Originally posted by benixau
NO - there is not.
If you buy the box you get a printed manual. If you get the app then it has a PDF manual in it as part of the help system. Goto Help>FCP 4 Manual.
If you get it illegally then you are a prick. Apple worked the rear ends off to make FCP4 what it is. I have used both 3 and 4. I bought 4. So should you. Rip of MS and Adboe - maybe but not the company that actually make decent softwares.
Whoa there! I never said anything about having an illegal copy of anything! I'm going to buy my first Mac AND Final Cut Pro 4 in about a month. I will absolutely not use illegal software. Heck, I don't even download music through P2P because I think it's wrong.
The reason I want a copy of the manual before I buy FCP4 is to read it ahead of time and become familiar with the workflow and interface, so that when the equipment shows up at my door I can start editing ASAP. This summer I was shooting an indie film with the Panasonic DVX100, and I went to their website and downloaded the user's manual for that camera, so I knew how to operate it properly before the camera was delivered. It saved me a ton of time and I was able to pick up the camera and know exactly how it worked, without ever having used it before. This is what I hoped I could do with FCP4.
To be honest, I didn't even think about people misunderstanding my post in that way. It just didn't cross my mind. And I guess it does make sense for them to not have a copy available for download, precisely to prevent piracy. I just wasn't thinking along those lines. So, sorry for the confusion.
Which then brings up the other question: Is there a manual that I can BUY? Sort of a "FCP4 for dummies" thing?
Thanks!