Adobe and the cloud
Ok, so Adobe goes Cloud only.
We’ve read a lot of comments, and of course there are negatives and positives, let me give my opinion, and feel free to add or comment (agree or disagree).
Let me first take away some questions I read over and over, but do remind that I’m not an Adobe sales person, attached to Adobe or whatever, the answers come from just reading the website and working with the Creative Cloud for a year now.
Q1 : I don’t have access to internet so Adobe sucks…..
There is absolutely no need for internet, you can work just fine without an internet connection, the apps are on your hard drive, the only time you need a connection is for updates (and that was always the case) and once every so often the software wants to check your subscription (probably once a month). We work a lot in situations where I don’t have internet on my laptop and it always works.
Q2: Adobe controls all my work because it’s online, bad Adobe…..
Where do you get that idea?
It’s like facebook and Google+ you don’t HAVE to upload your images, in my case there is not one image online (at the moment), I work just like with previous versions of Adobe software, all on the hard drive, with our upload speed it also would not be a good idea 😀
Q3: I’m so angry, I just bought CS6 and now I’m forced into the cloud, while normally I would just skip an update….
Who said that CS6 would stop working?
Adobe is supporting CS6 at the moment, releasing bugfixes etc. but as soon as Photoshop CC will be released in June they will probably stop improving it, like they did with CS5, CS4 and everything before that. Just hang on to your CS6, no reason to switch to the cloud.
Q4: It’s so expensive, and I only use Photoshop.
Then only subscribe to Photoshop….
Buy Lightroom and take a subscription to Photoshop and you’re all set, you’re not forced to subscribe to the whole suite 😀
Q5: It’s so expensive, my business will go bankrupt.
Really?
If your business can shelve out 1K+ for a suite at once but cannot pay $50.00 a month for a subscription or $19.95 for one app I think you might be looking into doing something else, if you use Photoshop this means a 0.66 cents per day for the use of Photoshop…..
Let me see you probably spend more on starbucks in 2 days than Photoshop in a month, you probably spend way more on internet OR Xbox live OR HBO OR a sports channel etc. than on renting the whole suite which actually makes you money 🙂
Now don’t get me wrong, I also would love to be able to subscribe to the whole suite for $20.00 a month, but that’s not possible and it would probably mean that Adobe would spend less time on R&D and that’s a really bad thing for the software I earn my money with. Now you know I’m always a friendly kind of guy but if your BUSINESS can’t survive because you have to pay $19.95 a month for software I’m afraid it’s no use continuing your business.
Q5A: I’m a hobbyist
Ok in that case I get it, but let’s look at it from this side.
In the past you had to pay a lot of money for the software now it’s a spread out payment over 1-2 years, and don’t get me wrong I understand that it’s a lot of money, but in exchange you’re always up to date, you’re always running software that is supported and you don’t have to shelve out the money at once.
Q6: I’ve had it I’m gonna switch to the competition
With all due respect… but what competition?
And this is probably also where Adobe is getting a lot of heat from, people are frustrated because they probably do realize there is no competition, well at least not for some people. For the hobbyist there are some alternative, for example Pixelmator, Gimp, Paint, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom, Aperture it all depends on what you need and what you want. For the full blown options of Photoshop, all the plugins etc. there is no alternative (or at least not what I found).
Now my responses do seem a bit harsh, a bit Adobe colored, but again let me make 100% clear that I’m not attached to Adobe, I’m not on Adobe’s pay list and I’m sure not being paid for this blogpost. My own response to the whole cloud idea was very positive at first (and still is) for the simple reason that although I earn my money with photography and Adobe products I always had some trouble shelving out 1K+ for a complete suite and several hundreds at once for the upgrades, not that I don’t have the money but it’s always a moment off….. oempf doesn’t CS4 still work…. well ok but I want the new features, and I always lost to myself and upgraded. Now we have the cloud with a fixed fee per month, I can deduct this from taxes and I’m always up to date, I don’t have to worry about updates mid year which makes my old version obsolete for some features etc. I somehow like that idea. But I’m a business. Would I get into the cloud as a hobbyist… well yes for Photoshop, no for premiere. And don’t get me wrong I LOVE Premiere (and if you see what’s coming you love it even more) but FcPx is a good alternative for hobby work (great alternative by the way), so if I was not shooting as a business I would buy Lightroom and “lease” Photoshop meaning my monthly costs would be half of what I pay for my internet access, and I think that’s a pretty sweet deal, especially as a hobbyist I can’t shelve out a lot of money at once for my hobby so why not “lease”, on the other hand….. if I sometimes see what hobbyist pay for L glass, new pro bodies, a third 50mm lens because a review site says it’s 10% sharper in the corners etc. I do wonder…. 😀
Now my ideas about the cloud.
