Adobe kills Creative Suite, goes subscription-only!

Just a year after launching its $50-per-month plan, Adobe has made its Creative Cloud the only way to get the new versions of its full software suite. Customers "overwhelmingly" prefer it.

Well, Microsoft is going this way for Office and so I suppose it was only a question of time. It's ironic, as I was just talking about this with another member on an old thread regarding CS-6 on a starving student budget. It was a great option, but ....Interesting to do as a forced issue. Still, I can see the benefits and particularly for those who don't have discount basis like a student or teacher version.

CS customers typically only bought a subset of Adobe's products; the full Master Collection costs a whopping $2,500. With the CC model, though, they get access to all the software. That means customers can try new software.

This also won't change CS-6 from being available to function stand alone. It will be all versions from this point forward however.

The company announced the change at its Adobe Max conference along with major updates to its software -- the programs that would have borne the CS7 logo but that now will be rebranded just as CC. Adobe's new CC software includes a version of Photoshop that can correct some camera shake in photos, of Illustrator that can let designers edit elements with multitouch devices, of InDesign that now supports high-resolution monitors like Apple's Retina displays, and the new Refine Edge tool for selecting particular regions of video in After Effects.

Source

I suppose it's a mixed bag. I used this over the past summer and right into last month for the full CS-6 Master Suite. It works as they describe it. Full access to all adobe products within the graphics suite. Everything from Fireworks, to After Effect and Photoshop to In-design and Illustrator. Some of those were nearly impossible to get in smaller suite sets because of how they built the suites for combination. It required the insanely expensive Master Suite to have the right set, operating together. At least this solves that problem.

(Self Snip to any reference to pirating/illegal use of s/w the subscription model may address)

This stifles creativity IMO. Some of the best digital art is created by people who cannot afford and use cracked/hacked version of software. All it does it take the software out of the hands of people who cannot afford it, most people who make a living using the software and make money using it, buy it for a few reasons, the main one being the BSA can come into your biz anytime and check your licenses and if you don't have valid ones you are in big doodoo.

Oh an on the other hand, making it pretty much impossible to get adobe software will just make other software more popular like gimp which is free and they will more heavily develop other software like it.

Meh, the freeware program "Gimp" fulfills all of my graphics needs just fine.

Like hell if I'm going to pay monthly so some greedy corporation can add a few extra zeros to their bottom line.

Software should be a one-time purchase, not a friggin' monthly subscription. We don't pay a monthly subscription for the usage of our computers and peripherals, do we ?



Adobe can shove it where the sun don't shine.

This is dumb. I can't imagine anyone preferring that. $50.00 a month is rather steep if you are not thoroughly using ALL or most of the programs...... The only realistic use of this would be for schools, corporations, etc.

I imagine that this will encourage more advanced freeware programs and non subscription to be developed.

Adobe has a near monopoly on industry standard creative software. I hope someone brings them down or at least gives them healthy competition. They have been price gouging for years because of this.

In the past, Adobe has always offered some sort of student/educational licensing, some of being very reasonable. I am sure Adobe would not completely abandon that approach. It will be interesting to how it plays out.

For many shops, this model could be quite a cost savings. Now many agencies buy a CS suite for each employee, no matter which apps they really need and no matter how short a time the work there.

Originally posted by WaterBottle
This is dumb. I can't imagine anyone preferring that. $50.00 a month is rather steep if you are not thoroughly using ALL or most of the programs...... The only realistic use of this would be for schools, corporations, etc.

I imagine that this will encourage more advanced freeware programs and non subscription to be developed.

Adobe has a near monopoly on industry standard creative software. I hope someone brings them down or at least gives them healthy competition. They have been price gouging for years because of this.

edit on 6-5-2013 by WaterBottle because: (no reason given)

I have two Creative Cloud subscriptions (Only two computers per license), the only thing that bothered me during the whole process, is not being able to buy two licenses per email. I had to set up a new email and an Adobe account to run it on 4 computers. But I love CC.

It's a lot better. Access to every Adobe program for $50/month.

The only negative I see in this is if they take too long to update it. In which case, they are ripping off the customer. ("haha we got their $50/month, we will never update now!")

Originally posted by AnonymousCitizen
In the past, Adobe has always offered some sort of student/educational licensing, some of being very reasonable. I am sure Adobe would not completely abandon that approach. It will be interesting to how it plays out.

For many shops, this model could be quite a cost savings. Now many agencies buy a CS suite for each employee, no matter which apps they really need and no matter how short a time the work there.

The best part of this, is you can switch it between computers. Only one (or two technically) can be using the active license, but, lets say half the year person A used it for ________, the other half of the year person B could use it for _______. Same license, different computers.

This is also in the rather looong article, but important to note for those who only want ONE of the programs, for instance.

For those who don't want the entire suite, Adobe offers subscriptions to individual programs. And now they're cheaper, down from $20 a month to $10 a month, Morris said.

(Same Link)

That should make it reasonable for people who just want Photoshop or simply want Illustrator. I may actually return to picking up a subscription for Illustrator or In-Design based on that. $10, I can do. $50? Not so much when I'm not Graphics Design focused anymore.

To be honest, as someone working in advertising, professionals have been getting off easy for years with Adobe. Sure, it's expensive, but the suite has become so standard that you'd have to be a complete moron not to easily make the license money back as part of your regular income. I'm not sure what the current per workstation rate is, but it's easily outstripped by the earning potential of the software.

