Dear List
After a somewhat lengthy absence, I've just heard from a colleague that there appears to (still) be problems with Finale 2004 for Mac (OS X). Is that true? I was finally (no pun intended) about to order an upgrade, but that kind of makes me nervous.
I'm about to plough into a summer of arranging some 50 or so charts for a big band show I'm MD for. The hype for 2004 that I read some time ago suggests that it would be a huge timesaver for me to use that instead of Finale 2002. (I got a free upgrade to 2003, but as it didn't run in OS X and I had got used to 2002 by then, I didn't upgrade, intending to purchase 2004 when it became available and stable. The best laid plans...)
So, will the Mac gurus please advise me: stick with 2002; install 2003; or upgrade to 2004?
If it were me, I would say install 2003. There are enough goodies there to improve productivity over 2002, and as things look right now, you may be stuck on it for a while. The speed issue in FinMac 2004 is the deal breaker for me. Once files get large (as they are likely to be in a big band arrangement) and filled with expressions and smart shapes, things really get slow. Switching tools can take a few seconds in a large file, which may not sound like much, but since I switch tool a lot, this adds to my work day considerably. Screen redraws are also slower in FinMac2004, to my eye, and since there seem to be two or three redraws at a time (even in 2003!) this takes time in 2004.
As I said, this is what I am doing, even though I have 2004 installed. Others are making other decisions, but this one is the best for me. Your kilometrage may vary.
Christopher _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
