5 Myths About Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe_Creative_Cloud

As I begin to wind down the Adobe Create New Tour, I couldn’t help but notice that no matter what city I went to, the story was the same. While people generally knew about Adobe’s Creative Cloud, they often had misconceptions about it. I started each presentation explaining what Creative Cloud was and what it wasn’t. Since not every one can attend a Create Now event Live, I thought I’d debunk the Top 5 Myths about Creative Cloud that I hear the most.

#1 “I don’t want to run my Applications in a web browser!”

When people hear “cloud” they get visions of running applications in a web browser. While that may be the case with other cloud offerings, it’s not the case with Creative Cloud. Creative Cloud members download and install their Apps as Adobe customers always have. The Apps like Photoshop , Illustrator, InDesign and even the new app Muse runs from your Hard Drive, not from the cloud.

 

#2 ” I don’t want to have to be connected to the internet just to use Photoshop.”

Once we get past the fact that you download the Apps and install them on your hard drive, people still sometimes think that they need to be connected to the internet to actually run the Apps because they are Creative Cloud Apps. Again, this is not true. Your Apps not only install on your hard drive, but they also can very much run offline. You computer does have to connect to the internet once a month to verify that your membership is still current, but that’s it. Once that check has happened you can disconnect and run all of your Creative Cloud apps OFF-line.

Update as of 5/6/2013: You will need to be online when you install and license your software. If you have an annual membership, you’ll be asked to connect to the web to validate your software licenses every 30 days. However, you’ll be able to use products for 99 days even if you’re offline.

 

#3 “I can’t share files to my clients or colleagues unless they’re Creative Cloud members.”

With your Creative Cloud membership you get 20GBs of cloud storage. You can use this storage to sync files between your devices and access them via the Touch Apps like Photoshop Touch and Adobe Ideas. If you place files in your Creative Cloud folder on your hard drive those files will not only be accessible when you’re offline, but you can also log into creative.adobe.com and share them. Once you decide to share a file you can email a link to your colleagues or clients and they will be able to view your file in their web browser even if they’ve never heard of Creative Cloud or the Adobe applications you used to create them. They don’t have to create an account or register for anything. See my video on how to share files with Creative Cloud here.

elsie

# 4 “If I decide to leave Creative Cloud I won’t be able to access the files I’ve created.”

When you create files with the various Creative Apps from Adobe, the files are yours. Adobe doesn’t take any ownership or copyright of those files. If you decide to no longer be a Creative Cloud member then you won’t have access to your Creative Cloud applications anymore, but if you’ve got previous CS App versions, you’ll be able to open your files provided that you’ve saved them down to compatible formats with your older applications or other 3rd party Applications. If you ever decided to re-join Creative Cloud you’ll have access to the latest Creative Apps again and you’ll be able to continue working on YOUR files.

 

# 5 “If I go with Creative Cloud I’m going to always be forced to run the newest versions of the software.”

With Adobe Creative Cloud you will always have access to the latest Adobe Creative Applications, but you are not forced to upgrade. You can continue to run which ever versions of the software that you want until YOU are ready to upgrade. This is crucial for workflows that involve working with clients or vendors that may not be on the latest versions of the software.

Update as of 5/6/2013: Creative Cloud paid members have access to a select set of archived versions of the desktop apps. Starting with CS6, select older versions of the desktop creative apps will be archived and available for download. Archived versions are provided “as is” and are not updated to work with the latest hardware and software platforms.

 

Bonus Myth “If I have a Mac and a PC I’ll have to join Creative Cloud twice!”

Actually not only is this not true, but it’s one of the best benefits of Creative Cloud. With Creative Cloud you’re allowed to install the software on up to TWO of your computers. Just like you are able to do with the Creative Suite applications. However, unlike Creative Suite, Creative Cloud allows you to download and install either the Mac or Windows versions for each computer. This is great for people that have say a Windows PC at work, but a Mac at home.

 Bonus Myth “I don’t like monthly payments and you won’t let me pay for a year all at once!”

Yes, you can buy a year of Creative Cloud at once and even lock in your price by doing so right here or here for student/teachers.

Bonus Myth “I don’t need all of the tools in Creative Cloud! I only use Photoshop and $50 a month is too much for just Photoshop.”

You can get the Creative Cloud Photography Plan for just $9.99/month and it includes Photoshop CC and Lightroom CC. Or you can pay for a year at a time for $119.88 here.

Get the Facts!

Those were the top 5 myths that I hear all the time, but there are several more misconceptions about Creative Cloud. If you have questions, I encourage you to check out this extensive FAQ. I’d be willing to bet that your question has been answered there.

Also check out the Creative Cloud Top 5 Myths IT Edition here.

 

 



474 Replies to “5 Myths About Adobe Creative Cloud”

  1. I keep hoping this will get back to Adobe’s ears – hint. I travel overseas extensively for periods longer than 30 days and with no internet connection. I cannot use Creative Cloud because without the monthly ‘call home’ it will quit on me! Please Adobe come up with perhaps a prepaid annual plan or some way to solve this issue!

