Photoshop CS4 purchase

Trev4

Trev4

Messages
5,967
Name
Trev
Edit My Images
Yes
Photoshop CS4 is so over priced in the UK from what I can see, it appears to be far cheaper in the USA. eBay are selling many USA sourced copies averaging around £100.00 to £200.00. While it seems these come with a serial number and can be activated in the UK, there is no product backup nor can you use this to upgrade in time to come. It’s also possible that in time Adobe will refuse to accept registration from USA sourced software registered in the UK.
There is a company advertising downloads of an OEM version for €119.95, again this can be registered with Adobe but not upgraded (according to the advert). The link to this company is: Here. They also advertise many other software titles including all versions of Windows and from many other major software houses.
Having read the advertising blurb it looks ok, but it could still be too cheap to be true, and does Adobe supply OEM software anyway? but the company do offer backup as far as the downloading and installation is concerned, plus a money back promise if it fails to install.
Has anyone used or tried this company or do you have opinions on these sources of Photoshop.
If this thread has already been covered I apologise for starting it again, I did a search but couldnt see anything at all similar in previous threads.
Cheers.
Trev
 
Rather than stating the ye olde statement with regard to software being priced unbelievely low and it being unlikely that it's geniune...

I'd advise that with any company that you bung in their trading name into google followed by the word 'review' or if you're pesimitic 'scam'

And see what others have experienced from the company...

If it's too good to be true then it probably is...!!!!


but you're right about the pricing policy... we do get absolutely violated in our private parts in the UK when it comes to buying things.
 
adsayer said:
Rather than stating the ye olde statement with regard to software being priced unbelievely low and it being unlikely that it's geniune...

I'd advise that with any company that you bung in their trading name into google followed by the word 'review' or if you're pesimitic 'scam'

And see what others have experienced from the company...

If it's too good to be true then it probably is...!!!!


but you're right about the pricing policy... we do get absolutely violated in our private parts in the UK when it comes to buying things.
Click to expand...

I googled the company with 'review' and didnt get any results that were informative, certainly not any users views. Will try 'scam' though, thats something I hadnt thought of, thanks for the thought.
 
Elements is pretty good and dirt cheap (I picked it up for under £30). Once registered they periodically email offers.... like half price CS4 for example.
 
This is defo a scam, like most of the cheap photoshop offers on E-bay, it will install and run for a while and then lock up, and when you contact adobe they will tell you that you do not have a genuine serial code. Unfortunatly if you want to use the full blown photoshop you will have to pay the full blown price. I manage to get by with PS Elements and some good RAW editing software (Capture NX2 and Capture One v4). There are many plugins for elements which unlock or replicate the features in Photoshop that are missing in Elements by default. I'd like the full boona but cannae justify it.
 
purpleclouds said:
Adobe does not supply OEM software - it's all a con!
Click to expand...

I wasnt sure but suspected this was the case. Reading the general blurb from the advertising company, and the price, it almost seems plausible, but the cynic in me prevailed.
Having said that, the genuine versions from the USA are tempting.

pearce_jj said:
Elements is pretty good and dirt cheap (I picked it up for under £30). Once registered they periodically email offers.... like half price CS4 for example.
Click to expand...

Cheers for that. I have used elements for a few years, version 7 now, but wanted to move up to the full version. I do agree its pretty good for the money though.
 
It gets even dafter when you check the price on the Adobe website...

US full version of CS4 $699 Switch to UK and it's £615.25 (just out of interest $699 = about £429 right now)

US upgrade CS4 is $199 ... UK upgrade price is £178.25 shipped to you CD in a box
but if you decide to download it it's £188.32

Why does it cost a tenner more to download it, than for them to ship the box, CD and manual to you?

If that isn't blatant profiteering I don't know what is!
 
Frogbad said:
This is defo a scam, like most of the cheap photoshop offers on E-bay, it will install and run for a while and then lock up, and when you contact adobe they will tell you that you do not have a genuine serial code. Unfortunatly if you want to use the full blown photoshop you will have to pay the full blown price. I manage to get by with PS Elements and some good RAW editing software (Capture NX2 and Capture One v4). There are many plugins for elements which unlock or replicate the features in Photoshop that are missing in Elements by default. I'd like the full boona but cannae justify it.
Click to expand...

