@Steve:
Yes, I have viewed it from the side of the vendor. If you look at the profitability of Adobe, then you can see that they have managed it, to be market leader and thereby become profitable with high-priced products.

From the user side, it's better if the software is cheap to buy, of course. But to get a significant market-share is only possible if the alternatives are evenly matched and compatible with the market-leader, what Adobe is trying to make more difficult for the competition, of course.

Remi