Photoshop Going To Monthy Fee !?

<p>Somebody please tell me this isn't happening. I just looked on Adobe's website and was thinking about upgrading CS5 to CS6 and I see the only thing available (forgot the version) is only available for a monthly fee. How greedy are these people !? I have been a Photoshop user since 2000. I'm OUT if this is true. Any suggestions for something as good without the GREED or monthly fee? I want my software here in my desk drawer so I can reload anytime I need to.<br>

Thanks<br>

Paul</p>

<p>I don't know whether it's greed or something else, but I'm not happy with it, either, and I don't think we're alone. It looks like I'm stuck with CS5 for a while - at least until Adobe gets their head out of their.....uh,.....cloud and backs off, or some other software company comes up with a competitive solution. Time will tell...</p>

<p>For me, their CC program gives me use several of their key programs for far, <em>far</em> less $ than I'd otherwise have to spend. Saves me many hundreds of dollars, at least. Licensing it by paying several hundred dollars once vs. licensing it for $29 (or less, depending on the promo) a month isn't as simple a comparison as some people seem to think.</p>

<p><strong>Paul</strong>: I'm pretty sure that you can still buy the CS6 upgrade and own it. Did you find this page: http://www.adobe.com/products/catalog/cs6._sl_id-contentfilter_sl_catalog_sl_software_sl_creativesuite6.html?promoid=KFPMZ?</p>

<p>You snooze you lose. I bought CS6 when I first heard the news, I was expecting it. Not much of a compelling reason to to buy anything further than CS6 for most photographers. Sure they are talking up all must have features, but for photographers there is not much more to be gained. In fact some things CS3 seems easier. But there are some nice bells and whistles in CS6, but content aware fill did not remove the annoying boat I wanted out of a shot I took yesterday. So there. So much for push button image correction.</p>

<p>The change is a bad deal for anyone who just uses Photoshop for photo work. I have a number of concerns with the move, but the biggest is that Adobe now has no real incentive to improve their product. They used to have to sell you on what they had done in the new version to make it worthwhile. Now they can just sit back and collect their rent and make a few token changes periodically that they play up as big deals, without any substance to them. We have no choice but to continue paying rent. On top of that they can raise the rent at any time, in any amount, unilaterally. Our only recourse it to abandon the hundreds if not thousands of hours we have spent learning their product and move on to a competitor. I think many are going to do just that.</p>

<p>Hm. Where have you been?</p>

<p>PS CS6 can still be acquired, and Adobe has committed to updates to support new cameras for some period of time.</p>

<p>If you only do photography you might consider LR5 and Photoshop Elements. Do you really need everything that PS has to offer? You can always rent PS6 CC for a month to do whatever it is that needs the latest features.</p>

<p>The CC software can be reloaded any time you need it, but it does require network access to do so. You shouldn't need to have network access until the software phones home (every month?)</p>

<p>Phil's cynicism aside, Adobe has a vested interest in continual improvement in the product, to keep customers happy and engaged. They've already announced updates with new features.</p>

<p>Personally I would only buy CS6 now if you don't plan to upgrade to their Creative Cloud. While Adobe will keep CS6 updated for a short while, their goal is to move everyone to CC and will drop CS6 support. As for LR 5, you can still buy it but updates will soon be only for LR5 CC.</p>

<p>As for renting any CC app, read the fine print, it's a year minimum before you can cancel, and since they control the app, I doubt you can still use it if you don't (auto)pay. As for the argument of buying versus renting, as some have suggested, do the math, renting is cheaper over the long run and you get access to the full suite if you rent it than just one app. Granted you're hooked but then you were buying it, so it only changes how you pay for it.</p>

<p>Scott, I have done the math and for me it is over the top more expensive to rent. I paid under $500 for PS back in 2000 and have only paid about $150 three times for upgrades. That's about $450 for upgrades in 13 years or $3.88 per month. Even if you add the initial cost, it has only been about $8.00 a month....Sorry, but Adobe has given in to serious greed and I fear all will follow. I will learn to use something else when CS5 stops working or go back to the darkroom. Sometimes you just have to draw a line in the sand and Adobe just caused me to do it.<br>

David, the snooze you loose comment was uncalled for. I don't recall getting any infor form Adobe or a news flash telling me this was going to happen. I found out yesterday while looking at a new desktop for my spouse. Yes, I found I could buy a copy of CS6, but for about $600 ! No upgrade available. </p>

<p>This really, really irritates me and I will avoid buying in if at all possible. And I'm now very glad I never converted to DNG. Who knows what's next?</p>

<p>The daisy chain compatibility issues between a suite of apps and the hardware required to operate those improvements and updates aren't being factored into the cost either. </p>

<p>You may be stuck paying a monthly fee and having to turn down all the upgrades and improvements because your current system OS/hardware can't keep up with it. </p>

<p>"Yes, I found I could buy a copy of CS6, but for about $600 ! No upgrade available."<br>

Call them and you can probably still get an upgrade. I did a couple of weeks ago when I could not find a link to the upgrade. They put on a little more of sales pitch for the CC version, but when I explained my reasons for not wanting to go that route, they took my credit card info and sent me the download instructions. <br>