Its hard to justify the cost, I do agree, and if Adobe were more realsitic with their pricing policy I am sure they would sell more products, and considerably reduce the pirating, which would possibly cover the lost revenue caused by the reduction in retail prices.
The comments so far have confirmed what I was thinking, so the cheapies will be left alone by me.
I havent used any Elements plug ins, so I suppose I should look into this area, do you have any recommended sites?
 
Bill Roberts said:
It gets even dafter when you check the price on the Adobe website...

US full version of CS4 $699 Switch to UK and it's £615.25 (just out of interest $699 = about £429 right now)

US upgrade CS4 is $199 ... UK upgrade price is £178.25 shipped to you CD in a box
but if you decide to download it it's £188.32

Why does it cost a tenner more to download it, than for them to ship the box, CD and manual to you?

If that isn't blatant profiteering I don't know what is!
Click to expand...


I am going off thread here for a moment I apologise and hope I'm not breaking any rules :rules:, but this seems typical of this country for some greedy reason.
I was in Australia for 4 years, 2002 to 2006. While I was there, Land Rover were heavily advertising their Discovery with the bush pack, thats winches front and back, leather, air con, alloys, the lot. On the road price was the equivalent of around £17'000 ($41'000 AU) at that time, and they had shipped them half way round the world. What the cost is now I dont know, and the exchange rate has changed now as well, but where could you buy a Disco in the UK for anything near that. Why is the UK so heavily over charged, and Adobe are just the same, in fact there are too many examples like this.
Back to photography and sorry for diversing. Perhaps we should all rebel in some way, take up arms and demand cheaper Photoshop to start with :bat: but then I'd rather spend time birding than arguing lol :gag:
 
Trev4 said:
Its hard to justify the cost, I do agree, and if Adobe were more realsitic with their pricing policy I am sure they would sell more products, and considerably reduce the pirating, which would possibly cover the lost revenue caused by the reduction in retail prices.........
Click to expand...

Microsoft often do the same thing. It's frustrating, and annoying. They usually follow some global market/price differential model, claiming that there are increased costs to support products in markets with smaller sales. I just can't see that, particularly for downloads. It would be easy enough to sell at the US price equivalent (+ local taxes?) with a warning that they don't offer local telephone support.
 
I have to say that I think what was said in a thread I read a few weeks ago was spot on (I dont have the thread link) Photoshop if used as a professinal tool works out to be great value if you think of the amount of hours you use it per week etc.

I think that on the whole people are spoilt with photoshop, I would have thought a majority of people have at some stage had a non legal version cracked with a keygen or the likes and at some stage have decided to try and go legit but cant afford to, at this time you relise when you try elements what you would be missing out on.

I know this happened to me. I could not afford to get cs4 but wanted to go legit for obvious reasons. I managed to get a genuine copy of CS3 recently for £260 after getting stung twice on supposid genuine copy from ebay (got refund) and CEX (also got refund). I know the copy I have now is genuine as I have contacted adobe and have changed from pc to mac with the serial number.

People seem on the whole to want to get what is an essential (for some people) piece of equipment for next to nothing. Would you expect to get a camera for free or near free? I am not having a rant, its far too early on sunday just airing my views :)
 
Trev4 said:
if Adobe were more realsitic with their pricing policy I am sure they would sell more products
Click to expand...

Not necessarily, even if Adobe sold CS3/CS4 for £100, there would always be people who would buy a copy for a tenner, and i guess in some respects who can blame them, if there's a market for it people will always buy the cheapest,(look at Primark :D) there are good copies of CS3/4 and bad copies, you pays your money you take your chances.
 
The way I see it is that Photoshop CS4 is a professional tool, say much like a 1D3 or D3 and Elements is a perfectly capable tool for the advanced amateur, say much like a 50D or D300. You don't see many people demanding Canon or Nikon reduce the price of their professional cameras (or people stealing them from Jessops).

The obvious solution is Lightroom :D Professional software at a sensible price!
 
I was at a photographic seminar a few years back. The speaker asked who all used Photoshop. Almost the whole room held their hands up.
Then he asked how many actually owned an original copy. There were only 2 hands left up!!
Adobe must be aware of this. I have heard of people downloading the 30 day trial and getting an illegal serial number from some dodgy site and Hey Presto everything is Hunky Dory.