    1. Carol, I will make sure that your voice is heard this week while I’m at Adobe Corporate.

      1. Terry, you’ve got a lot to carry back to Adobe. People are PISSED! This is customer enslavement!

        1. If you can take our voice; Please do so; you will become world famous as all over the world Adobe is on Hate list ! they feel that we all customers are fools; I am sorry we are not !

          They are doing PR; they are conducting seminar; they are calling every body on phone to explain; let them read this 190+ comment;

          We have already started researching on tools suggested at http://www.opensourcealternative.org/

          Adobe we love you; but we now can not afford you;

          Thanks;

      2. Adobe hears the voice of its customers?
        They promised stack-holders in march that they will rise their revenue.
        That´s it. Don´t tell me anything is getting cheaper or that they are interessted in their users.
        If – they would have never put such a piece of shit into our feeding bowls! And spit on it afterwards.
        Without any buy-out strategy this Distribution is a one-way.
        Have a look at 85-90% user response in the web, what they think about the cloud only plan. Where is the reaction of the so careful Adobe?

      3. I would like to pitch a question over, as well. I have heard concerns raised by folks with heavy-duty firewalls (or who have clients who do) that cannot access cloud applications. What provision is made them?

    2. I understand the rage over subscription and pricing, but your specific technical problem seems dubious and BS to me.

      You travel “for periods longer than 30 days and with no internet connection”? Really? Where? Even in Alaska or Sahara you can find places with an internet connection, to connect to for half an hour just to get a subscription renewed.

      If it’s something even more exotic (living with a tribe in Amazon?), I’m sure you understand you’re not at all the typical user — so that’s not an argument to direct policy.

      1. Yes, there are journalists, who have to travel longer then 30 days without connection, you opinion is ignorant. Think you are one of the ever online smartphone loving hype kids, or? We are talking about people who have needs! And also don´t want to pay terribly high telephone costs in some countries (or even don´t want the hazel to buy a phone cards) only to say Hello Adobe, here I am, I payed! And the Answer: Server is down. Please let me stay using my software. Such an ignorance! BullSh.t! “CLOUD” = CS & a little bit online storage & lifetime slavery! That´s it.

      2. My friend “Bugpowder” lets focus on point of Adobe Changing pricing policy and making you pay for software every month which now you can’t own ; many web design company buy 10 license of Photoshop & Dramweaver and utilized for 2-3 year; can you imagine they need to pay 10 x Monthly fee; and every month; Upgrade cost is nothing; but monthly cost is too much;

        Lets raise our VOICE ON NO CLOUD FOR ADOBE

        Cloud technically is to save cost; Adobe cloud is sucking money ! they tell you to use 14 software when you might need only 2; we are ready to pay if they say US$10 for Photoshop & US$10 for Dreaweaver; they tell you to pay US$100 per month per seat for all 14! you have no choice “USE IT OR LOOSE IT”

      3. Here in California there are plenty of places without internet connection. I have a very close friend (web designer, by the way) who lives in Mammoth Lakes, in an specific area where no internet signal can be accessed. Same thing can be said about a lot of country areas in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

  2. I have creative cloud and have had to uninstall Many applications numerous time to keep them working. It is more intrusive than CS5 that I upgraded from, and Adobe has done almost everything possible to make it a bad experience for the user. And with your payments you still get no support unless you pay more.
    And acrobat keeps taking over the browser plug-in for pdf’s and does not work well.
    And then you look at their interface issues – trying to make us use old school MSFT windows interface, they can not make simple things like layers work the same in Illustrator and Photoshop?

    On average I loose a day a month to fixing problems that Adobe creates with Creative Suit / Cloud. I could not live without Photoshop and Illustrator (especially since they killed Freehand), the rest is useful at best.
    Overall Creative Cloud is better and access to the whole set of applications is great, but it is still so much less than it could be if only Adobe cared about customers and quality.
    Adobe makes some great software and they also make some very bad software and their attitude towards customers is really bad. It’s a shame.

  3. I think Adobe’s timing was askew when the Cloud became available. As a photographer most of my computer time is spent with Photoshop and Lightroom. Then the upgrade offers appear, and I bite on the upgrades. Then the Cloud is offered. I am not leasing software I already own. Now history has demonstrated that the new features that are released on the Cloud will not be available for owners until the next update. As a software professional I can’t believe that if the feature is available as a Cloud update it can’t be made available to owners who don’t mind the download time especially when “goodwill” is being questioned. Yes, the cloud is a deal for those who want access to it all. While I am interested in Muse (and might have bought it) the fortune I would spend in time, training, and manuals make it a prohibitive financial deal when I want to have more time taking pictures and less time on a keyboard.

    1. It’s not a matter of “goodwill” it’s a matter of laws around “revenue recognition” and NOT being permitted to release NEW features to users of perpetual licensed software (box software) for free. Creative Cloud revenue is recognized monthly and therefore new functionality/features can be released at any time.

      1. For free? Who asked for free? I’m sure the lawyers and the marketing folks at Adobe could come up with a nominal charge to make everyone satisifed that they weren’t being ignored. In the past correctional and feature updates were handled in a predictable but timely announced (even beta testing) manner. But now owners of the software are not in the front nor back seat, but the trailer just because we faithfully bought before the Clouds started to appear.

