And yet their apps are the best out there compared to others, i.e., Lightroom vs. Photos.
I think Adobe is decent, but some of their apps are definitely weighed down with too much bloat.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Adobe November 2015 Creative Cloud Update Includes New Features for Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects and More
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I think Adobe is decent, but some of their apps are definitely weighed down with too much bloat.
Side note: Did anyone else notice all the footage in the timeline was filmed by Devin Graham aka Devinsupertramp on Youtube.
Only if you actually need every piece of software Adobe makes can the model make some small amount of sense. But renting is still bad for the consumer because the consumer loses control. You pay whether you are ready to upgrade or not. Don't ignore that as the software moves forward it my outpace your computer. So you can either refuse the upgrade while continuing to pay for it, or buy a new computer that is fast enough to keep up with the new software. Neither is a sensible option but that's the only option possible with renting software. So far, I'm still not renting. I'm keeping my eye on companies like Serif with their Affinity suite which is looking better and better. Not quite there yet but the road map seems to indicate that I'll be replacing Photoshop with Affinity Photo within a year. $50.00 one time payment. As for Illustrator, that's an even harder act to follow but Affinity Draw is also ramping up pro features
They do offer other subscription models, I'm on the photography one and I get PS and Lr for a good price. Given how expensive PS is, upgrading that every other year would far exceed what the monthly cost I'm paying.
As for the whole business model, software has almost always been this way, for the business. That is any business application for the enterprise is leased. You cannot use Oracle, if you decide not to pay the coming year's license price.
With the maturing of the consumer software sector, it was a natural progression. People are less and less likely to upgrade because the current or older versions were good enough. Software developer couldn't afford to see their profits dry up, and so they moved to the subscription model.
Thank you, good luck for you too.
And thank you for your kind [not] suggestion, but I think I'll pass.
Well, guess what, I've been enjoying a steady stream of public betas by Serif that have been adding functionality at a much faster pace than Adobe updates for older CS versions or even CC ever did (yes, I've been keeping up if not with the updates themselves, as I'm obviously not a CC subscriber, at least with the news, much like I do with Microsoft and Google while being first and foremost an Apple user, and calling it “Adobe CC 20XX” has got to be one of the most glaring signs of their hypocrisy, as it mimics their older “Adobe CS X” branding and versioning scheme perfectly). To be fair, they are 20 years behind and making up for that, and sometimes make some bone-headed decisions (then again, which developer doesn't, at times?) but it's still impressive nonetheless.
Also, I'm well aware of what is and isn't tax-deductible. But tell that to a budget-constrained freelancer (on a country with massive levels of external debt, no less; we're really not supposed to make any more imports and external money transfers than strictly necessary) who may go over the deduction limits otherwise (you seem to be forgetting about electrical and telecom bills, hardware, etc.), and suddenly the picture doesn't look that rosy anymore. Oh, while on that note, let me add: whenever possible, I'd rather spend my money on a EU-based small-sized company than on a US-based, well-established corporate behemoth with a history of anticompetitive behaviour… And I'm very much against the TTIP. Sorry, not sorry, sosumi.
Finally, ask any IT-conscious professional whether s/he prefers to be fully in charge of the software and hardware upgrade schedule or leave it up for Adobe and/or Apple to decide… Maybe I'll personally end up paying for ALL updates to Affinity components and spend roughly the same on them as you all will on CC (oh, guess what, it'll also be tax-deductible…), but I'll do it out of my own volition and at my pace; it's just the being forced to, “There Is No Alternative” business model (and mindset from fanboys like Bubba) that really irks me and many people to no end.
Call me a spokesclown or whatever, it doesn't faze me the least bit. My decisions are based on deeply-rooted ideological beliefs to which I am very much entitled to, thank you very much. Instead of renting them, I like to actually own (well, “own”, as EULAs only entitle you to code usage, but for the sake of the argument, let's consider that as ownership) and control how I use the tools of my trade; is that too much to ask? And, FWIW, I never said that the subscription model is inherently flawed (though I did reinforce that it makes Adobe in particular, because of their near-monopoly on the creative market, especially complacent) or that I don't respect your decision to adhere to it. It's just that your holier-than-thou, “either you subscribe or you're a luddite” attitude doesn't seem very fitting to this space, really. Are you [Bubba] on Adobe's payola or something?
