Adobe commits suicide

[handrawn]

There is a big difference! I cannot stress this enough. Imagine you do join the Creative Cloud and in the future Adobe does something you don’t agree with. You can’t just walk away then. If you cancel your subscription you will be left empty handed, no way to open up all the files you have created during your Creative Cloud period. But You do still have clients who expect to be able to get updates. So you are forced to pay and be chained to Adobe forever.

So you do realize that you don’t actually get to keep the latest version of the software when you quit right? You don't get anything. All your PSD/AI and other files become essentially useless.

then you don't do it in the first place, as has been said several times...

but if you are in a team where you must then it's a business expense, like the electricity bill... hell that's more than adobe's subscription for me and the companies are are mostly no better, but I'm stuck with them too

if enough people refuse to sign up adobe may change their minds.. but it is their product, they can market it how they choose.. there are alternatives

and remember the customers who subscribe are the ones adobe will listen to - they will have clout, they won't just let adobe get away with anything, it's not all one sided


oh and on the final point about revenue - that figure does not mean a lot because revenue is turnover, not profit....

[ckh]

And when you stop paying how are you going to open up your files in the future? Just keep paying forever and ever for that privilege to do so? Because you won’t have a license to run the software anymore. Have you really thought this through? How can anyone agree to this?

For me it's doable. I'm not an artist or graphic designer. I mainly work with html and php files, which I can use other editors, even notepad, to open and work on. I use photoshop to edit existing files, I'll have to make a modification to something that doesn't require a lot of artistic talent. I do use pdf's. I have Acrobat X Pro installed, my wife uses the CC version and uses it more than I do. I do have some clients that always use the latest and greatest and will have to modify one of their psd's once in a while, so I need to keep current just so I can work with them.

So, adobe photoshop CS6 is about $650 on Amazon, a year of creative cloud membership. Design premium is about $1200, two years worth of cc membership (.5 updates included). Design and web premium is the one I had, $1400. Master Collection $2200. So for $1800 spread over 3 years, I have access to all of their products, all the upgrades, etc.

There are other programs that will open/edit pdf's, psd's, etc. so I'm not worried. Besides, I can always save a copy that is compatible with older versions of photoshop, though I probably won't go to that trouble.

For me it works and I'm not worried.

[Know1]

then you don't do it in the first place, as has been said several times.

I know, while I still have a choice in the matter.

and remember the customers who subscribe are the ones adobe will listen to - they will have clout, they won't just let adobe get away with anything, it's not all one sided.

Really? I have to disagree. That's kinda my whole point about this new subscription model. Adobe will be able to get away with a lot. Users will not have a choice. What can they do? Stop paying the monthly fee? Oh wait... they can't because you will lose access to everything and can't continue to work. Try explaining that to your clients. And yes, at the moment most companies will still have a recent perpetual license to fall back on (CS5/CS6)... But that is going to change so fast with this subscription system.

That's why it is so important to have a license that doesn't require you to pay every month forever! This is not a 'deal' you are getting, it's a simple way of locking you in for life! And as a company or freelancer you need to have a safety net to fall back on. It's too important to just leave everything up to Adobe.

But you're right. It won't be my problem.

oh and on the final point about revenue - that figure does not mean a lot because revenue is turnover, not profit....

That's a fair point.
http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pres...2Earnings.html

There are other programs that will open/edit pdf's, psd's, etc. so I'm not worried.

PDF's? Yes. That's a pretty universal file format.
Indesign files? Nope. Don't count on it.
Illustrator files? Yes and no. In Xara Designer I can open a lot of them. But the AI files I get are mostly simple flat vector files. So I don't know about the more advanced stuff and how that will translate.
PSD's? Well.... Only the most basic PSD files will you be able to open up in other programs. Only use standard layers and vector text layers if you want to be sure not to run into problems.

Besides, I can always save a copy that is compatible with older versions of photoshop, though I probably won't go to that trouble.

I do think it is bit naive to say that you can 'always save a copy that is compatible with older versions of photoshop'. Or you must be working only with the most basic features. Just use some smart layers/adjustment layers/layer effects in one file and try to open it in an older Photoshop version to see what I mean.

For me it works and I'm not worried.

Ok, that's fine. I am obviously biased against the Cloud. But as long as you know what you are getting yourself into and are happy with it, great.

[handrawn]

ok we disagree - actually I am no supporter of the adobe position, but not a detractor either, what I do support is the right to market your own stuff your own way [within reason granted]

[Know1]

There is a petition going on against getting rid of perpetual licenses all together.
If any one here would like to see it come back let Adobe know by signing this petition:

https://www.change.org/petitions/ado...cription-model

It has 25,000+ signatures so far.

[mwenz]

Read this on the PhotoShop forum...

This is a great analogy of renting from elsewhere on the forum

Question: Why do car companies lease cars?
Answer: Because it makes more money for them, and it leaves you with less money!

The same is true for any product.

Anyone trying to justify/explain what Adobe is doing needs to keep this in mind.

Now imagine if every car company decided that they were going to stop selling cars and would only lease them.

They could sell it to the public with BS like: "You will always have a new car!" and "Now you won't have to wait for new features anymore!"

To continue the analogy, cars at the end of their lease would be destroyed so there wouldn't be a pesky used-car market. Sort of like not letting people sell their software licenses anymore, like the CC.

Everyone would eventually have to lease because the old "Perpetual License" cars would become obsolete and end up in junk-yards.

The car companies could speed this process up by refusing to sell spare parts anymore. Sort of like refusing to upgrade software anymore.

Oh...and for all this benefit, your cost of driving will of course have to go up by 2 to 3 times.

What do you think the reaction would be?

[handrawn]

well since I don't own a car, because I am blessed to live in a place where it is not essential and I have better things to do with the money it would cost to keep one I don't need to use most of the time - and I hire one if I need one for something specific, my answer to the question 'what would my reaction be' is: 'not a lot'

[Know1]

Edit: never mind this post.

[handrawn]

why - someone would lease cars and then hire them out to people like me - that's called enterprise

but my comment was not really serious anyway because actually it's a very bad analogy.. you can't compare cars with adobe software because anyone can legally build a car, but only adobe can legally build photoshop etc

[jon404]

Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose...
Janis Joplin

Noticed yesterday that Microsoft's doing this too -- sort of, maybe. For example, Publisher 2013 is only available as a download... no CD. But you can move it from PC to PC, and it's not a subscription deal. They have cloud storage, too... but not tied to your continued subscription payments.

I'm with Xara here. Bought P&GD 9 the other day -- instant download and registration. Also ordered a CD, which will come in the mail, by and by. Best of both worlds. No weirdo bloodsucking vampire subscription contracts!

EDIT -- about leasing a car -- actually, it can make sense. Yes, it does cost you much more than driving the same car for, say, 10-15 years. But you do get to drive new cars on lease during that time... like a new one every three years... good for reliability and safety particularly if you live in a bad-weather area. Best of all would be to do what people did in the '50s and '60s... just buy a new car every three years, then trade it in on another. No nasty lease mileage-limits to deal with. But few people do that now; the average price of a new car is too high... even accounting for inflation, they cost more now because of all the safety gear. Thank God Adobe doesn't make cars!