Is Final Cut Really, REALLY a Requirement for Editors?

[DDirector]

We constantly used FCP at my college. We learned it inside and out. Then last year they stopped teaching us FCP and made us use Avid.
We spend 2 years learning it and improving and then just dropped it because the new versions suck - or something like that.

I too was going to buy a mac just because I needed FCP. Every gig that involved editing, I HAD to have FCP. Now, its pretty much dead. They dropped the ball, and everyone is switching over to older editors that have been trusted for the professional editors.

As long as you dont use windows movie maker, I think it fine. HAHA

[M. Gilden]

I'd even take it a step further and argue that in some cases the workflow with FCPX is a hindrance these days. Depending on what camera you plan to use, a lot of the modern DSLRs and AVCHD codec cameras don't play nicely with quicktime-based editors for technical reasons, including a well documented gamma-shift bug that clips highlights and crushes blacks on Mac OS in general. There are numerous workarounds, including transcoding with something like 5DtoRGB, but a PC-based workstation with Premiere Pro imports the footage perfectly every time, without any hassle. And usually more bang for your buck to boot.
Many of my colleagues still insist on using a Mac simply because it is what they are used to by now. But if you are starting fresh, I wouldn't be so quick to recommend them anymore.