[TriLUG] (Mac OS X) I have turned to the Dark Side

[jeffj at ro.com]

Thunder Bear wrote:
> 
> On Thursday, July 18, 2002, at 04:27 PM, H. Wade Minter wrote:
> 
>> Lucky dog.  :-)
> 
> 
> Maybe.  Maybe not.  This was either a really worthwhile risk or a 
> terrible mistake.  I have only had it open for 30 minutes or so now.  In 
> fact this is the first email composed on the new box.  The quoting looks 
> like HTML or something to me but this thing insists it is plain text.
> 
> On the upside, iTunes is a very handly little app (so far).  A couple of 
> clicks and it was set up to process MP3 ripping hands-free.  I'd hate to 
> say it, but this app is an example of where Linux apps are generally 
> really lacking.

I'd say its generally true that ease of use isn't one of the major
requirements that developers try to meet when making Linux software.
Rather annoying.

Out of curiousity, how does iTunes compare to grip?

>> Ones I've found helpful:
>> [snip]
> 
> 
> Cool thanks to you and the others who responded.  This will give me lots 
> to do.
> 
> The main point of getting this machine was for videography work 
> (something I always wanted to do on the side but lacked the motivation 
> until recently).  I wanted something that just plain *worked* (which 
> leaned me towards some flavor of UNIX) and had to have good software 
> offerings for videography.  Unfortunately Linux is just not there yet.

Worse yet, the best non-linear video editors on Linux, Broadcast 2000 
and now Cinelerra, are not officially available in binary form. A number 
of people are still having trouble compiling Cinelerra. The last time I
tried was several months ago and I decided against developing the code
that seemed to be missing (grep couldn't find the undefined symbols). So
much for just *worked*.

On the positive side, Broadcast 2000 can do quite a lot. I just finished
up my first attempt at a MST3K style short (3:35). The chromakey needs
some work, and the audio isn't the best, but no professional equipment 
was used. If anyone is interested, a small low quality version is at:
http://home.hiwaay.net/~jeffj1/riffs/. XMovie and mplayer can play it
back.

> Apple laptops are expensive, but on closer examination the tech specs 
> are actually pretty darned good and it comes out of the box ready for me 
> to plug in a camera and do some basic non-linear editing.  Talking with 
> some of the TriLUG folks and hearing their personal testimonies pushed 
> me over the edge.
> 
> Oh yeah for the A/V buffs out there, I have a Canon GL2 on the way.  
> Should be here tomorrow or saturday.

Canons are fun to use with open source software. I got their Optura Pi, 
so I know. They don't actually record audio at 48kHz. But then, I was 
able to figure out what the rate really is by modifiying Broadcast 
2000's source.

-- 
Jeff Jackowski
http://ro.com/~jeffj/