Adobe heralds subscription-only future for Photoshop and Creative Suite

[kujoe2002]

There's actually been some really cool stuff on the consumer side coming out for Mac recently. Pixelmator and Sketch in particular are quite good Adobe replacements.

Though both inkscape and Gimp have very steep learning curves, both are free and do most everything Photoshop does. Hell I used less than 10% the capability of either program. The majority of the users are looking to really crops and clean up photos (including myself) they took instead of creating graphics from scratch. Aren't there some free photoshop derivatives that you can do online and it's free? Kind of like Google docs, but for graphics?

[richardginn]

For Photoshop only, it's $20/mo. CS 6 retailed for $700. So if you set aside the same amount of money it would last you three years.

If you already own Adobe Photoshop CS6 and an upgrade to a CS7 version if it did exist would be $199 bucks.

20 bucks times 18 months is 360 bucks. The upgrade price is less than the price you spend over 18 months on that creative could subscription.

[kujoe2002]

Whatever happened to Corel Draw. I want to say I thought it was part of my Windows 3.1. I remember my dad working with some graphic artists whom I thought used it.

[richardginn]

Whatever happened to Corel Draw. I want to say I thought it was part of my Windows 3.1. I remember my dad working with some graphic artists whom I thought used it.

That software is still around and update by the people at Corel. I just do not how it compares to the Adobe stuff.

[ImaNihilist]

If you already own Adobe Photoshop CS6 and an upgrade to a CS7 version if it did exist would be $199 bucks.

20 bucks times 18 months is 360 bucks. The upgrade price is less than the price you spend over 18 months on that creative could subscription.

The upgrade means you have an older version that you paid retail for. If you've had Photoshop legally for any period of time you are talking about a $1,000+. And it's not like a version of Photoshop from 10 years ago even runs properly. Even older versions of CS don't run on OS X.

There are very few scenarios where you will come out ahead by having "purchased" any Adobe product over the new model.

[richardginn]

The upgrade means you have an older version that you paid retail for. If you've had Photoshop legally for any period of time you are talking about a $1,000+. And it's not like a version of Photoshop from 10 years ago even runs properly. Even older versions of CS don't run on OS X.

There are very few scenarios where you will come out ahead by having "purchased" any Adobe product over the new model.

You have only a few scenarios to begin with any way. The one that has to start out and buy the Photoshop software. The one that has a previous version of Photoshop and does update each time a new version comes out and the one that owns Photoshop and does not update each time a new version comes out.

Even if you had to buy Adobe Photoshop from the start at 20 bucks a month it will take you three years to reach the retail price of Adobe Photoshop CS6. If you start to throw in updates to the price then you are like at year four when you fully paid them off. Then you are pretty much paying 240 bucks a year to Adobe for updates for that one program which is more than the 199 bucks you would have paid under the old model ever 18 months to update the Photoshop to the latest version of the software.
To me the only people under the old model that made out good were the people that skipped a version and still could update to a new version at a low cost. That is a good portion of people that use the software.

This is just a complete money grab from Adobe that can easily backfire on them.

[Steven P Jobs]

There's actually been some really cool stuff on the consumer side coming out for Mac recently. Pixelmator and Sketch in particular are quite good Adobe replacements.

I recently bought Pixelmator and Acorn because they were both on sale in the Mac App store. I think I paid about 40 Euros for the two of them together.

For the longest time I was a die hard photoshop user even though I only scratched the surface of its functionality. Never mind that they couldn't even make the pointer align with the pixel grid until CS6, I had to use the most feature complete program out there just for the sake of doing so. Now I'm starting to realize how silly that was.

The problem with older Photoshop competitors like GIMP is that they try to replicate as much Photoshop functionality as possible while having the horrible UI that people have come to expect from open source software. These new Mac alternatives are great because they put the user first, and are adding functionality bit by bit only if they can do so in a good way. Pixelmator for example is starting to add Illustrator-like vector functionality, and while I've only given it a quick spin it seems great so far.