1. the whole cloud idea is genius.
All your software up to date whenever you want it, as soon as there is a small update or a new camera out there it can be updated right away. The interaction between devices should work a lot better when you use the cloud etc.
2. switching to subscription only…. Happy with that one.
If you (like me) need Premiere and Photoshop I’m paying a subscription that for a company is doable, I can use it on two machines (make that 4 and I’m happier) and I’m always up to date…… however.
3. switching to subscription only Part II…. Not so happy with that one.
Pricing is higher than before (considering full price and full suite), BUT that’s understandable, it’s a different concept with also a big advantage… when you only need Photoshop you can only subscribe for Photoshop, or only Premiere, and that’s amazing option, although I think it should be a bit cheaper because there is no more media to ship around, what I don’t like is that if I don’t have the money anymore to pay my subscription I’m stuck with….. nothing, not an old version, not a version that will still work… nothing.
What would be a good option?
And remember it’s just me, I don’t know if Adobe would listen to me but “hey who knows” 😀
I would have no problem with a system where you take a 2 year subscription and only with that subscription you own the software that you are using at the end of your subscription, if you continue for a year or a month or whatever after that, that’s ok but after that initial 2 years you will own the software so if you stop paying Adobe will freeze your software versions and you can still work with it.
Take a new subscription and you can work with the newer versions.
This way you are not “forced” into the cloud and subscriptions
Let’s say you decide to stop paying for example for Premiere because you are switching to Avid or FcPX, in the present setup you would never be able to open your old projects anymore, with the 2 year/freeze system you would at least be able to open your old work.
Overall I think it’s exciting to see what Adobe is doing, it’s also without any doubt pushing away some customers, especially people who don’t have the budget for subscriptions, but are able to buy the software once and use it for some years (a lot of my students still work with PS CS4).
What’s your idea ?
Agree entirely, I have no trouble paying for an upgrade and support subscription, but hate renting anything
Adobe has to realise as the world shrinks, that some people use their apps in Africa and other parts of the world where paying for anything online is a big big pain, internet connections are abysmal and there are a myriad other problems. It is easier for most of us in countries like Ghana to buy the DVD with the software and install since it is hard getting access to internet speeds that make online updates and downloads of softwares practical. If Adobe doesn’t find a good solution to this problem or offer alternatives to this new CC model, we will have to find solutions that will cost them money. Unless, of course, they don’t care about that small African market.
You don’t have to do the updates…
Like the old versions you can skip the updates and work with the software as is.
It only has to check your subscription like once every month and that’s not intense in data.
You don’t have to do the updates…
Like the old versions you can skip the updates and work with the software as is.
It only has to check your subscription like once every month and that’s not intense in data.
Great balanced post Frank. I’m going to have a hard time renting PS alone, just while I get my business off the ground, I’ll probably stay with my version for a while longer. I think those businesses just trying to get on their feet right now, will take this the hardest, future Adobe CC customers. But if you don’t have hurdles in front of you then you’re going in the wrong direction, that’s how I have to look at it. For those with regular work I think this could be the way to go, perhaps a bit cheaper, but all a right off for the business. A product at the end of a fixed rental term would be a nice thank you from Adobe, so if you need to take a break, for whatever reason, you still have something to show for your payments, after all the CC rental of PS over, say 18 months, will be more than what we’ve been paying for an upgrade, which you can continue to use for as long as it works for you.
Adobe, take another look at your price please, we don’t expect something for nothing, good business is about customer service, surely there’s a bit of extra love to give. 🙂
Hi Frank.
Nice post. As a hobbyist still wondering about wether I should switch.
I was surprised by the huge difference between the dollar and euro prices tho
19,99 dollar vs 24,59 euro
I also think those differences are too high, of course we have 21% VAT in the Netherlands but even then…. The Dutch prices have always been a “big” higher but with the CC I think they should be translated 100% back to the US pricing EX VAT.
