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Digidesign + Panther: Warning !!

What exactly doesn't work? with your development version of Panther?

Surely Digidesign have had developer copies of Panther for months. This is wierd. Perhaps Apple have been screwing DD and hope that the delayed support will persuade people to move over to Logic!

So nothing save HD will work in October

Only HD, 002, 002R and Mbox will work mid November

Protools 24 will have to wait till 2004.

is that clearer?

also: NOT A WORD about G4 and G3 compatibility with Panther + Protools: ONLY G5 are mentionned on the Digi web site...

Apple screwing over Digidesign? I don't think so. This is just another example of Digidesign moving at a total snail's pace. (No offense, Soif, to your snail avatar! )

MOTU has recently been the company that's, ironically given their slow start, had the best OS X support. And Steinberg and MOTU have both been in the game, Steinberg being out of the gate before even Emagic, and MOTU slow but with really solid support. So, it's clear that any fears of Apple's Emagic acquisition giving that company privileged support were unfounded. Emagic, for their part, had close Apple access long before the acquisition.

I don't want to be too hard on Digidesign, but this is consistent with their slow support of both new Windows and Mac operating systems and new hardware (the G5 being a VERY welcome exception!).

I think we should consider, though, that part of the difference is target markets: Digidesign still cares most about big-budget studios, who are often very slow to adopt new hardware and software -- with good reason. As studio users, we're more likely to run out to the Night of Panther at Apple Store Soho, come back with a box, and install the night of the release. (Well, that's what I'm doing!!) Companies like MOTU, Steinberg, and even Emagic to some extent, while they sell to studios, too, definitely have a connection to users like us.

PRO TOOLS USERS, DON'T UPGRADE TO PANTHER!!

I upgraded to Panther and now Pro Tools will not work at all. If I try to launch it, my computer instantly freezes and tells me I need to restart.

Digidesign, if you're reading this, please know at least one of your previously happy users is now extremely pissed. I checked the Digidesign site before doing the upgrade. A search for "panther" turned up nothing in the answer base. Neither did a search for "Mac os X," or "Mac os 10.3." Nothing. So I naively figured there must not be any problems.

Digidesign should have had on the front page of its site in huge, bold, red letters: READ THIS BEFORE UPGRADING TO PANTHER.

So now it looks like I'm just supposed to do without Pro Tools at all until mid November or so when they get around to giving us the necessary update. Of course, since it took them a year to get Pro Tools to work with Jaguar, I'm not optimistic.
Thanks for nothing Digidesign. You guys are definitely on my shitlist.

Now is that CAPITOLISM?

We have someone very polite from Digidesign France in the FR forums answering more questions than you can see Digi people on the DUC

But on the Panther issues he can't tell more than the official Digi PR with the compatibility releases.

Question: Even if people working with professional software shouldn't update right after a new OS release, how it is that Digidesign can't make software wording on Panther like the others do? And I'm not talking about Emagic, but MOTU and Steinberg, not to speak about all the authors of other great softwares working on audio wether they are commercial, shareware or freewares.

WHY?

It's growling for months on the FR forums, it seems to start up here too

Hear Digidesign hear!

And don't make answers to PT users that they should switch on PT on PCs as one of our members heard this week from Digi Support.

Well, looking down the list Digidesign is not the only software company with compatibility problems. Changes in an operating system -- even if they bring benefits -- just naturally BREAK software, and since subtle details may remain in flux right up to Gold Master, there's often NOT time for someone to be ready to go just as the software ships. That's why I think we should be especially thankful that MOTU was able to stay on top of the ball.

You're right, however: Digidesign clearly has fallen behind its competitors. I'm out of my league here as I'm not a programmer, but doesn't it seem that part of the reason is greater integration with hardware than the native-based systems, as well as a more proprietary approach?