My academic Adobe licenses are running out soon, and I don't think I'll be subscribing to Creative Cloud.

[kujoe2002]

Maybe people will use their creativity more and not be limited?

http://www.sharkyforums.com/showthre...Wait-Excel-%29

[ImaNihilist]

You have only a few scenarios to begin with any way. The one that has to start out and buy the Photoshop software. The one that has a previous version of Photoshop and does update each time a new version comes out and the one that owns Photoshop and does not update each time a new version comes out.

Even if you had to buy Adobe Photoshop from the start at 20 bucks a month it will take you three years to reach the retail price of Adobe Photoshop CS6. If you start to throw in updates to the price then you are like at year four when you fully paid them off. Then you are pretty much paying 240 bucks a year to Adobe for updates for that one program which is more than the 199 bucks you would have paid under the old model ever 18 months to update the Photoshop to the latest version of the software.
To me the only people under the old model that made out good were the people that skipped a version and still could update to a new version at a low cost. That is a good portion of people that use the software.

This is just a complete money grab from Adobe that can easily backfire on them.

Money grab? For the first time every Adobe products are actually affordable, even in the Photoshop only scenario. Most people have pirated Adobe products since the dawn of time. Macromedia's MODEL for Flash was to encourage piracy so that there was content for Flash.

Even if you skip a version or two, you are still talking about a $1,000+ investment over time. And it's $20 right now, but will probably drop (it already has). So unless you bought a version of Photoshop, then waited four years to upgrade you still come out ahead under this new model.

This is the first time in the history of Adobe that Creative Suite might actually be purchased by average people, because it's actually affordable. The price has already dropped from $135/mo to $80/mo to $50/mo. It may drop even further as they figure out the right equilibrium.

[richardginn]

I recently bought Pixelmator and Acorn because they were both on sale in the Mac App store. I think I paid about 40 Euros for the two of them together.

For the longest time I was a die hard photoshop user even though I only scratched the surface of its functionality. Never mind that they couldn't even make the pointer align with the pixel grid until CS6, I had to use the most feature complete program out there just for the sake of doing so. Now I'm starting to realize how silly that was.

The problem with older Photoshop competitors like GIMP is that they try to replicate as much Photoshop functionality as possible while having the horrible UI that people have come to expect from open source software. These new Mac alternatives are great because they put the user first, and are adding functionality bit by bit only if they can do so in a good way. Pixelmator for example is starting to add Illustrator-like vector functionality, and while I've only given it a quick spin it seems great so far.

My academic Adobe licenses are running out soon, and I don't think I'll be subscribing to Creative Cloud.

Pixelmator looks good, but it is a mac only product right now.

[richardginn]

Money grab? For the first time every Adobe products are actually affordable, even in the Photoshop only scenario. Most people have pirated Adobe products since the dawn of time. Macromedia's MODEL for Flash was to encourage piracy so that there was content for Flash.

Even if you skip a version or two, you are still talking about a $1,000+ investment over time. And it's $20 right now, but will probably drop (it already has). So unless you bought a version of Photoshop, then waited four years to upgrade you still come out ahead under this new model.

This is the first time in the history of Adobe that Creative Suite might actually be purchased by average people, because it's actually affordable. The price has already dropped from $135/mo to $80/mo to $50/mo. It may drop even further as they figure out the right equilibrium.

Average people will not pay 20 bucks a month for the software when updates to the software could happen one or two times a year and have updates that are not really worth getting. They have not even figured out long term file access yet...

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-575...m-file-access/

Re-run the math ImaNihilist.. You do not save money if you skip versions if all you use is Photoshop.

[ImaNihilist]

Average people will not pay 20 bucks a month for the software when updates to the software could happen one or two times a year and have updates that are not really worth getting. They have not even figured out long term file access yet...

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-575...m-file-access/

Re-run the math ImaNihilist.. You do not save money if you skip versions if all you use is Photoshop.