Tom</p>

 

<p>Peter Cohen posted the upgrade link in the fourth post of this thread.</p>

<p>I've been buying photoshop and upgrades for years. They've gotten a lot of money over the years from me. I have CS3 at the moment and was also looking around for an upgrade for my new computer. I didn't want the monthly charge either and I realized that I really didn't do much to my photos these days and I can do pretty much all I need with aperture (or lightroom). Maybe all Adobe has done is ween me off paying them for upgrades.</p>

<p>"Peter Cohen posted the upgrade link in the fourth post of this thread."</p>

<p>I don't think the upgrade offer is still at that link, only the complete version for $699 ...</p>

<p>Paul, I had a long live chat with Adobe last night. They will offer a discounted upgrade from PS5 to PS6 for $199 (probably plus tax).<br>

Here's a portion of the transcript as well as the link I was given to purchase the upgrade:</p>

<p>Archie: How may I help you with the purchase of Adobe software today?<br />Visitor: What is the upgrade price for my own copy of PS6 if I already have my own copy of PS5?<br />Archie: The upgrade cost of Photoshop CS5 to CS6 cost you $199<br>

.....<br>

Archie: <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/catalog/cs6._sl_id-contentfilter_sl_catalog_sl_software_sl_creativesuite6.html" target="_blank">Please click here to place the order</a><br />Archie: Click on the above link and right side you find a tab Buy, select the option "I want to buy" as upgrade and second drop down will " I own product" select the product which you own and continue to place the order.<br />Archie: Is there anything else I may help you with today?<br />Visitor: O.k., thanks. That's all for now. Goodbye.</p>

<p>Thanks Stephen. I guess I don't care that much about upgrading to CS6. What I care about is the inability to own my software anymore. That seems to be going away. I am not interesting in renting anything unless I need it for a day or two, like a room or a trailer , or a Bobcat. But renting software is just never going to happen for me.</p>

<p>You don't need the full version of PS to do the majority of photo work. Use Lightroom or Elements. If you do use it all then you must have an imaging business of some kind, so its a tax deduction.</p>

<p>So what is it to rent? $40pm? that's a bit more than a dollar a day. Commercial software has used this model for 20 years. I really don't see what the fuss is all about. But maybe the squealers are used to using ripped off software all along. Those who obey the rules and have legitimate licenses should not be subsidizing the rest.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>What I care about is the inability to own my software anymore. </p>

</blockquote>

<p> <br>

You didn't own the .exe/.dmg either. <br>

<br>

It's $20/mnth. I shrug. A roll of provia and processing cost me more than that. </p>

<blockquote>

<p>But maybe the squealers are used to using ripped off software all along.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Good grief Francisco, have you no shame, no sense of decency?</p>

<p>While Francisco's insinuation is quite rude, I do believe that curbing illegal downloading is one of the big reasons for Adobe's move. I would be surprised if even half of all photoshop installs in the world are legal versions. A lot of people want photoshop, but either can't afford it or prefer not too pay for software if they have the choice. I know there's Photoshop Elements, but it doesn't have the same appeal IMO.</p>

<p>For adobe as a company, a subscription model also makes a lot of sense. A steady income stream is always preferable to having to wait to see what percentage of users will buy an upgrade. </p>

<p>I get the 'I want to own my software' argument, but I think it is a bit misguided. The software world is moving to the software-as-a-service model. We'll probably see the day where photoshop will run completely in the browser, without anything installed on your local computer. That may or may not be a good thing, but it's happening. People will pay for online backup and photo gallery/storage services using a subscription model without complaining that they don't own the software. Why should photoshop be any different?</p>

<p>You have never 'owned' photoshop in the first place. You've owned a few optical disks and the box they came in, and you've own a license to use the software on those disks. What has changed is that the license has gone from a perpetual one to one that needs to be renewed.</p>

<p>The new pricing may not work out favorably for you, if you don't upgrade Photoshop often, or don't use a lot of other Adobe products. It works out nicely for me. I use Lightroom and Photoshop often, and had already bought them. I need Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat once a year or so, never enough to justify the purchase. I can now use them whenever I want.</p>

<p> </p>

<blockquote>

<p>I don't think the upgrade offer is still at that link, only the complete version for $699 ...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>What Stephen Penland says.</p>

<p>Let's say I have upgraded from CS5 to CS6. Past upgrades have run me under $ 200.00 Under the new scheme, if I chose to upgrade via the monthly rent method, do I stop paying rent when I have reached the $ 180.00 threshold? I guess not. In one year I will have paid twice what I would have paid for an upgrade and upgrades seem to be every two years or so, so instead of making $ 180.00 off of me every two years they are making $ 540.00 Now I get it! From Matt's perspective it may make sense if you use other Creative Suite products, but for the majority who use Photoshop and upgrade every two years we have watched Adobe triple its profit. </p>

<p>I see that there is a DNG converter freeware utility here...<br>

<a href="http://www.dngconverter.com/">http://www.dngconverter.com/</a><br>

I have not tried it, but I hope it will be there if and when we ever need it.</p>

<p>Remember New Coke? Perhaps Adobe will come to their senses.</p>