        1. And that creates a nightmare in terms of having to charge customers (say quarterly) for every little update that comes out and then what happens to people that don’t want to buy an update (skippers) and want the next update. With millions of customers that’s more to manage than it’s worth, which is why Creative Cloud is the way to go if you want to regular updates.

          1. The vast majority of the software I own happens to be able to provide both updates fixing issues and new features without having to charge me quarterly.

            Adobe is a big company. So maybe they have accounting legal issues that dwarf the vast majority of the software houses I do business with. Okay. Yet, no one else manages to ask for a monthly subscription.

            You could charge each quarter as an option with a reasonable update cost– say, $10, or $25 per app. (As it is, your bundling of your entire suite into a $20/mo for one or $50/mo for all is — insanely customer hostile, as there are so many people who would fall between needing one and needing a few) Then people could decide, is it worth it? If not, they have what they have.

            Maybe, eventually, after a few quarters people would decide you have done so much they need it, and pay the quarters between even to make it all up.

            But in demanding a monthly fee, demanding *rent* for an app, this isn’t about “updates”. To say so is disingenuous.

            As it is, I’m buying CC.

            And the moment I can get what I need elsewhere– and believe me, its not at all that far away (No, I’m not talking Gimp– I’m turning away and spitting behind me.

            You think renting software is a positive business model. Let me tell you, from this one customer, you are now public enemy number one. I tolerate this because I have to. Certain key features do not exist in the alternatives.

            When they do, I will set Adobe aside. That day will come: Adobe may be best, but good enough will happen elsewhere, and this level of customer abuse will not be tolerated at least by me.

          2. Yeah, but as a help to the rest of us Adobe could, still offer, a latest version of the software on CD/DVD with perpetual licence as a ‘second class’ update, maybe when 8 is released, 7 could be made available on disc?

          3. I think one of Adobe’s main motivations for moving to the cloud is to avoid having to print CDs & DVDs and the associated packaging..

          4. I don’t believe that is a ‘main motive’ for Adobe to discontinue the selling of the perpetual license. They could still sell the software by download only, how hard is that? No, this is pure profit driven greed at the expense of all of us long term supporters of Adobe. We’ve been shafted good and proper. I still do not see why Adobe cannot support the two types of customer, you pay one price to rent the software and another to buy. The trouble is that the subscription model allows Adobe to hike the price up in future years and users are stuck, you will have to keep paying if you want to keep using, it’s like getting us hooked on Crack, it’s the same strategy that drug dealers use.

  4. The point that is conveniently overlooked is that if I BUY an upgrade, I have access to that new version forever. If I pay for the cloud version and choose to end my subscription, I have access to nothing. It’s OK for you to say that I can revert to an older version, but we both know that’s not going to work as Adobe introduces new tools and techniques that won’t be recognised by the older version. I appreciate the value of your cloud product, but the potential for Adobe increasing monthly fees beyond my ability to pay, makes me shy to try.

  5. I too bought CS6, the Master Suite Collection, at the upgrade price, as I’ve done since pre “CS” days. My question is, “How many months of paying for the cloud product before I spend more than the upgrade price?”

    1. You may eventually get to the point that you pay more than the price of an upgrade, but the nice thing is that you’ll always get the updated version with CC, which would have been another upgrade fee. For example when CS8 and CS9 would have came out, you get those upgrades with the subscription. The only difference is that you’re paying a monthly fee instead all at once.

      As a previous Master Collection owner of CS5.5, I kind of like the lower monthly payments; if you consider they were planning on releasing a new CS version every year (CS 6, then CS6.5, then CS7, etc. every year). If I remember right, the upgrade fee was around $1,000. Now it’s $600 a year, and you get to make smaller payments every month.

      Though I understand that once you don’t make a payment, you lose all the software. I’ve found a few alternative Photoshop apps, so I could get by without Photoshop. But I wish I could find a Dreamweaver alternative, just in case.

      1. There haven’t been any improvements since CS3 or longer that made the updates worth the cost. And in a lot of cases I prefer the older interfaces because they were easier for me to manage. I don’t really want to adjust every time there are updates I don’t need. So many of us would only upgrade once every few years. So, while I’m not arguing with your logic if you choose to go the route of updating annually, it’s not something all of us choose to do.

    2. 5 years to recoup your loss if you bought the full copy of CS6 MC like I did, 2 years if you bought the upgrade. I got so screwed on a full version of CS6 MC; what did Adobe offer to compensate for $2,000 loss? 3 months of the f***ing CC or a free copy of Lightroom 5 which at the time was $109. I took the copy of Lightroom and then a month later they dropped the price of that to $70.00 adding insult to injury.

    3. ADOBE WILL TRY TO DELETE YOUR LEGACY APPS!!!! Do NOT let them! They could put you out of business! Here is a tech support transcript,

      see for yourselves:

      Vipin: May I have your permission to connect to your computer remotely and try to solve the problem while you watch?

      ADOBE CUSTOMER: I need to know that NONE of my legacy adobe apps will be affected. CS5 suite and CS6 products will NOT be affected is

      that right??????????????

      info: Your chat transcript will be sent to dixxx.net at the end of your chat.

      Vipin: It will be affected.

      ADOBE CUSTOMER: WHOA! you are saying that my CS% and CS 6 apps will be hurt and not run correctly is that right?

      Vipin: We need to remove all the Adobe apps installed on your computer.

      Vipin: Is that okay.

      Vipin: May I have your permission to connect to your computer remotely and try to solve the problem while you watch?

      ADOBE CUSTOMER: There is no way I give permission to delete CS5 creative suite, CS6 video production suite or hurt them in any way what

      so ever. I have THOUSANDS of dollars of plugins and other workfow products that depend on them. Sorry but my only recourse is to

      ADOBE CUSTOMER: see if you have ANY loyalty to an OVER 30 years adobe customer (me) when you demand payout for the remaining 5 months

      of the subscription. I’m betting you will just send the bill to collections for non payment. If so, you WILL be sued for non service

      and non delivery of product. And yes, I am ready to spend over xxxx on a suit vs adobe because of how you have treated me. The point is

      I know that I am not alone, and that’s sad.

      **************************************************************************************************************

      Then after TECH NO SUPPORT, CSRs try to ‘handle’ me:

      **************************************************************************************************************

      If you do decide to cancel, we can refund your subscription.

      If you stay with the service, we can provide 2 free months as an apology for the technical difficulties. We cannot provide a free year.

      Please let me know which you would like to do.

      Thanks,

      Britt

      Like · Reply · 35 mins

      ***********************************************************

      ADOBE CUSTOMER:You want me to stay with a service that provides no product? And has not provided me with a usable product since October

      of 2014? And now the word is out that you are raising subscription prices after the first year? Who do you think you are? You HURT

      peoples ability to earn a living! You cost us hours and days and months trying trying to fix your problems so we can move forward with

      your products? Who in the hell do you think you are? Tell you what, dont cancel a thing. A media blitz and maybe a subpoena to San Jose

      is the right move to protect peoples rights. Your company needs to learn a lesson in how to treat legacy customers. It seems no one has

      taught you that “if you take care of the customer, they will take care of adobe.” Britt, care to guess how many dollars I have given

      adobe in almost 30 years?

      ***********************************************************

      Adobe Creative Cloud Hi ADOBE CUSTOMER:

      We value all our customers and would love to help resolve your issue. Would you like to arrange a callback with tech support? I can

      make sure the technician is a senior staff member that can offer more troubleshooting solutions. Let me know if you would like to

      schedule this, and what a suitable time would be.

      ***********************************************************

      Thanks,

      Britt

      Like · Reply · 19 mins

      Adobe Creative Cloud Regarding Creative Cloud prices, it is noted on the purchasing page that some subscriptions offer “promotional

      rates for the first year only.” Our full subscription terms can be viewed here: https://www.adobe.com/misc/subscription_terms.html

      ***********************************************************

      -Britt

      Like · Reply · 18 mins

      ADOBE CUSTOMER: You see, that is EXACTLY how you should take care of a customer. Tell them they are wrong and have it NOT RELATED to a

      simple request to FIX a company software PROBLEM. Tell your customers that after FOUR months of unusability of your product, DAYS of

      the customer trying to fix the company problem, that your solution is give them TWO months FREE then JACK the price up for them! You

      MUST have thousands of people in LINE to YOU to get this celebrated DEAL!

      Like · Reply · 6 mins

      ADOBE CUSTOMER: I have a hunch some adobe board members are going to have fun with your conversation and offer, Britt. I would hush up

      now before you have to look for a different job because I know you mean well BUT you have no experience or skills solving a client’s

      issues and in fact, you are hurting adobe’s future earnings.

      Like · Reply · 2 mins

      ***********************************************************

      Adobe Creative Cloud I apologize for the frustration regarding Adobe’s pricing policy, Kee. Please let me know if you would like

      additional help troubleshooting the problem. We would love to locate the cause of the download issue and get this resolved for you.

      Thanks,

      Britt

      Like · Reply · 7 mins

      ADOBE CUSTOMER: The Russian cracked version of PS 2014 will have to do on another clients machine until you have a total new WORKING

      release. I’m tired of being your company’s test pig, doing the boiler plate cleaner routines, and having the same failures. It’s one

      thing to have broken software, but NOT acceptable to treat customers the way I have been treated, and then, be greedy on a remediation

      offer from you.

      You say,”We value all our customers.” Again, clearly NO ONE from the BOD has taught you that if you take care of the customer, then

      the customer will take care of adobe.

      You guys and gals

      1. I just upgraded to Creative Cloud and it didn’t do anything to my previous Adobe Suite software CS5, CS6.

        1. Well you have a straight forward install and let them put what they wanted where they wanted on your C drive. I hope you never have to experience the treatment I got form Adobe. I will work like hell to avoid them now and I had been a loyal customer since PS 3! Thank goodness there ARE better alternatives avialable than adobe now!

      2. So the software is essential to your business so you used facebook as a way to try to resolve your issues? I’m sorry but if something is that important to me, I’ll pick up the phone and call the company.
        Creative Cloud is awesome, especially if you are working in different environments. At work I use a PC, my documents, settings, assets all sync to the cloud, when I’m at home or in a studio I use a MacBook and I’m using the whole suite of apps available for iOS to make new brushes, import shapes and drawings and so on.

  6. Not go on the internet to connect to the software…yeah…you got the nice package Adobe sent you so you can write a nice review pal! The adobe cloud SUCKS. 50% of the time it DOES asks me to go online in order to use it, and I am not interested in technical mumbo jumbo, the service is overpriced and sucks. screw you adobe. you know good and well you dont have to charge SOO MUCH MONTHLY for your service but since you have no competition you can just stick it to people. you can’t even A LA CARTE the service reasonably. I use 2 programs, After Affects and Premiere. just two programs $80 per month. please…worse than wall street. EFFING AHOLES

  7. When Adobe announced their Creative Cloud last year, I immediately knew these kind of myths would haunt them for several years. They made terrible mistakes in communicating the idea and offering, right from their first press release on. The announcements talked too much about “the cloud” (while these online services were then next to nothing and are still flawed and buggy), and they almost forgot to tell users about the truck load of stuff they would actually get for their money…
    So as usual, Adobe failed once again at marketing a great product and service. They’re never good at throwing parties and presenting surprises.

    1. Oh, they are very good at unpleasant surprises… This they have demonstrated quite adequately time and again. The REAL spector in all this is what will we be looking at 3 years from now? A doubling of current rates? Tripling? What if they sell the company? What if Adobe goes out of business? Maasah Adobe, doan whoop me now, ahs be a good boy… Yaasuh…

    2. Well, 2 months and an Adobe MAX later, Adobe proved that they DO know how to present surprises (a great keynote, Cloud all over, and no CS7) and throw a party (the conference and Bash were great). The myths are gradually disappearing, and the turmoil left is about the usual fuss like pricing, assumed monopolies, and “they killed this or that”. Stuff that makes me yawn after 25 years in this media and software industry…

      It’s Adobe’s call to steer us into their cloud. And if you don’t like that, you have enough time and choices to start using alternatives. Users who are complaining about “feeling left behind” don’t seem to understand that they can still use their CS6 for a very long time. That’s what this old license model was all about, wasn’t it ? And with CS upgrades, you also never knew what Adobe would be doing with the bundles and prices, and you would also trust on reasonable future offerings. CC has a very reasonable pricing for any professional or even prosumer. Heck, it will cost you probably less than 1 billable hour per month to pay for the tools you use every day, all day.

      Photoshop or Lightroom users can use a single-product subscription for Photoshop CC and/or still get Lightroom 5. (See the special Adobe blog about it.) So being forced to fork out $600 is just NOT TRUE ! And if that Photoshop CC is too expensive for you, you might consider buying Adobe Elements.

      Am I a fanboy ? Maybe. I even paid for my trip to LA to see what MAX was all about, and I was lucky. It was a great event, with key announcements, and important meetings. In this era and business, you need to stay ahead of things, and that will cost you money. What else is new ?

  8. Wow, some really unhappy Adobe customers on here. I cannot stand to deal with greedy proprietary systems (think Drobo) where the company has you by the cajones. So far my experience with Adobe over the last 5 years (CS5 Master collection) has been great.
    When my hard drive crashed and I needed to add another license to my software, they fixed it within minutes at their online help center. And I have had to do it twice now. Seems like a good company to me. Just try that at Microsoft LOL. Talk about greedy!

    1. Yeah, but you weren’t around for the CS3 beta-to-final debacle. Cost me $250 to have my OS reinstalled and a new HD. Not a single word of apology or assistance from Adobe. Took forever to find instructions for the fix buried WAY down in their web site. This companies attitude toward customers is abhorrent. One day, mark my words, Adobe Photoshop will go the way of Netscape and MySpace. GIMP? Paint Shop Pro? Hello?

      1. What about After Effects? That’s the program my business is built around. It’s not as simple as photo editors, there aren’t many other options. Nuke is an option for compositing, but not really for animating.

    2. Someone here said they tried to register an older version of software recently and were not allowed to do it. If we are allowed to continue to transfer our old software or reinstall it after a crash, I would be less upset, but they seem determined to force us into this subscription model which absolutely won’t work for me. I use one program a lot, another seldom, and most never, but would have to pay more than $50 per month.

      1. All of the pre-CC Adobe software can (technically) either be patched by Adobe to continue working, or the activation process can be circumvented. That’s assuming what you’re saying is actually true and certain Adobe software can no longer reach Adobe servers to activate itself.
        Either way, you can still continue to use all of that older software regardless of rather or not Adobe is around to activate it.
        With newer software this obviously isn’t the case.
        If Adobe is refusing to activate older software just because it’s old I’m almost inclined to believe that would be illegal somehow. You should contact them.

    1. Wrong, it 100%+ in most European countries.

      And as long as Adobe has monopoly this wont change, let’s hope the EU does what the Australian government is doing.

