Cheapest way to get Adobe Creative Suite 5.5

[stimpycat]

Looking to upgrade my Adobe Suite and join the 21st Century.

There seems to be a few options in terms of cost / buying.

1) Buy a student & teacher edition (allowed for commercial use)

2) Buy an Education edition (do not need to register as student or teacher)

3) Buy from the USA (40% cheaper)

4) Buy from the UK (no benefit)

I wonder if it's even worth enrolling on a course, then buying the student version....

Anyone managed to creatively (but legit) get a cheaper deal?

 

[0007776]

If you aren't a student then the educational version wouldn't be a legit way of getting it. I don't think there is anything wrong with buying from the USA, you might have issues if you needed to contact support, but if you have a way to buy it from there that would probably be the cheapest of your options.

 

[BillyBobBongo]

One other option I can think of is to see if you can get a good discount on an older iteration of CS (5 or 4) and use the upgrade program on the adobe site to get CS5.5 at a reduced cost.

I've not done the maths to find out if this is a viable solution, just throwing it out there.

 

[stimpycat]

One other option I can think of is to see if you can get a good discount on an older iteration of CS (5 or 4) and use the upgrade program on the adobe site to get CS5.5 at a reduced cost.

I've not done the maths to find out if this is a viable solution, just throwing it out there.

Yes I had a similar thought, but it's impossible to get copies of CS4

 

[edenwaith]

Yes I had a similar thought, but it's impossible to get copies of CS4

Generally you will need to hunt around, especially on eBay or some other place which might still have some boxed copies around. But keep in mind, if the deal sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

But I agree with what others have mentioned, try and get an older copy and then buy an upgrade. Just make sure you keep things in line and that if you do get an older version, that it is not TOO old, otherwise the upgrade won't count.

 

[stimpycat]

Well I think the most logical is to buy from the USA.

It's actually fractionally cheaper for me to fly from London to NY and pick up a copy in person than it is to buy from the Adobe UK store - crazy!

Does anyone know of a reliable US store that would sell them?

 

[snberk103]

Well I think the most logical is to buy from the USA.

It's actually fractionally cheaper for me to fly from London to NY and pick up a copy in person than it is to buy from the Adobe UK store - crazy!

Does anyone know of a reliable US store that would sell them?

Wait until the end of the week. If the US debt talks don't get settled soon, you may find the US version even cheaper if the US$ weakens even more.

Seriously, if you could figure out a way to get some money to somebody you trust in the US, they could just buy a boxed set and mail it to you.

The other way to get an educational price is to teach something in a school. Get paid for some time, plus ... get the discounted price. I teach a 9 class course once a year at a local photography school, and they are very good about letting us order in the Adobe suite at the preferred price.

 

[stimpycat]

Wait until the end of the week. If the US debt talks don't get settled soon, you may find the US version even cheaper if the US$ weakens even more.

Seriously, if you could figure out a way to get some money to somebody you trust in the US, they could just buy a boxed set and mail it to you.

The other way to get an educational price is to teach something in a school. Get paid for some time, plus ... get the discounted price. I teach a 9 class course once a year at a local photography school, and they are very good about letting us order in the Adobe suite at the preferred price.

Thanks - I have found it online available from CompUSA for $949 + $60 shipping (UK equivalent is $1546)

There are 'academic' versions of CS5 available online from the USA for about $749 - these are apparently different from 'student & teacher' editions but I wonder on ability to use for commercial / or upgrading.

 

[snberk103]

Thanks - I have found it online available from CompUSA for $949 + $60 shipping (UK equivalent is $1546)

There are 'academic' versions of CS5 available online from the USA for about $749 - these are apparently different from 'student & teacher' editions but I wonder on ability to use for commercial / or upgrading.

Read the license terms.... but unless you are a student, you really shouldn't be using the education version. CS5 is designed (and priced) for professionals who (much as it hurts) can afford the price - and the educational license for those who are learning a professional that may enable them buy the full license at some point in the future.

If you are wanting to use CS5 in a non-professional manner, then perhaps PhotoElements or something similar may be more appropriate for your uses in any case.

I don't mean to come across as a "License Cop", but I make my living creating digital content, and the subject of unlicensed use of IP therefore near and dear to my heart.

I am happy to help you figure the cheapest way to get a copy, within the licensing terms, including using legitimate loopholes. Like take a Photoshop course at a college to get the education discount.

Got a cat on wrist, gotta go....

 

[stimpycat]

I am happy to help you figure the cheapest way to get a copy, within the licensing terms, including using legitimate loopholes. Like take a Photoshop course at a college to get the education discount.

Got a cat on wrist, gotta go....

Yes I want to obtain it legitimately - that's the whole point of this post

It's pretty hard to accept that it is nearly 200% more for the British than it is for Americans...

 

[snberk103]

Yes I want to obtain it legitimately - that's the whole point of this post

It's pretty hard to accept that it is nearly 200% more for the British than it is for Americans...

I just checked the Adobe website, and they are quoting Photoshop in US$ regardless of whether I look at the US, Canadian, or UK sites - and it's the same price across the board. Are you looking at the Adobe site or a 3rd party retailer? It's not cheap, regardless - but it doesn't look like Adobe is adding the "furriner" tax that so many outfits do.

 

[stimpycat]

I just checked the Adobe website, and they are quoting Photoshop in US$ regardless of whether I look at the US, Canadian, or UK sites - and it's the same price across the board. Are you looking at the Adobe site or a 3rd party retailer? It's not cheap, regardless - but it doesn't look like Adobe is adding the "furriner" tax that so many outfits do.

No the Adobe stores have different prices for different regions. They always have.

PS: £1810 is $2,957.29 - a difference of over a thousand dollars.

 

[psxguru]

You could consider using one of the many mail forwarding companies ie order in the USA, delivered to the supplied USA address, then it gets forwarded to the UK (or get someone you know to send it over)

You'll more than likely get hit by customs/VAT charges on top but it should be cheaper than the UK price I would have thought?

 

[snberk103]

No the Adobe stores have different prices for different regions. They always have.

...

You're right. I was merely adding the /CA or the /UK to the end of Adobe's URL, and not noticing that the store wasn't switching over. Though I suspect we (in Canada) are probably just paying the US$ rate. Though, that said, the Canadian Apple store charges us $100 more than the US Apple store. hmmmmm

Boy that sux, for you in the UK. Hop a cheap flight to Calgary, and shop there. No provincial sales tax in Calgary (in NY city I believe there is both a city and state sales tax.) And iirc the Canadian 5% GST (VAT) is reclaimable if you are leaving the country. Plus Calgary is a much cheaper city to visit than NYC. That might be because there is very little to do there.... but that makes it cheaper [just fishing to see if any Calgarians are reading this thread ].

So, do you really need Design Premium?

 

[stimpycat]

So, do you really need Design Premium?

I don't really need it - happy using CS3 but also aware the longer you leave it to upgrade the bigger the hit once you do decide to get with it.

I don't use Flash, but do use Dreamweaver so I should have premium.

 

[snberk103]

I don't really need it - happy using CS3 but also aware the longer you leave it to upgrade the bigger the hit once you do decide to get with it.

I don't use Flash, but do use Dreamweaver so I should have premium.

So, you didn't like my idea of flying to Calgary, eh? (smile)

Seriously - there are cheap charter flights from Germany to Yellowknife - the Germans love the Canadian North - and Yellowknife is just a skip away from Edmonton, which is nicer than Calgary, anyways... Pick up some duty free shopping in the airport, and sell it back in the UK to help subsidize the trip.

Or get a job on an oil rig, and make a stupid amount of money.... (very big smile).