Anyway, for the record, I'm no spokesperson, paid or otherwise; I speak for no one but myself. But I did sign quite a few petitions against CC back when it was announced as the sole way of getting access to the tools I need to earn a living, since then bought MAS-featured, ADA-winning apps and frequent its developer's forums, and I know for a fact that I'm not alone in that and that we do make up a sizeable niche. I'm also no fanboy of Serif; since I've already got burnt by Adobe twice (first with FreeHand, then with CC), should they ever drop the ball or commit a CC-level capital sin, I will always know the market well enough to be ready to switch to an alternative at a moment's notice. So far, in only 12 years, I've already made the switch from Windows to OS X, Corel Draw to FreeHand, FreeHand to Illustrator, Photo-Paint to Photoshop and QuarkXPress to InDesign, and am currently in the process of switching from CS6 to Affinity (which already served me well in a few jobs – guess what, clients ask for results, not for me to use a specific software package over another –, and is only lacking an already-announced DTP component to become a viable alternative)… How's that for an ability to adapt? QED.
Last edited:
If you're upgrading every year or two, then you might already be just throwing away money which would make renting forever seems somehow like a bargain.
There's no such thing as a natural progression in business. Only a progression. If consumers refused it, then it would stop. If consumers upgrade less and less, then the software companies would have to change their business model. And they certainly would. But what they've done is simply to try and secure their future earnings. It's up to consumers to decide if they want to hand them a monthly check or not. I'm not but each consumer has to decide what makes sense for himself. In the next year or two, I believe Serif will be at a point where I can easily say goodbye to Adobe. $50.00 a program, one time purchase. Done. I'm looking forward to this.
Given the reports from Adobe and MS, I'd say that consumers are embracing it, and not stopping. Both companies report strong revenue on their subscriptions.
Generally speaking, people who sell stuff are a lot smarter than people who buy stuff. That explains it.
Love subscription services. Long as they stay cheap.
Last Photoshop CC update late November saw a complete redesign of the UI.....You just don't that kind of surprise with a Piratebay copy!
Last Photoshop CC update late November saw a complete redesign of the UI.....You just don't that kind of surprise with a Piratebay copy!
So most people using subscriptions are not as smart as those who are selling it.
The stupid consumer defense doesn't usually work and in this case its a poor fit. I'm an educated person, and I find it a good value for my needs, others do as well. I understand that you don't like it for a variety of reasons and I can respect that. Additionally, I did not really like the idea of subscriptions but with Adobe improving LR and PS like they are and the small fee I'm paying. I think its a good value.
As for MS, I'm getting a terabyte of storage, Dropbox is a lot more expensive for that, and I get lot more features and services like MS Office with that, so again its a good deal YMMV but I'm happy with it
I agree with 100% of what you said here. I'm also looking very hard at Serif's Affinity products and also ready to make the switch permanently to OS X. Once some of the features mentioned in the Affinity roadmap are implemented, I should be able to say goodbye to Adobe and Microsoft. I refuse to rent software. I refuse to give up control over when I upgrade. I'm not about to just hand Adobe or Microsoft a check every month. I subscribed to CC for the first year when they were still selling the program the old fashioned way. After 1 year, they went subscription only and I walked away right there. I don't need to upgrade my software every year so why should I pay for something I don't need, every year? The other ugly aspect of this system is that when the software updates, it usually requires more and more system resources. Eventually, you find that your computer is just not able to keep up with the latest and greatest versions of software. In that situation, you'll either have to refuse the upgrade, even though you're paying monthly for it, or buy a new computer just to keep up with the newer software. Or suffer through slow software. But if I don't rent, I can keep my somewhat older PC, and my somewhat older software and upgrade when I'm ready.
Love subscription services. Long as they stay cheap.
Last Photoshop CC update late November saw a complete redesign of the UI.....You just don't that kind of surprise with a Piratebay copy!
That is true. But if the latest and greatest suddenly makes your PC feel like it's 100 years old, do you buy a new PC to keep up with your latest and greatest software? One thing is for certain. You're paying for that upgrade whether you accept it or not.
The latest version of Photoshop is certainly nice enough with it's different interface. It's not necessarily a better interface, just a different interface. Personally, I'm finding it a little harder to read. But given the choice to purchase that update or not, I would not. Same with Illustrator. The new stuff is OK, but not worth the cost of upgrading. After a few years, I'd probably decide that upgrading is worth it.
I gave up on Media Encoder years ago - iFFmpeg + ffmpeg 2.8.3 and the speed/output is superior to what I've experienced on both Adobe Media Encoder and Apple Compressor.
Last edited: