Future Photoshop Subscription Only!

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redhed17

redhed17

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I've just read the news on DPReview that the future of Photoshop will be a Cloud based subscription. :eek:

What do you think?

I know I will never buy software by subscription. :shake:

Will it leave a market for someone else to come in to replace it? :shrug:

It is a high quality piece of software to replace, and Adobe may be thinking they are so far ahead of competitors that they don't need to worry about a viable alternative. :shrug: And they obviously think their software is so attractive that people will pay the subscription. :thinking:
 
Looks like CS6 will be the last version I own, have Adobe just committed commercial suicide?
I license all my software and I will decide when to upgrade, sooner they are knocked off the top spot, the better.
 
yep i can see gimp getting more of a mention of a lot of the photography forums soon
 
I'll miss some of the new features Photoshop will be receiving, but there's no way I'll pump money into a software subscription. At least, it seems as if CS6 will continue to be available for purchase for a little while yet - but I'd rather been looking forward to what new will be coming, once I'm able to pick up a copy.

As an option, I'm completely fine with Creative Cloud. If, as a professional, or business, you routinely update to each new version, even the full rate of $50/mo isn't much of a difference - but that certainly doesn't cover every user's purchase plans.

I do hope Adobe reconsiders the end of buying their software.
 
Porsupah said:
As an option, I'm completely fine with Creative Cloud. If, as a professional, or business, you routinely update to each new version, even the full rate of $50/mo isn't much of a difference - but that certainly doesn't cover every user's purchase plans.
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I assume that people using the software in business pay in some way that writes the cost off as a business expense, while the normal chap in the street bares full cost. I think this may be what Adobe are counting on, business users carrying on because they need to use the software. Whether they need the latest version is another thing. I know a lot of companies stuck with Win XP rather than upgrade to Vista because of the poor rep of Vista, but also because XP did everything they needed, so why pay for an upgrade? :shrug:

Once they have people caught in the subscription model, then they have a captive userbase, but if enough people are happy with CS6, and feel no need to upgrade, then Adobe could have problems. You would assume they have done their sums to take into account the number of upgraders they are going to lose, and how many business users may not go to the cloud route. :shrug:


Give them their dues though, it is a very brave move. :clap: I hope it fails, but a brave move. :LOL:
 
Thing is IMO there are now many programs out there that can do what a photographer needs to do with images and a lot cheaper than Adobe products. I use CS 5 and have done so by upgrade through the versions and although I have not read through the conditions of using the creative cloud it seems to me that if you take it on then after a year or three years do not pay again you loose the program but if you own the software it's yours for life, so to speak. I suppose the big companies and professional photographers will use this cloud but for an ammeter like myself as has been stated above there are many more cheaper options now to Adobe. Maybe if I find a cheap upgrade to CS 6 I'll go for it but for now CS 5 does what I need.
 
redhed17 said:
I assume that people using the software in business pay in some way that writes the cost off as a business expense, while the normal chap in the street bares full cost. I think this may be what Adobe are counting on, business users carrying on because they need to use the software. Whether they need the latest version is another thing. I know a lot of companies stuck with Win XP rather than upgrade to Vista because of the poor rep of Vista, but also because XP did everything they needed, so why pay for an upgrade? :shrug:

Once they have people caught in the subscription model, then they have a captive userbase, but if enough people are happy with CS6, and feel no need to upgrade, then Adobe could have problems. You would assume they have done their sums to take into account the number of upgraders they are going to lose, and how many business users may not go to the cloud route. :shrug:


Give them their dues though, it is a very brave move. :clap: I hope it fails, but a brave move. :LOL:
Click to expand...

Adobe had the perfect business model, for us, when you could skip generations when upgrading, as probably the most pirated piece of software in history, the accountants had to do something.
I'm sticking with CS6 as long as I can, although like all things computing, I'll be forced to upgrade at some point.
Guessing PSCS6 wont run on OSX 10.9

I used to shop around for updates, no longer can I do this as Adobe has adopted the Apple model of 1 provider, yes it is a business expense, but I'd rather have the money in my own pocket thank you.
 
I think Adobe paid lip service to piracy in the past, as it has been in their interest to grow their userbase. They have tried to become a bit stronger with their anti piracy measures in recent years, but once you have a large userbase who are able to 'acquire' your software, applying essentially a lock out to piracy (in theory) will probably not encourage the illegal users to start suddenly paying a monthly subscription. Legal users however, and especially business users, who may have built their livelihood on the back of the software, are being forced into some tough decisions. :shrug: A lot may have no choice but to pay up. I don't envy them.

Once they have users locked into their subscription model, they can start charging what they want. :shrug: There is less of an incentive to innovate, as you have a fairly steady income stream. At the moment they have to get new features for each release to tempt new users, and to tempt current users to upgrade to the latest version. Common wisdom was to upgrade every other version, as there may not be enough new stuff to justify the cost. Adobe have tried to block that by limiting what versions can be upgraded to the newest version. It seems that may not have generated enough money for them. If that didn't encourage enough people to upgrade, then I don't see how this subscription idea is going to be better for them, at least for the non business user. :shrug:


There are a few high profile business's built on the back of the large (illegal) Photoshop userbase, magazines, training websites, and while their audience will not disappear overnight, it will start to contract. They may still do up do date courses and features, but if they are showing tools/techniques that the vast majority of their users are no longer up to date, it will lead to a decline in the people willing to pay for such things even quicker imho.
 
yep, other one's got more replies so I'll close this one :)
 
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