Adobe/Macromedia merger

[AntonyF]

Do you think the the Adobe/Macromedia merger is good for graphics software?

Vote in the poll, then discuss what you think (free registration required for posting comments).

[Squeaky]

Lack of competition is never good for the end user.

[MMIGraphics]

Not only is lack of competition bad, I have found that Macromedia offered functionality lacking in Adobe products. No one tool does it all, but now with the merger, will we be allowed to have both. I often reach for Fireworks over Photoshop for certain functions.

[jamesmc]

It's a horrible idea.

Adobe invades almost everyone with a computer that needs a PDF viewer. Macromedia invades almost everyone that uses a browser that uses Flash.

I do like standards, but not when private companies set them and force users to adhere to them whether they like them or not.

anyway...blah blah and blah blah blah

[BONES]

The only advantage I can see to this merger is that it puts most of the krap products in a single portfolio. There is not a product from either that I have used that I find preferable to other similar products. Adobe's workflow blows goats and Macromedia's way of doing animation is the most absurd thing I have ever seen. In contrast, companies like Corel, the eternal underdogs, have always had to try that much harder and their products are clearly superior as a result. Adobe's stand at NAB had no Macromedia presence at all and I didn't see a separate Macromedia stand anywhere [but that is possibly because they don't really have any broadcast/video tools].

[Egg Bramhill]

Do you think the the Adobe/Macromedia merger is good for graphics software?

Both companies have their foundations within the Apple Mac camp. You can knock Microsoft as much as you want, but one of it's great achievements is to bring cheap functional software to the masses. The only area where this doesn't dominate is within the print industry, where neanderthals insist we do it their way (Industry Standard etc.)

This merger will only compound their dominance.

[PsychoTeapot]

I often reach for Fireworks over Photoshop for certain functions.

Huh? Photoshop isn't MEANT for web graphics anymore! That's why Adobe released ImageReady.... do you reach for the milk when you fancy a beer?

[paganbabe]

The merger of two graphics giants, is much like the merger of Mothercare and Habitat, producing Mothertat.

I use adobe for pdf's , I have an ancient copy of photoshop that does the job efficiently.

Perhaps if the Gigantic price tag of the combined software decreased I might be tempted. My ideal price for the software would be approx £150.
But then my squadron of flying pigs are still in their pens.

Merger is not a good idea at all, the software is prohibitively expensive!!!

[Availor]

Economically, the lack of completition will create monopoly, or in our case, duapoly. The prices will get lower to eliminate other small companies like Corel. But after the market will be "clean" of competitors you will have to buy the Adobe products and the prices will go up. Moreover, the development will not be as effecient as when there is much competition.

Even now Quark has difficulties winning adobe since the release of version que.

Workers will get lower payments etc....

[sallybode]

I don't think that the prices will get lower. Adobe invests in colleges to be sure that theirs is the only software taught to students consequently students who try to get a job in the print industry have a miserable time at first as they don't really know how to do the work and get it to press.

How can they learn from people whose work isn't printable, 50% of the time, the work from the college is not right and has to be fixed. Other times it is just not fixeable. And so we have teachers who can't teach working on software which is all generated out of a dialogue box. That is anything but efficient. You need all three programs to create a book, Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. And for less than a third of the price you get 97% of the function in CorelDRAW and 90% of it in Xara.

Why does Adobe spend so much time infiltrating colleges? It is brainwashing. That way they have willing Adobe addicts who are pleased as punch to chuck out a major chunk of change every year. And bash whatever is out there in their competition.

A sincere Adobe user of Illustrator cannot even admit that Xara and CorelDRAW draw better gradients than they do. Taking eight times longer to accomplish anything tells you how superior you are. Then you can go down the line to drop shadows, transparency, selecting objects, etc. With such sincere worship, I am surprised that the Adobe affecianado doesn't pray facing his store of software five times a day.

InDesign can do a few things and it is good for long publications, and I actually do like Photoshop. However, both are not the only guys out there and they are so overpriced for what they do, it isn't funny.

Meanwhile many people are having their website built in India, so maybe the software merger has an impact there on homelessness vs. mass homelessness.

I've come to the conclusion Mac users have such a superior attitude that they are impervious to everything that makes sense to anyone else.