I can see a huge share of their non-professional market disappearing with people unable or unwilling to pay a monthly subscription. Lets face it, when things are tight, what comes first. The gas, electric, rent, mortgage or software payment. I’d imagine people will be sticking with their current CS version for a while.
When things are tight I think this is a great way of spreading out the payments, not all at once but a fixed amount, on the other hand I agree when you say I would just skip an upgrade, so I’m not disagreeing with you.
Well said Frank. I have been saying the same things but, since I am a nobody, no one will listen to reason. I am good with this model, I am a bit concerned (as I am pretty old) that when I die the access to my photos for the family will be a bit difficult. The solution is to keep current on PSCC via subscription and continue to buy LR. When I am gone all my photos will still be in LR including the altered photoshop versions. When PSCC runs out LR## will still be on my computer and useable.
Lr and the DNG convertors will always work.
Also don’t worry.
It’s very simple, if you have a system that WORKS now and you freeze it for 100 years it will STILL works like it does today. Also don’t worry about your images, on newer software it will almost always open the older files.
Frank, in my humble opinion, constantly dissociating yourself from Adobe doesn’t help this case because if you are in Bed with NAPP, Scott Kelby and his gang, you are in bed with Adobe. You are guilty by association. You should head to Scott’s blog and read for yourself.
Thanks for your remark but that’s simply not true.
I am an Adobe influencer, yeah that’s right, but trust me IF Adobe would do something that I think is wrong I would OR not post about it, OR post about it in a negative way.
I’m still me, and no-one can chance that, If I don’t like something I will post it, if I like it I will post it.
The reason I did this post is because there are some ridiculous remarks going round. people shouting murder and fire because they don’t want to work online… while in reality there is no need to work online, I really would never want to work on a 1GB file online 😀
The only reason I posted this blog post is to give my critique, and I REALLY think Adobe should add this option so people do own something at the end, but also to clear up some misunderstandings.
Now if Adobe would pay me 6 figures a year I would still post what I think, Adobe doesn’t pay me anything and I just wanted to make that crystal clear.
And I’m not in bed with NAPP or Scott (I hope not anyway :D), I work for them on occasions as an instructor just like I work for DxO, LowePro, NIK, X-Rite, Elinchrom, Sony etc. But Frank=Frank and nobody owns me 😀
Oaky for those who use PS all the time. Still a pretty expensive upgrade path. In the end you own nothing. What happens after a year or so using CC and then you decide not to use it? You have nothing.
Frank, what happens when you decide to retire or just do photography for personal use. Are you going to keep paying $50/month for the rest of your life? If you do not, you will immediately be unable to even open all your project files. The problem for hobbyists and part time photographers is greater than the cost of using it at $50 since we often do not know what next year holds and if we will still be shooting often enough to warrant photoshop or premiere for example. And if I ever stop paying the $50 a month, adobe will strip away my ability to open any of my past projects that I have been working on for the last 5 years. Sounds like a hostage situation for sure. How are you willing to keep creating proprietary adobe projects knowing that the day you decide $50 no longer fits your budget (probably when you stop shooting professionally), everything is lost and you will not even be able to open a single past adobe project. This will be even worse for videographers as nothing else will open premiere or after effects projects. $50 while I am a working professional is not a bad deal (though I wish there were still suites available for $20-$30 that only gave me the tools I need rather than every product adobe has). $50 for the rest of my life when I will probably not be shooting professionally for more than a couple more years in order to keep access to my files is a horrible deal.
Yep, and that’s why I said in my post that I don’t agree on that, the whole cloud idea I see and I like, but ending up with nothing that’s just not a good idea and that’s the part I hate.
But let’s hope they listen.
It’s a little disingenuous to be using US pricing when you’re based in Europe and the entire Creative Cloud service will cost €62 or €93 per month, pretty much a third more than the price you quote. Single applications are €24.59. Also, the final point you make is the one that most people seem concerned about. While it is very likely that I will join the CC for Photoshop if I don’t find an alternative in the next few years I WILL be actively looking for alternatives (after 18 years as an Adobe user and 10 years as a business customer).
We will all be looking, heck I’m always looking for better software 😀
I’m also looking into Pixelmator but probably more for my students who really can’t afford Ps or doesn’t need it than for myself.
As an instructor I think I should be able to learn en offer an alternative.