BTW
I bought my copy of CS3 from Amazon Marketplace for £93 + postage. The package came sealed and came complete with serial number. I registered it with Adobe no problem at all. This was just before CS4 came on the scene.
There are some good bargains to be had in Amazon Marketplace if you are patient.
 
Yeah, Adobe must know, I'm surprised they don't do anything about it, although I wouldn't like to see them going down the route of hardware licenses, a lot of the engineering software I use at work has gone down that route, you can't output anything unless you have the USB key with the licenses inserted.
 
Trev4 said:
Why is the UK so heavily over charged
Click to expand...

Because we let them get away with it, unfortunately people in the UK will not stick together. If EVERYBODY and I do mean EVERYBODY refused to buy Adobe products the price would fall, but there will always be the people who will buy "A Professional" product no matter what the price.

Craikeybaby said:
The way I see it is that Photoshop CS4 is a professional tool, say much like a 1D3 or D3 and Elements is a perfectly capable tool for the advanced amateur, say much like a 50D or D300. You don't see many people demanding Canon or Nikon reduce the price of their professional cameras (or people stealing them from Jessops).
Click to expand...

It has nothing to do with it being a professional tool, the compliant is the vastly increased prices in the UK compared to the USA. As for 1D3 or D3 have a chat to Kerso and see how much kit he is selling from the USA to the UK so we can avoid the over inflated prices.

Why does it cost more in the UK to download adobe software from their server in the US than it does for somebody living in the US, it's the same cost to them so why do we pay more. Adobe are a total rip off company.

There is something wrong when it is cheaper to fly from Manchester to New York then buy a EF 300 f2.8 from B&H (a high street shop) and the fly right back, than it is to buy the same lens from the cheapest place in the UK.

Craikeybaby said:
Yeah, Adobe must know, I'm surprised they don't do anything about it, although I wouldn't like to see them going down the route of hardware licenses, a lot of the engineering software I use at work has gone down that route, you can't output anything unless you have the USB key with the licenses inserted.
Click to expand...


I have read that Adobe do know and don't care because the mass piracy is ensuring they are market leader, and thus ensuring that big business with deep pockets buy Adobe and not a competitor.


It's a shame that Apple do not make a windows version of Aperture and give Adobe Lightroom some real competition.
 
Bill Roberts said:
It gets even dafter when you check the price on the Adobe website...

US full version of CS4 $699 Switch to UK and it's £615.25 (just out of interest $699 = about £429 right now)

US upgrade CS4 is $199 ... UK upgrade price is £178.25 shipped to you CD in a box
but if you decide to download it it's £188.32

Why does it cost a tenner more to download it, than for them to ship the box, CD and manual to you?

If that isn't blatant profiteering I don't know what is!
Click to expand...

Remember that US prices do not include sales tax, but even then comparing it to the VAT free price over here there is still a £100 difference. It's the same from pretty much any American company though :cuckoo:
 
Craikeybaby said:
Remember that US prices do not include sales tax, but even then comparing it to the VAT free price over here there is still a £100 difference. It's the same from pretty much any American company though :cuckoo:
Click to expand...

You must remember that not all states have sales tax, the following states have zero sales tax

ALASKA
DELAWARE
NEW HAMPSHIRE
OREGON


Now WYOMING it's 4% sales tax but there is a big advantage to living there

Wyoming Department of Revenue said:
The state of Wyoming does not levy a personal or corporate income tax. Wyoming does not impose a tax on intangible assets such as bank accounts, stocks, or bonds, either. In addition, Wyoming does not assess any tax on retirement income earned and received from another state. Further, there is no legislative plan to implement any of these types of taxes.
Click to expand...
 
Nice!

Its certainly rip off Britain though, what are we doing paying 15% vat and 20%/40% income tax! :lol:
 
TG. said:
Not necessarily, even if Adobe sold CS3/CS4 for £100, there would always be people who would buy a copy for a tenner, and i guess in some respects who can blame them, if there's a market for it people will always buy the cheapest,(look at Primark :D) there are good copies of CS3/4 and bad copies, you pays your money you take your chances.
Click to expand...