  9. Not sure why people complain about the pricing, if anything Adobe has slowly decreased the pricing and offered more over the years, especially if you compare how much of a market share they have and how much the software use to cost 10-15 years ago. When CS first came out I think it was about $1400-$1500 for Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign and Acrobat and whatever other little extras they included. Quark Xpress by itself at that time was like $1200 for one application. Also I think photoshop by itself was almost $900. So now for $50 / month or $600 a year you get every Adobe application, a bunch of extras, file storage and sharing, etc…If you can take advantage of a few or all of the extra’s you get with the Creative Cloud service like 5 free hosting spots, 20 GB to store and share file, etc then the cost is very worth it. If you are just a basic user that doesn’t go beyond Photoshop, Illustrator and or InDesign then I would say stick with a standard buy and pay for upgrades option. If you think the cost is to high or you don’t like Adobe products there are lots of low cost to free alternatives out there. Some are actually very good. But I think it is ridiculous for people to complain at the cost for what they are offering that Adobe is ripping people off. Sure in a perfect world everything we want would be free, but in reality Adobe is a company that has to make money and I think while not always perfect Adobe offers a pretty damn good piece of Software and Services in exchange for that money.

    1. There’s a way to go about it. This ain’t it. If you want to continue to be an Adobe customer, and receive updates on software, you must become a slave. The point is, the customer has NO options! Pay substantially more, ongoing, or you cannot use the software! Friends, this is all going to cost you MUCH MUCH more down the road, based on their past behavior and current “respect” (or substantial lack of) for their customer base! Managing updates that customers want is a problem? SO WHAT! Get over it. welcome to the software business. YOU created this monster.

      1. I agree. It is the blank-you attitude and the tendency to change terms overnight that are most disturbing. They are showing they are not trustworthy and do not care whether people notice that or not.

  10. An Adobe staff member created this forum: http://forums.adobe.com/ideas/1786#comment-8970

    regarding including Captivate with Creative Cloud, and asked us to comment to it. I can’t help but feel this is a token gesture to make those of us who need Captivate feel like we are being heard. Can you possibly shed any light on whether Adobe is even seriously considering this? I have not and will not move to Creative Cloud, EVER, unless Captivate is included, and I know a lot of other commenters feel the same way.

    Thanks for your time.

    1. Unfortunately I can not speak to any unannounced plans or product updates, including what Creative Cloud will or will not offer in the future. With that said, we are aware of the desire to have Captivate and other products be a part of the Creative Cloud membership.

  11. Im a video editor and need to find a way to show mov/flv or other format in the cloud and can’t find a way to do it, is it possible to do so, beside playing psd or other graphic files ?

  12. I have a computer at home, a computer at work AND a lap top that I use, so need my Adobe software to work on three computers not two. I tend to use different computers for different purposes. Complex, processor intensive projects I will do at home (eg premiere pro and After Effects), while I will tend to work on photos on location or while travelling on my laptop (Photoshop, Lightroom). But of course there is crossover where I will use some software on all three, (eg, Photoshop, Acrobat, Lightroom, Encore, Encoder). At the moment I have to install on the two that I am allowed and that I think I will be working on, but then if I need to change I deactivate one then reactivate on another machine. So there are workarounds but it is cumbersome. It would be good if the software just naturally works on my three computers.

    And I too support an annual computer check in so you don’t have to connect to the internet every 30 days!

    1. I am not a world traveler, so maybe I just do not know what I am talking about, but I simply find it really difficult to picture any of you high-end, high-power users not connecting to the net for over 30 days. After reading this far, I can see MANY reasons to stay away from this Cloud odyssey, but this ain’t one of them.

  13. I have dealt with Adobe for 15+ years as a dealer and they are NOT your friend. Revenue maximization now that they are basically a monopoly is all they care about. Treating cloud customers and customers who purchase differently on the “point 1” updates is just selfish and designed to force users into the subscription format. You are living in a dream world if you think Adobe is doing this for your benefit. Don’t even get me started about how they have screwed over the education markets with the new pricing that over a 5 year period more than doubles the costs for already financially strapped institutions. Did you notice the price increase on academic versions on Feb 1 where the distributors were given 24 hours notice?

    As I said, Adobe is not your friend.

  14. Just went back to CS3 – it was nice to get the latest versions of a few things I use, but it was too expensive. and not a must. I can get my work done with CS3.
    Photoshop was replaced by Elements. Saving a lot and happy. YMMV.

  15. For those of us who work for schools (or for students) who have traditionally been able to obtain and learn Adobe products at a steeply discounted price this will be quite a sticker shock, it might be cheaper for a business which would buy the whole Creative Suite every time Adobe issued an update but for the rest of us this will cause some pain. I’m glad that at least Lightroom will be sold following the traditional model.

    1. Michael, from what I have seen in the FAQs and from talking with sales reps, there are steeply discounted prices for educational institutions.

  16. Terry, Your “myth 5” says that users will never be forced to upgrade, but the last sentence says users can run an existing version for a year after a new one is released, which means they have to upgrade after that year, right? So, this doesn’t sound like a myth at all. Nearly all my clients use ID CS4, so this CC business is very scary.

    1. And that information has been update both in the FAQ and in my post above.

  17. Sadly this stinks for Photographers. Right now I pay $200 a year to upgrade to latest version of Photoshop CS. This is an increase in price for me. If they push Lightroom in to this program, then I am going from $275 a year to upgrade PS and LR to $600 a year to keep current. I don’t have any use for the entire “Suite”. They should have packages for “Niche” groups. It is “Photo” shop after all. Way to alienate “Photo” graphers.

