Apple is now shipping the first Universal version of its Final Cut Studio video production suite that delivers up to 2.5x the performance when running on a MacBook Pro*notebook computer, according to the company.

Final Cut Studio features tools that complement Final Cut Pro 5 including Soundtrack Pro audio editing and sound design application; Motion 2, a real-time motion graphics application with GPU accelerated 32-bit float rendering; and DVD Studio Pro 4 for professional DVD authoring.

In February, Apple released Logic Pro 7.2 music creation and audio production software, the first of the company?s pro applications to ship Universal versions which run on both Intel- and PowerPC-based Macs. Logic Pro 7.2 supports up to 4.5x the effect plug-ins and up to 2x the software instruments per session on the MacBook Pro along with integrated support for the Apogee Ensemble FireWire interface and compatibility with Pro Tools HD 7 DAE.

Aperture 1.1, the first Universal version of the all-in-one post production tool for photographers featuring improved RAW quality and high performance gains on both Intel- and PowerPC-based Macs, will ship in April.

The Universal version of Final Cut Studio is available now through the Apple Store (www.apple.com), Apple?s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US). Registered Final Cut Studio customers can crossgrade to the Universal version for $49 (US). Existing customers of the standalone versions of Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack Pro, Motion, or DVD Studio Pro can upgrade to the Universal version of Final Cut Studio starting at just $99 (US).