great for porting games to the Mac.
As for Luster, this would give the Mac Platform a Color Grading System unlike any other out their.
Can Apple afford this? Yes. They have almost 5 billion in cash and 6 billion in stock value. Discreet is worth about 300 million. In short term Apple may feel a pinch from the purchase as many companies may stop including Discreet products or manufactures will offer competing products just to slow Apple’s conquest of the Compositing market. In the long term this can be gratifying to hardware sales.
Who will be affected by an Apple purchase of Discreet will vary. Adobe will definitely discontinue After Effects as it has with Adobe Premiere. Pinnacle may become annoyed due to Apple’s assault on Video software which is also an area Pinnacle is in. Avid will definitely be angered by this. Besides PC users. Lets not forget this also can affect Mac users too. We may loose support from Avid, Adobe, Pinnacle, Sorenson, and others.
Apple would have to Port many apps that can be expensive. It took Apple years to port FCP and they finish it. Apple has the time and money to do so. This may lead to a Maya purchase in the future and an integration between Maya and 3ds Max. Who knows. I know one thing, Steve Jobs has a plan in giving the Mac Platform a precedence within the Creative world even at the expense of loosing Adobe.
Nothing would happen to mac users, but PC users would have to find another solution. Maybe Adobe.
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