While I can agree with this statement to a point, it think its fair to say that the majority of people will buy a legitimate version where possible, providing they feel they are getting value for money. You will never eradicate piracy totally any more than you will stop a shop lifter stealing a £1 bar of chocolate or whatever even if it was half price. A realistic pricing policy would encourage people to be legitimate, and I do believe it would benefit the software houses by increased sales, more control over who is using their products, and ultimately more loyalty to the user’s favoured product. So to me, it seems short sighted to have these high prices especially when they are not consistent across all countries. In this day and age, communications isn’t the same barrier that it once was, so to say the price is high because of the support costs is an argument that I cant accept.
A good point was made by whiteflyer regarding sticking together, and yes, a joint concerted action by all would put pressure on manufacturers, but we know it’s not going to happen in this country. The French seem to be able to pull together when they feel strong enough about an issue, so why not us, not that I am condoning their level of violence and burning animals in the lorries, but the general point is a valid one.
 
Trev4 said:
A realistic pricing policy would encourage people to be legitimate
Click to expand...

Yes and no, the only problem with that is while true in principal, what is realistic to some won't be to others, the majority of people can't see a reason for paying £500 for a CS4 disk, while others like photographers and graphic designers realise the work that as gone into making it, the problem is as has already been mentioned Adobe is a rip off company, so they should expect to get ripped off themselves, and they do,and i'm sure they compensate for that,probably by hiking European prices up, like i said it will always happen, it happens in all industries CD,s/DVD,S are being ripped off all the time, i doubt if it,s possible to stop it completely.
 
I think there is real sense in offering the same software at different prices to different users.

Look at Microsoft Office - £300 if you're a company (and then some, with 'software assurance'), £50 for three computers if you're a home user.
 
pearce_jj said:
I think there is real sense in offering the same software at different prices to different users.

Look at Microsoft Office - £300 if you're a company (and then some, with 'software assurance'), £50 for three computers if you're a home user.
Click to expand...
£50 For Office, the complete package?
 
That is the student version. Also, it is a cut-down version.
I think you'll find adobe do student licenses too. They also do a cut-down version, I believe it is called elements
 
It is not cut down at all, those three apps are fully featured. It is valid for any "non-commercial" use, a fact it reminds you of continually...

http://sittingbourneSPAMerver.com/downloads/photos/tp_shared/word.jpg
 
for the adobe software, the likelyhood is that it wont work anyway, the serial will be blocked as adobe do that centrally. (mod comment, stay away from the obvious here please)
 
**cough**
Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of rum, Jim lad
 
Alternatively, ask yourself do you need CS4. I have it for work, but use cs2 at home, for what I use it for at home there is no difference.
If you need it for RAW files you can get the latest Elements very cheap and then save and work in an older CS.
Also, consider Lightroom, very good value.
 
I've read some iffy,hacked copies of CS4 have hosts file entries to redirect dns entries for several apple sites to the local computer, I guess to negate Adobe blocking or knowing about the software
 
Danny_Two said:
Alternatively, ask yourself do you need CS4. I have it for work, but use cs2 at home, for what I use it for at home there is no difference.
If you need it for RAW files you can get the latest Elements very cheap and then save and work in an older CS.
Also, consider Lightroom, very good value.
Click to expand...

Oruse the free Adobe DNG convertor.

Also if you're at the level where you're finding Elements restrictive, you'll more than likely be able to justify the cost of the full Photoshop.
 
Byker28i said:
I've read some iffy,hacked copies of CS4 have hosts file entries to redirect dns entries for several apple sites to the local computer, I guess to negate Adobe blocking or knowing about the software
Click to expand...

They use the hostfile config as adobe only verify an internet connection to adobe, no other checks. I would guess it just points to localhost or something similar.
Also to another post, Hardware usb with keys can also be worked around in a similar way to the hostfile on windows.

I own CS4 for the PC and in the process of changing it over to the MAC.
 
Chaz Photos said:
£50 For Office, the complete package?
Click to expand...

No. The Home & Student version doesn't include Outlook. It was in the previous versions, but not this one.

There are some suppliers who can sell you the full "Standard" pack at a academic massive discount, but you have to prove you are a bona fide student. The early versions of Home & Student - which were marketed under a different title - used the same verification procedure.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top