TechMiso

This time of year, every year, there are tons of Apple rumours floating around the intarweb because of the upcoming Macworld. Just about every Apple blog and so-called analyst has been informed from a “reliable source” about some supposed new hardware, updated design or modified software which will launch at Macworld in San Francisco later this month. If I had a nickel for every Apple rumour I might not have to hold a day job!

One particular article caught my eye because of a highly suspect claim. This is not to say that other rumours appear to have any more validity, just that this specific article caught my eye because of the implications if true.

Seth Weintraub over at IDG’s Computerworld is reporting that he heard from so-called reliable sources about a possible web-based, cloud integrated upgrade to iMovie, which is part of Apple’s highly popular iLife suite of applications.

I’ve heard from reliable sources that Apple will offer a significant update to iMovie at next week’s Macworld. It will largely focus on Internet video in the Cloud for the YouTube generation.

I’ve heard that iMovie will largely (if not entirely) be a Web Application and Apple would offer its users to “upload your movies to us and edit them there.”

I firmly believe that iMovie going largely web-based is a non-starter. It would be a huge surprise if Apple made such a move, especially starting with the one application which would be the most difficult to transition to a completely web-based workflow.

Because of the nature of iMovie, the application requires the use of large video files extracted from a variety of video sources. These files would take a significant period of time to upload to the “cloud” before being available for the user to manipulate. Once uploaded, the ability to quickly control and edit a movie from a distance would severely impact the highly polished nature of iMovie, and the iLife suite in general.

US broadband penetration is nowhere near what it is like in Asian countries. Japan and Korea are far more wired than the rest of the world, and would be better equipped to handle such a transformation. The US lags well behind the rest of world and would greatly suffer from such a move.

Think about how this would affect iPod syncing of movies created in iMovie. You would have to wait to download the movie, import it in to iTunes and then sync. That is a horrible waste of time leading to a severely degraded user experience. This is not the Apple way.

Outside of the broadband penetration issue, I find it highly suspect that Apple would largely transform iMovie to the cloud. What I do believe may happen is something Weintraub briefly mentions in a short, quick paragraph.

I am not certain if this means that iMovie is now entirely a Web Application or if Apple is offering a “Cloud” component to its iMovie application.

I firmly believe that if there is to be any “cloud” or built-in MobileMe component to iMovie then it will merely be just that: a component to the existing application. iMovie will essentially still be what it is today, but possibly offer users the ability to easily upload movies to their MobileMe account and possibly even YouTube. I consider direct YouTube integration a possibility since iMovie currently offers the option to export YouTube compatible videos, and because Apple has a YouTube app on the iPhone OS. Apple has shown a direct interest in YouTube.

Moving components of applications to the cloud is definitely the wave of the future. Migrating an entire application to the cloud right now is largely impossible. There are a number of technological advances required before such a huge move is even possible for the lowest common denominator.

What do you think? Is a move like this a possibility for Apple at this juncture?