Photoshop CS 6 Extended retailed for $999. The upgrades have been $299. That's $1000. That's 50 months at the current Photoshop CC pricing of $20/mo, which could go down.

That's four YEARS of updates. I don't know anyone using a 4 year old version of Photoshop. Adobe is horrible at supporting older versions. I'm not even sure a 4 year old version of Photoshop would run properly on the latest version of OS X.

Do you actually use Photoshop or any of applications in the Creative Suite?

$20/mo for Photoshop is a great deal. $50/mo for the whole Creative Suite is amazing.

[richardginn]

Photoshop CS 6 Extended retailed for $999. The upgrades have been $299. That's $1000. That's 50 months at the current Photoshop CC pricing of $20/mo, which could go down.

That's four YEARS of updates. I don't know anyone using a 4 year old version of Photoshop. Adobe is horrible at supporting older versions. I'm not even sure a 4 year old version of Photoshop would run properly on the latest version of OS X.

Do you actually use Photoshop or any of applications in the Creative Suite?

$20/mo for Photoshop is a great deal. $50/mo for the whole Creative Suite is amazing.

Yes I do use a version of Photoshop, and Dreamweaver. I did use fireworks, but that program is going away.

The extended version of Photoshop is no more as you get only one version under the creative cloud for now. Even that could change down the road.

The overall sentiment ImaNihilist is VERY VERY negative towards this move based on all the comments I have seen from from the Adobe Messageboard. Also from articles posted on Theverge, Engadget, Gizmodo, CNET, TheNextweb, etc....

[ImaNihilist]

Yes I do use a version of Photoshop, and Dreamweaver. I did use fireworks, but that program is going away.

The extended version of Photoshop is no more as you get only one version under the creative cloud for now. Even that could change down the road.

The overall sentiment ImaNihilist is VERY VERY negative towards this move based on all the comments I have seen from from the Adobe Messageboard. Also from articles posted on Theverge, Engadget, Gizmodo, CNET, TheNextweb, etc....

That's so weird, because everyone I know is pretty excited to finally move away from this boxed version crap. I really don't see the downside if you are a creative professional. You get the latest version, with all the features, and you no longer have to worry about application parity between computers. As an added bonus it's super easy for freelancers or pretty much anyone to just expense back the monthly cost or write it off at years end.

I suspect those complaining are likely the ones who weren't paying for it anyway. Adobe has always made the bulk of their money selling multi-seats to creative agencies and production shops, and this just makes it infinitely easier.

The vocal minority might be causing a ruckus, but I haven't heard anyone saying, "Damn. It sucks that we no longer have to pay $2,500 a head when we hire a new employee."

[richardginn]

That's so weird, because everyone I know is pretty excited to finally move away from this boxed version crap. I really don't see the downside if you are a creative professional. You get the latest version, with all the features, and you no longer have to worry about application parity between computers. As an added bonus it's super easy for freelancers or pretty much anyone to just expense back the monthly cost or write it off at years end.

I suspect those complaining are likely the ones who weren't paying for it anyway. Adobe has always made the bulk of their money selling multi-seats to creative agencies and production shops, and this just makes it infinitely easier.

The vocal minority might be causing a ruckus, but I haven't heard anyone saying, "Damn. It sucks that we no longer have to pay $2,500 a head when we hire a new employee."

Trust me people that have paid for over a decade on this software are not happy. The software does not have to boxed, but an online version we can save to a DVD that can run when we install it on a NEW PC is vital for some people.

The problem is the cost of even just 600 bucks a year is a problem for small businesses. Small businesses are likely to be the ones that skip a version before they upgrade to save cash, they are not what the new adobe software pricing model is looking for. Even I used a 20% coupon off to upgrade my copy of Dreamweaver from adobe.com and I skipped at least a version before I upgraded that piece of software.

Being a creative professional is one thing, BEING a hobbyist or freelancer is another. You do not want to anger those two markets.