January 15, 2012

so, Adobe, thank you for listening? Part 2

This addendum to yesterday’s entry (or diatribe) should in no way be construed as a retraction.  It is after some reflection that I feel there were some omissions that I mean to correct in this installment.

First off let me reiterate that my comments were not meant to deride or demean in any way Thom Hogan or his expression of gratitude to Adobe.  I read Mr. Hogan’s blog several times a week and have much appreciation and respect for his comments and opinions.  Mostly my comments were about the “climate of the times” that make us feel we need to express our gratitude for some company (like Adobe) throwing us a bone.

Next I want to also say that my comments were not directed to the research and development team at Adobe, whom have been responsible for creating Photoshop.  In 1993-94 when I first started using Photoshop, I had only been on a computer for two years.  It would not be far form the truth to say I was “computer illiterate”.  That someone like myself was able to get through the program was solely due to the fact of the creative genius of the developers.  My admiration and gratitude for them knew no bounds.  For that matter I still have much respect for them.  It is the marketing or licensing or whatever department which has decided to implement the “one-version upgrade” and limited usage policies, that my comments were directed to.

Of course the argument from Adobe is that they feel they must make these drastic measures in order to counter the ever growing piracy to be found on the internet.  However to “punish” the paying customers for the actions of the pirates seems ludicrous.  And would in my opinion only go to create more pirating.

To close this entry I would like to add my “thanks” to all of the researchers and developers past and present whom have created Photoshop.  Photoshop is a wonderful tool that I have used with enjoyment and success.  It has helped many of us in the photographic and design communities during the transition between analog and digital.  But sadly somewhere along the way, strange thinking by other departments has created something not very pleasant.  For those of us that have become dependent on Photoshop, I suppose it is just something to grin and bear.  However my plan is to explore other options.  For the rest of you my best wishes.

January 14, 2012

So, Adobe, thank you for listening?

As a regular blog reader of a few selected sites, this recently caught my eye.  It came from Thom Hogan’s blog entry of 13 January.  To refresh, back in November Adobe announced a new policy, wherein all future updates would be “one-version update”.  Meaning in order to get an update you must have the latest version.  The alternative was to pay the full price (again) if you decided to skip one update to the next.

Thom Hogan and many others wrote articles in objection to this.  One of the best was Scott Kelby, famous for his Photoshop tutorials.  If I recall correctly Adobe had proposed an intermediate update, probably called CS 5.5.  Photoshop users were going to be required to buy this intermediate update so as to qualify for the full update less then a year later.  Basically one would have to had purchase two updates in one year to keep current and then be able in the future to obtain the next update (CS7?) for “only” the update price.  Sort of a “forced subscription” to be imposed on Adobe Photoshop users.

It would be fair to say that many people skip each generation output in favor of every other output, so as to benefit from more technological advancements and of course less cost or a better use of our money.  This would entail software and hardware products.  Even Thom Hogan wrote once about skipping one generation camera for the next.

Here is the direct quote from Thom Hogan’s blog entry of 13 January. “It appears that Adobe heard their customers. The one-version update policy will be rescinded for CS6. When CS6 comes out in the first half of this year, anyone owning CS3, CS4, or CS5 versions will be able to get upgrades until the end of the year. In short, Adobe accepted one of the proposed compromises: a longer transition period before a one-version update policy takes effect (which, if I’m reading Adobe’s statements correctly, will begin in 2013).

So, Adobe, thank you for listening.”

Now I do not want to come across as demeaning Thom Hogan or anyone else, but ppppleaseeeee!  “Thank you Adobe for listening”?  Thank you Adobe for only being a 900 pound Gorilla instead of a 1200 pound one.  What Adobe is doing is still predatory.  It is nothing short of forcing a “must subscription” on us users.

My first purchase of Photoshop was 5.0.  Shortly after I was given the opportunity to upgrade to 5.5, which I did.  Then I skipped the next 2 updates (6.0 and 6.5) finding the new features not worth enough to fork out the cash.  When Photoshop 7.0 came out, I made the update purchase and have from then on.  Purchasing updates for CS1, CS2, CS3 and CS4.  So if I wanted to skip one update and wait for the next, that would make me a “bad customer?  One so bad that if I wanted to get a later update I would be punished for my “bad behavior” by having to pay the full price for Photoshop again.  But hey they are willing to give me and others a reprieve to the end of the year.  Man if that ain’t a boat load of generosity.

Have we as users become so afraid of “Big Companies” like Adobe, that we feel we need to thank them for something like this?  Give us horrible outsourcing customer service, charge us more for the products, limit our use of the products, lessen the content of the updates, make us continue to use your products by predatory tactics, etc . . . Did Adobe and others like them, come to this by emulating tobacco and oil companies?

One good thing as I recall reading back in November, was the speculation that other companies would be given the impetus to create products to compete with Photoshop.  Glory hallelujah!  And yep some have and that is where I am headed.

“So, Adobe, thank you for listening”?  I don’t think so, more like Adobe, kiss my . . . . . !