Adobe are going to lose a lot of customers just as microsoft have done with windows 8…
they’ve lost touch with there customer base.
i for one for the 1st time havn’t upgraded to win8
and i also for the 1st time won’t be upgrading to the new PS.
out of or the worlds PS users how many are actually pro’s earning a wage from it. likely less than 0.1%
As someone whom follows a number of the Pro Trainer Photog blogs such as Frank & the kelby team, you can see
why they feel this is a great deal. as they are that 0.1%. This is good for them. They promote it as such and the listening ears at Adobe take this and then apply it globally to the rest of us. Well we don’t like this new idea.
I have to add that as a hobbyist photog I do pay for PS. Though i’m the only one whom does out of or my photog friends whom operate crack versions. so from that you could say what does adobe care about the masses as it’s revenue comes likely from the professional end of the market….food for thought.
I understand but you do misunderstand me.
Let me rephrase my opinion.
I love the idea of the cloud.
I love the fact to always be up to date.
I HATE that when I stop paying I’m left with NOTHING, and when I write HATE I REALLY mean HATE.
😀
In other words, what people think about me that I’m promoting the heck out of Adobe at the moment is 100% wrong, I get the whole idea and I support that, I love the CC but I’m afraid what will happen when I decide to not pay anymore or when I have a problem from which I’m not able to pay anymore.
At point I want my software to still work, but without any support from Adobe, I can live with that.
Frank, I fully agree with your point on the “after I quit I’m left with nothing”. I would strongly support the idea of having a frozen running version of the software after say 24 months of subscription.
Have you tried passing it forward via the NAPP?
I don’t think NAPP can do anything 😀
NAPP is not Adobe 😀
Although when reading some replies some people think so.
Frank, I actually think that if any organization stands a chance of getting Adobe to listen to the users is NAPP. Probably the largest organization of this sort, highly international, organizes the main conference in the topic …
I really think this is a point that NAPP could do on behalf of its members.
To put the topic on numbers, on the european prices you would have paid photoshop CS6 with about 36 months of CC subscription. If you think on upgrading to CS”next” every time a new version would come, it would be more or less equivalent on price. But if you don’t go on that direction then, as you said, you’re left with nothing. I know a bunch of people that still work on CS4 or CS5 (you can see that in the photoshop user magazine section where they renew a given brand).
Correct and there is no reason to upgrade if the software does everything you need, I always look forward to a new update to be honest because there’s always something that is better than before that I do use 😀
But I can manage with CS5 of course or CS4.
My 2 cents;
Actually the biggest change is the price and the conditions to use the software under the new license agreement. You never ever “owned” the (current or new) software to begin with, remember it was never “freeware” or public domain software. You were granted to use the software after you paid the licence agreement price. Instead of a lifetime licence agreement you now have a monthly license agreement for a higher price while Adobe makes more money and has more control. I agree if you compare it with renting software, looks the same and feels the same. If you quit paying the car rental fee you can not drive it anymore despite the fact you bought a nice stereo for it. (plugins) While I believe the new way of doing business is a big advantage for the software owner, they do not have to worrie about newer versions but the user has to pay the price and has less freedom.
The biggest advantage for the user is that you always have the newest software and never have to upgrade to a newer version anymore the really bad thing is that if you quit paying, your software stops working. The real issue in my opinion is the price other than that it is a good move that can benefit Adobe and the users but to make everyone happy they have to lower the price.
What is the alternative? Going to the competition? As Frank said; “…what competition?”
I have just bought CS6 (an upgrade from CS4) I do not need or want every latest little new feature. 6 was enough of an upgrade with features that I decided it was worth it (for me). Since PS was so expensive, I waited several years between upgrades. I will continue to use CS6 for as long as I possibly can. Changes and upgrades with MAC OS software may be the factor that forces me go with the CC because Adobe will not continue to make CS6 compatible with computer OS forever in the future. I do not like it because they basically have you over a barrel. (And they know it) If at some point CS6 stops working, I have to choose between a FORCED subscription price OR not be able to even OPEN or convert PSD files that are mine and that I have created legally with software that I purchased in the past. Really really not happy. I have read a lot about this on forums, and most of the comments about it are NOT positive. Hopefully they will see this and change aspects of their decision similar to what happened with NetFlix and all their customer complaints. Speak up everyone! Call their toll free numbers. You can’t email because one cannot be found on adobe.com