Adobe CEO interview: On China, Microsoft, Apple, open source...

[Blue Velvet]

How do you feel about Apple's computing business?
They have a very stable, loyal customer base.

Has your relationship with Apple changed, say going back five years?
Going back five years - they've made it much easier because you no longer have to worry about 'Will their customers move over to the Windows platform?' - which would have made Microsoft that much more dominant in our business. Loyal customers, loyal to the Macintosh, is good news for Adobe. The challenge will always be that Apple will look at developing its own software that in some areas will compete with Adobe, as they did in the video area. There will always be that tension. But I look at Apple much more as a friend.

So a strong Apple...
... is a good thing.

How do you feel about Apple on Intel [processors]?
In the long term it's great because it allows production of faster, more powerful computers that can be more affordable than today. Plus, in theory, because we work closely with Intel we should be able to take advantage of the optimisation that we do around Intel at the native level, especially for graphics and video applications. The challenging part will be the switch. It will take coding and compiling time - and that's work.

How much did you know about Apple's move to Intel?
[Apple CEO] Steve Jobs and I have an appropriately close relationship. He shared his plans. A variety of times he broached the subject and right before he announced it he made it clear to me.

http://software.silicon.com/applications/0,39024653,39154033-1,00.htm

 

[Black&Tan]

Excellent link! Thanks Blue Velvet. It's reassuring to hear from the source that Apple remains a strong market for Adobe, and they have no intention of leaving, if you read between the lines.

It's also an interesting perspective on Microsoft. You can win one or two battles on one or two fronts, but when you open yourself to battles on multiple fronts, you fail overall.

 

[Blue Velvet]

Thought the stuff about PDF and Microsoft was interesting, in the sense that they've been preparing for it for a while

Microsoft face a real humdinger of a battle with their Metro format.
Oh, how we hatesess them. Gollum, gollum.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I get the sense that Adobe's relationship with Apple has been strained as a result of Adobe's success at selling Windows software and Apple's Final Cut et.al. software.

It seems almost as if Adobe is a little over-concerned about China - but it seems like the fashionable thing to do nowadays, rather than risk underestimating them.

 

[xsedrinam]

It's of global interest, China of course, but I've been following the trends in Latin America, as well, as it relates to the whole open source issue and specifically where Microsoft, Linux and Apple are concerned. A kick off article from May of this year http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000086&sid=aJ08rWTOnQsk&refer=news_index puts Brazil as one of the leaders/pace setters in Latin American countries who are wanting to put Microsoft interests in check. It's setting up for a very interesting late '06 and '07 scenario, Adobe's plans included.