    1. I’m in the same exact situation, Martin. The first year will be about the same with the $10/month introductory rate plus the LR upgrade of $75ish, but after that, it costs more. Either $240 for PS plus $75 for the LR upgrade or $50/month for the suite since LR is no part of the suite.

    2. Agreed. I use Photoshop Elements, Lightroom, Acrobat, and wanted to get InDesign (for my blogs and news letters). They need niche groups boxed software at less cost than the full suite of packages I would not use. I would forgo PSE for full photoshop if they did that (but they should also add stuff that is in PSE and not the full version to the full version).

      I also use Premier Elements for my short youtube videos. I have no need for the full version of Premier or its add ons. I am not a film producer. Just short commercials and how-to’s…

      Also with PDF creators in most other software now, Acrobat is being used less and less.

      Right now my cost: $99 for PSE and Preimer Elements combined (dept. store sale). $144 for Lightroom 4. $140 for Nik Software. That is: $378 for everything with the choice of when I upgrade (I usually upgrade every 2 years unless the new versions have enough enhancements that I need to warrant an immediate upgrade). vs $576 a year with the subscription model..

  18. I am wary of this but my job depends on the CS applications 100%, as does my partner’s. We share an office space at home… with the current CS version (6), we buy one and install it on both machines. I see above that this will not change. Does this mean that we will pay $50 (after the first year of $30) monthly for *EACH* person, or $50 TOTAL for the subscription?

    1. With one Creative Cloud membership you are allowed to install on two computers (Mac or Win) as long as both computers are not running the software at the same time (just as before.)

      1. What about if I own 2 macs? I know Adobe gives 1 license for a mac computer and 1 license for a Windows computer, but I left Microsoft long ago. I have a macbook and will be getting an iMac at some point (using my macbook only when I am on the road). I would love to leave the laptop at home and use only my iPad, but there is no good Adobe iPad software (PS Elements and Lightroom). The iPad versions are just not as good as the laptop/desktop version.

        1. You can install on two Computers. Doesn’t matter if it’s 2 macs or 2 PCs or a Mac & PC.

    2. No, in fairness, each indentured-servitude subscription includes installation on two machines, mix and match Windows and Mac versions all you want.

  19. I note that “This will cost me more money” is not on the list.

    Which does certainly speak well of its credibility, as this definitely WILL cost me more money.

  20. I’m happy that I installed CS6 and Lightroom 4 just a week ago. I won’t ever go down the subscription path. Why? I don’t reward software companies for restricting consumer choice. (for example, I’ll never pay for a Windows 8 license, but I own 2 Windows 7 licenses)

    Other software companies WILL step up to take advantage of this issue. FCPX made a lot of people unhappy, if Adobe drives everyone away, you can bet the farm that Corel, Avid, Pinnacle, or the open source movement will craft something as a response.

    Someone suggested this software vendor (Serif.com) as a potential Adobe replacement.. I have not tried it for myself, but it looks promising. http://www.serif.com

  21. Does this cloud service include ps elements or is elements going to stay the way it was as a boxed/downloadable software without the cloud thing?

    1. I wondered about that myself. I get the feeling they will in the near future offer an “Elements CC” package. I currently use Premiere Elements 11 and PS Elements 10. I didn’t update PSE because I didn’t need to. Since so much of what many people want PS or Premiere for can be done in the Elements versions, my guess is they’ll go subscription too or go away

  22. Ok. So to get this straight: There is actually no such thing as a CREATIVE CLOUD. Instead you are no longer offering Adobe products for purchase and switch to a rental business model with DRM and start to call your software “Apps” as if they were some cheap $1.99 smartphone minigames.

    1. Total agree! If this becomes to table we have at last a software bill of $400 at the end of month (Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, Autodesk, …)
      If we don´t pay – our files are gone!
      STOP THEM!
      Keep CS6 alive and search for alternatives!

  23. Price is too high!!! I use photoshop, lightroom, and acrobat, I don’t need any of the other products. You need to get a photocenric package at a reasonable price, like $19.99 a month.

  24. I pretty much only use Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign… I do not want, nor do I need the other software, even though some I would like to try. It would be better with more options for subscriptions – kinda similar to what you offered for CS, or even better – completely tailormade: Pick 1 -$10, Pick 3 $15, Pick 5 $20, Pick All $49. Add on another app/service for $10.

    Just saying – look at how restaurants do it. Set menus and package deals. You have a monopoly, but please act responsibly.

  25. Your point #4 is pretty optimistic, sir.
    Adobe have NEVER provided backwards support for earlier versions of their products to open the newer file formats.
    Case-in-point: Flash 4 cannot open Flash 5-created .fla files. The difference? Flash 5 stores the undo history with the file. Flash 4 doesn’t know what to do with that, so “Tough, Pal!” you can’t open Flash 5 .fla files in Flash 4.
    Microsoft have done a bang-up job of providing patches for older versions of their Office Suite products to open the newer xml file formats.
    Adobe have done no such service.
    They’ve let bugs languish for years, and now they’re forcing me to rent software. The price is only a small part of the issue.

