Adobe tries discounts to woo Final Cut Pro ranters

Adobe Systems has fired another shot over Apple's bow.

The company today announced its Switcher Program, which will allow people who have purchased any version of Apple's Final Cut Pro (or Avid Media Composer) to receive a 50 percent discount on Creative Suite CS 5.5 Production Premium or Premiere Pro CS 5.5.

"We're hearing from video professionals that they want pro level tools that address cutting edge work but also allow them to use legacy footage and workflows," Jim Guerard, general manager and vice president of professional video and audio at Adobe, said in a statement. "At Adobe we've been in the trenches with video pros for years and with Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.5 and CS5.5 Production Premium we've delivered professional-grade tools that are already being battle-tested by some of the most innovative filmmakers, broadcasters and video pros."

Adobe's Switcher Program is a direct response to the outcry from video professionals over Apple's launch of Final Cut Pro X. Last week, Apple released a complete rewrite of its flagship video-editing software and left out some key features that video pros were unhappy to see go. The biggest issue is that users can no longer open and edit video projects from previous versions of Final Cut.

Just days after Final Cut Pro X's launch, a petition surfaced on the Web, entitled "Final Cut Pro X Is Not A Professional Application." It calls on Apple to bring back the last version of the software. As of this writing, the petition has over 6,600 signatures.

Last week, late-night TV host Conan O'Brien took aim at Apple on his program by showing a comical video that featured editing mistakes caused by the new version of Final Cut.

All that outcry reportedly led Apple to go against its own policy and thus offer refunds to disgruntled customers who purchased the $299 software.

Adobe's attempt to take advantage of Apple's troubles is the latest in a long line of public spats between the companies.

As of late, the biggest issue between the firms has been Apple's decision to not support Flash in the Safari mobile Web browser on its line of iOS-based devices. Last year, Apple CEO Steve Jobs wrote an open letter on his company's Web site outlining its decision to ban Flash from its mobile products.

"Flash was created during the PC era--for PCs and mice," Jobs said in the letter. "New open standards created in the mobile era, such as HTML5, will win on mobile devices (and PCs too). Perhaps Adobe should focus more on creating great HTML5 tools for the future, and less on criticizing Apple for leaving the past behind."

He went on to say that Flash would drain the iPhone's battery life and that he was concerned with it being unstable on his company's platform because, Jobs said, "Flash is the number one reason Macs crash."

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal following Jobs' letter, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen said that the Apple CEO's comments were a "smokescreen." He added that Jobs' claim that Flash causes Macs to crash is not an issue with Adobe's technology, but actually something "to do with the Apple operating system."

Since that spat, there has been no love lost between Adobe and Apple. And Adobe's latest offer might only further the divide.

Adobe is offering its 50-percent-off deal through September 30. Apple did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment.