CS5.5 and new Adobe pricing

[Paddy C]

From the press release (I've done the highlighting and edited some out):

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe® Creative Suite® 5.5 Design Premium, the industry standard software that lets designers produce high-impact materials faster and deliver immersive, visually rich experiences to screens of all shapes and sizes.

Today also sees Adobe debut an affordable and flexible subscription-based pricing plan, attractive to customers that want to get current and stay current on Creative Suite products, have project-based needs, or try the software for the first time. New Subscription Editions ensure customers with active subscriptions are always working with the most up-to-date versions of the software, without the upfront cost of full pricing. Now customers can use Creative Suite 5.5 Design Premium for as little as US$95 per month, or Creative Suite 5.5 Design Standard for as little as US$65 per month.

Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Design Premium and Standard are scheduled to ship within 30 days with availability through Adobe Authorized Resellers, the Adobe Store at www.adobe.com/store in North America and Adobe Direct Sales. Estimated street prices for Creative Suite 5.5 Design Premium and Creative Suite 5.5 Design Standard editions are expected to be US$1899 and US$1299 respectively. Upgrade pricing and volume licensing are available.

By subscribing to Creative Suite, customers can choose a one-year subscription plan for lower payments or a month-to-month subscription for greater flexibility.

CS5 (I bought the design premium bundle for my business in December) has only been out for a year. I'm not sure what they could be including in 5.5 to justify an upgrade. And if you look at the subscription model, it's not a good deal. It will take you 20 months on the subscription to equal the cost of buying in full up front. This reeks of fleecing.

I have always defended Adobe's pricing because, to my mind, $2K (or so) for the design premium collection is not that much money considering what I make from using it. To me, it's reasonable. But then I make my living from it.

But this news doesn't sit well with me. I will hold final judgment until I get more info on the upgrade price and options however.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

They have practically cornered the market, and it'll take about two or three years for them to figure out they're shooting themselves on the foot, driving more people over to Open Source options.

But that's Unitedstatian Kapitalism: more money short-term; long-term is not very Wall Streetish. They could be making more money long-term at lower prices while keeping a loyal customer base. But I see they'd rather be buying more ponies for the next couple of Christmases.

 

[kipkeston]

This might seem more reasonable for people who don't want to pay up front. Could also be an attempt to thwart piracy. Interesting.

 

[lilmsmaggie]

From the press release (I've done the highlighting and edited some out):



CS5 (I bought the design premium bundle for my business in December) has only been out for a year. I'm not sure what they could be including in 5.5 to justify an upgrade. And if you look at the subscription model, it's not a good deal. It will take you 20 months on the subscription to equal the cost of buying in full up front. This reeks of fleecing.

I have always defended Adobe's pricing because, to my mind, $2K (or so) for the design premium collection is not that much money considering what I make from using it. To me, it's reasonable. But then I make my living from it.

But this news doesn't sit well with me. I will hold final judgment until I get more info on the upgrade price and options however.

I don't see the point of subscribing (aka: renting) the entire suite, or even one app at those prices. Not very cost effective - for the customer that is.

You'd be better off just ponying up the full price and have it done with. Besides, most students and academics are gonna get a much better deal anyway.

Adobe is taking P.T. Barnum's maxim "There's a Sucker born every minute," to the max 😀

 

[Sparrow]

I jumped ship when cs3 came out, and to be honest I haven't missed the merry-go-round ... and the world didn't stop when I was no longer current, but yes they are milking it a bit now

 

[richardvanle]

This is what happens when a company has a monopoly on creative software. They implement crazy pricing plans and they charge for a half point upgrade.

 

[Paddy C]

So the Design Premium upgrade from CS5 to CS5.5 will be $400 US. Nuts.

Subscriptions to DP CS5 are $139/month (if your sub is month-to-month) or $95 a month if you take a one year sub. Also nuts.

Unfortunately, I simply can't drop Adobe products in my line of work. I'm going to call down the road and bitch to them about the quick upgrade however.

 

[Frank Petronio]

Quark was awful back in the 90s when you had to own QuarkXpress to work in the ad industry. They would charge $100 for a 0.1 upgrade that was merely a compatibility/bug fix and then make older version incompatible. Ad agencies would automatically upgrade so if you freelanced you had to as well.

Adobe however has distinguished itself in trying to shove a bunch of worthless upgrades down our throats at high prices. I used to like them as a brand and now consider them on the same level or lower than Microsoft and Enron.

At least Photoshop has had some improvements over the years but I don't see any benefit to 5.5 here.

I wonder if everything is so locked up in patents that a viable competitor can't arise? I would love a photographer-specific Photoshop like app without all the extra BS. And the same for a layout program... so far the alternatives are all too weak for serious pro work but it doesn't seem like it would be that hard to make something that could compete, especially with a leaner, meaner approach. I'd pop $500 on better solution in a heartbeat.

 

[segedi]

The biggest benefits are for e-publishers and maybe the jquery integration with Dreamweaver. Neither of them are worthwhile enough to make me upgrade now... and I hope few people bite on this so they rethink pricing and the crazy subscription plans.

 

[PCStudio]

Adobe Photoshop has a huge amount of sensless filters : JPEG Noise , Resizing , Distort , Artistic 🙂 - actually it is outdated software . And ridiculous price

 

[whitecat]

Popular and overpriced.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I miss Aldus Photostyler. Was much better then the contemporary Photoshop. I still run PStyler 1.1 from time to time.

 

[Turtle]

Woah. How much?!?!?!?!? What annoys me is that programs like elements only lack one or two things some photographers might really need (rather than graphic designers) and the jump up to full photoshop/CS is gigantic in price. I can live without such sophistication so consider myself lucky. LR and then basic editing in Elements or the like is good for me.

 

[Hibbs]

I'm with Brian...I miss Aldus too! I still remember using Pagemaker 7 and PhotoStyler.

I also miss Macromedia Freehand too...and re-install v11 occasiionally when I am updating an old file.

 

[venchka]

the industry standard software that lets designers produce high-impact materials faster and deliver immersive, visually rich experiences to screens of all shapes and sizes.

No mention of printing.
Paper is dead.

 

[Paddy C]

No mention of printing.
Paper is dead.

Paper isn't dead, it's just getting damn hard to make any money on it. 😉