Adobe commits suicide

[handrawn]

if adobe goes under - someone will buy it [google probably :P]

the PC does not become a terminal - you do not need to be connected to the internet at all, except to affirm your licence once a month [or once a year depending on your pricing plan]

legal implications - I don't see it

[jon404]

Legal implications would be with Creative Cloud file storage failure or service interruption... or service cancellation due to late monthly-fee payment, or from refusal to pay increased monthly fees raised before annual subscription commitment expires. If they can discount it by 40% now to get you on the hook, they can raise it on an ad hoc basis anytime later on. Same as how the credit card interest rate bait 'n switch works.

It's all wonderfully vague. The CC website seems to imply that ALL the Adobe products will be included in your contract, any day real soon now. But they are obviously betting the store on this one, looking to turn all their customers into digital sharecroppers, hey, doo-dah day.

And, was appalled by the picture promoting Photoshop CC ... where it says 'your creative process becomes seamless, intuitive, and more connected' ... but the image looks like an ad for a proctologist. Adds new meaning to the phrase 'butt-ugly.' Eeewww.

[ckh]

I don't see it as much different as what it was before, you install it on your computer just as before. The license checks probably aren't any different either so if Adobe goes out of business and the licensing servers stop, it's going to affect all the software, not just the cloud based products. There isn't anything cloud based unless you opt to store some of your files there.

[haakoo]

From what point of view are people looking at this?
As Xarians who want a piece of software,boxed and then installed?
Like already pointed out,you only buy a license to use the software.(even Xara products)
No need to install the complete suite.
Besides you can use the monthly plan to only use it for a small period instead being tied down for a year or whatever.
I for one like the monthly accounts to use maybe per project.
This way one can work cheaper and be cheaper for potential clients without the bloatware costs being incorporated in the bill.

Hans

[handrawn]

Legal implications would be with Creative Cloud file storage failure or service interruption...

read the terms and conditions - if you don't like them don't use the service

or service cancellation due to late monthly-fee payment

see above, not adobe's responsibility that

or from refusal to pay increased monthly fees raised before annual subscription commitment expires

you really haven't read them have you

[mwenz]

read the terms and conditions - if you don't like them don't use the service
see above, not adobe's responsibility that
you really haven't read them have you

From their terms of service:

6.5 Adobe may modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Services or Materials, or any portion thereof, with or without notice. You agree that Adobe shall not be liable to you or anyone else if we do so.

Really, Adobe's terms of service regarding the entire CC product--applications and services--is so vague as to be largely worthless.

But we'll see what happens. Stock gains little, looses the gains. But nothing indicating broad acceptance like when there was both the cloud and perpetual licenses a bit over a year ago. If both investing and the ratio of sign-ups to attrition remain flat, Adobe will "reinvent" themselves again. All in the best interest of their customers, of course.

Mike

[gingir]

They are just doing what all the rest is doing going in the cloud ... wonder whether or not these cloud companies are ever going to get back to earth?

[jon404]

@handrawn -- yes, I read their fine print, as Mike noted above. But to be fair, EVERY software license comes with so many weasel words, and an assumed promissory note on your unborn children.

Let's get real here. You may want, but you don't need, Photoshop or Illustrator to make graphics for webpages, ads, brochures, etc. Can't comment on Indesign; haven't kept up on the DTP side. Or on website design... except that I always thought Dreamweaver was a kludge.

But images? Come on. The customer must have a bright clear compelling product image. That's ALL. And you can make that image just as easily with free getpaint.net or free GIMP. You can make the image even MORE easily with XDP or P&GD. And you don't have to rent any of these products. They are YOURS, at very low cost.

So when I say Adobe's committing suicide, it's because I believe there's a very poor business case for cloud-based rental graphics software. These are NOT Bloomberg-terminal-unique, absolutely critical, got-to-have programs. But as Mike says, if it all goes nowhere, they'll probably scramble to re-invent themselves.

In the meantime, it's a HUGE opportunity for Xara. Huge. believe me, SOMEBODY is going to take advantage of this and take away a good chunk of Adobe's market share. And that somebody might as well be Xara. Why not?

[ckh]

The only thing cloud based about it is that you download and install the program and don't receive a cd. Otherwise, the software isn't going to be any different from installing from a cd.

You think of it as "rental", I think of it as paying for the software over a period of time instead of all at once. The first year, I paid $30/month, now I'm paying $50, so $600 per year. Still beats the price of upgrading for me and to boot, I have all their software I can try out.

[jon404]

@ckh -- bring me up to date. If, God forbid, Adobe were to cut you off, or to go broke and close down, are there other programs out there that can, as of today, read in Photoshop CC and Illustrator CC native files... without rework? Without dropping out the latest-version special effects? For example, can XDP import the latest CC .PSD and .AI files (if that's what they're still calling them) without errors?

If that's so, if you have competitive alternatives to switch to in a pinch, then you're safe enough with Cloud software. As for Cloud storage, as long as you also back up locally, why not?

But if you, or anyone else, could bring me up to date about native-file compatibility... appreciated!