This said, I think Adobe should make a basic version of their suite software available free to home, school and student users. It's great software, but the folks who make money off it should shoulder the costs for hobbyists and those in education.

reply to post by KingIcarus


I can agree with that, 100%. My school hadn't updated to CS-6 until the spring semester. Unforgivable. The reason was funding. I have it on a good source at the school, they were facing an upgrade cost from 5.5 to 6 of roughly $70,000 for the site license which covers the classrooms using it. That's one HECK of a chunk of change for a small community college to shoulder. It's among the lowest priced schools in Missouri and a major feeder school to the 4 year Universities for precisely that reason. So, without this? Well, the Fall semester was gimped...and I don't mean the software program. I mean screwed. I happened to get CS-6 over summer just to find my After Effects class was still on 5.5.

After Effects CS-6 files ARE NOT backward compatible with CS 5.5. It made my investment worthless. This will solve that, if nothing else.

Originally posted by dc4lifeskater
This stifles creativity IMO. Some of the best digital art is created by people who cannot afford and use cracked/hacked version of software. All it does it take the software out of the hands of people who cannot afford it, most people who make a living using the software and make money using it, buy it for a few reasons, the main one being the BSA can come into your biz anytime and check your licenses and if you don't have valid ones you are in big doodoo.

Oh an on the other hand, making it pretty much impossible to get adobe software will just make other software more popular like gimp which is free and they will more heavily develop other software like it.

edit on 6-5-2013 by dc4lifeskater because: (no reason given)

So? Companies have just a much a right to make money on their software as someone does to pirate it.

I was also worried about my u/l ratios for 0 day warez on vision/2 BBS systems back when you were probably doing kickflips to hand rails so it's not like Im some old dude that just wants to see a company make money.

I just don't see this as being a valid argument as to why a company can't secure their product in the wya they want.

Like you said..their are alternatives like GiMP or others.

This is worse than when they took over Macromedia!... this is worse than my experiences with ATM on OS/2 warp... this is worse than...



At least CS2 is now freeware... so to speak
www.adobe.com...

What about poor people who dont have internet but use adobe, how can they do things on the cloud which requires internet. Or slow internet like dialup just to be able to check emails and stuff, but do print work or graphic design.

Originally posted by cartenz

This is worse than when they took over Macromedia!... this is worse than my experiences with ATM on OS/2 warp... this is worse than...

At least CS2 is now freeware... so to speak
www.adobe.com...

WARP!!!

now thats an OS i didn't expect to see mentioned.. 8 million floppy disks and red or blue binder.

reply to post by boncho

It's a lot better. Access to every Adobe program for $50/month.

Why? You are essentially renting the programs. You'll never own them. It's throwing money out the window, like leasing a car.

Woaha, did someone said WARP ?

oh the memories !!!

Originally posted by dc4lifeskater
What about poor people who dont have internet but use adobe, how can they do things on the cloud which requires internet. Or slow internet like dialup just to be able to check emails and stuff, but do print work or graphic design.

I think the way it works is:

- you download any software you like onto your hard disk - same as the fully functional 30-day trial softwares

- you have to log onto the internet once a month

- when you're on the net, the software contacts Adobe-servers to verify if you're paid up & your license is still valid

- if yes, your software continues to function as expected (on your hard disk itself)

- if no, you have to pay up, or your software on the hard-disk will be deactivated (won't start up) until you do.
Probably it just shows a nag-screen and doesn't go further if your payments are due...so you can't work until this is taken care of.

So you don't actually have to be on the internet to use the software - but you do have to go online for the initial licensing-activation, the monthly verification of license validity, and of course software updates...

++ you can access any of the programs in the Adobe suite instead the ones in your cs package alone

-- you're stuck if you are somewhere without wifi and your license expires and you forgot to pay it on time
(even if you paid using your mobile phone's 3G/4G, I don't see how the software on your laptop would be 'informed' that your payment went through and your license is active again, when the lappy is not on the net)

reply to post by WaterBottle


For a professional programme, 'renting' is absolutely fine. Adobe have reached something of a plateau with CS, so more recent editions have been little more than incremental improvements - for professional users, access to these incremental features is a subscription worthy model.

This also adds weight to my 'free for students/hobbyists' idea. Releasing CS Basic annually with improvements will fully satisfy amateur users and assist learning, whilst retaining the premium edge for professionals.

There is no real reason why home users or schools should be paying for a free, legal basic version of a professional product when actual professionals make very good money with the software.

Ah well, such is the way inflation keeps inflating.

Now it'll just simply cost more to hire a graphics designer because they need to absorb the cost of renting software while still trying to net the same income on the bottom line for themselves. The end user always takes the kick to the head at the end of the day.

If Adobe thinks they've found a work-around this pirating thing, they've just cut off their own noses to spite their face. As fast as someone comes up with a work-around, ten cracks come out to defy it.

Meanwhile, most average Joes actually purchase the software at the store as a one-time hassle-free investment.

But now they're going to lose their average Joe user demographic... The average Joe is not going to pay a monthly subscription (over and above the original purchase price) just so they can make pretty graphics for their personal websites. Apparently Adobe doesn't realize just how big that demographic actually is.

But that's okay, now the average Joe will just run out and buy a different program that doesn't require a monthly subscription... so other smaller software companies will benefit from Adobe's stupidity.

Originally posted by rainychica

I think the way it works is:

- you download any software you like onto your hard disk - same as the fully functional 30-day trial softwares...

Ummm, I think the way it works is you access it in the browser like most cloud apps. Buying the subscription would let you access the site hosting the app.