    1. Totaly agree.
      If people write that there is no problem then others make decisions based on lies!

  26. Five True Facts About Adobe Creative Cloud:

    1. If you recently paid to upgrade to CS6, especially if you’re a “Master Collection” customer, you’re getting reamed.
    2. You’re going to be pestered once a month to make sure you’ve paid your “Adobe bill”.
    3. You’ve lost control of when/what you purchase. I put off upgrading to CS6 for a year because the additional features weren’t compelling enough for me to sink the money into. You won’t have that option in the future.
    4. Adobe’s sold out their loyal long-term customers in order to get a recurring monthly revenue stream.
    5. No matter which Adobe product you use, unless you were buying it BRAND NEW every single year, you will end up spending more money to get basically the same stuff via Creative Cloud. My CS6 Master Collection upgrade cost me $525. Once my “discount year” is up, I’ll be paying a minimum of $600. Not when I feel like it. Every single year.

    1. TRUE 3. VERY TRUE 4. Been an Adobe user for over twenty years. Regretfully, upgrading to CS6 looks to be my last Adobe purchase. Some Adobe customer chat responder actually had the gall to tell me that upgrades were “free” with the cloud. FREE? Thought I was talking to a cable TV salesman.

      1. I feel the same way, I bought CS6 Master Collection and have been a Adobe Customer for more than 20 years too.. Over the last several years I have felt Adobe outsourced the customer interface to Scott Kelby and really lost touch and care for small customers.. What they may not realize is some people, like me, also work for a very large companies and bring this perception to the workplace. What surprises me is the market raised Adobe’s share price on news they committed to the Creative Cloud so I am eager to see if others like me are really ready to put their money where their mouth is..and what other options come into play from Adobe or others.

        1. Market don’t reflect potential customer satisfaction, only potential revenue and return on investment.

          Adobe has created CC in order to increase cash flow and expected earnings per quarter, boosting investor confidence.

          This truly does not look at the loyal consumer because loyalty has nothing to do with business.

    2. 2 is completely wrong. I’ve had the creative cloud for months, and I’ve never gotten a bill. It pays itself and I never have to think about it. But if you don’t like CC, you’re to use CS6 or something else.

    3. Hi David,

      I’m confused. Did you actually buy the CS6 upgrade as a boxed (or downloaded) product outside of Creative Cloud? If so, there should be no reason that you would be forced to upgrade at anytime. The way I understand it, you can choose to keep using CS6 for as long as you want without being forced to upgrade.

      I bought the CS5.5 upgrade and several months later took the plunge and subscribed to CC. I now run a mixture of CS5.5 apps and CC apps. I have a client that still uses InDesign CS5.5 so I keep that on my workstation. However, I also use ID CC. Haven’t had any problems using both versions and have never been forced to install any other CC app.

      Personally, I love the Creative Cloud concept. Yes, ultimately I’ll end up paying more but the flip side to that is that I’m making more money because I have the ability to expand the services I offer to clients. Before CC I was just a film and video director/producer. Now I’m an interactive app developer as well. I just started work on an iPad app for a major university and the money they’re paying me will cover the cost of my CC subscription for years to come. I would never have been able to teach myself how to design iPad apps if I didn’t have access to all the Adobe titles that I have through CC.

      1. That is wonderful that you are able to recoup your subscription cost through your expanded services to your client. As for the hobbiest who has been a loyal customer of Adobe for many years, this new model is not cost feasible and we lose out all the way around. Even only using the Photoshop app at $9.99 (for the first year – subject to increase after), it is just cost prohibitive and I’m sad that they are no longer serving our needs. This will also trickle down to NAPP, of which I’ve been a long-standing member. I no longer see a need to continue to be a member or attend the annual NAPP Conference in Las Vegas. Eventually, all focus will be solely on CC.

      2. Wonder if all CC Users can find such Clients…
        Wonder also, how many are able to become Professionals with all the Adobe Apps… (don´t know much of them, and I´m Prof. for more than 2 Decades)
        Most of the Users only have Hands on 2-3 of the Apps.

    4. So true, all that you say, and as a Video Editor, I only use two products, After Effects and Photoshop, I don’t even use Premiere as Avid is way better in all aspects. Why should I be held hostage to all these other products that I will never even open, much less use. Adobe has the market cornered with the best products out there, they know it, and now they are picking our pockets. Thanks Adobe, hope you live long and prosper.

    5. Yes it seems very clear that rather than purchasing software that is mine for as long as I wish to use it I am instead paying monthly for the right to access that software. Much much more expensive.

  27. According to Adobe their idea may seem good, but they have not thought through on the consequences. The part I don’t like is, if I sign up, (which I won’t) and start to pay monthly and then stop, I lose the use of the applications. With my older versions, I can use them until I want to up grade and it is my decision, but with this new system, I am forced to pay monthly or I can’t use the applications and my work grinds to a stop. In fact, the new version is not complete and you can’t make DVD’s and they said nothing about that! They are putting software on the market that is not complete. They want to kill the perpetual system, and I say to them, “Wake up to reality and stop trying to screw their faithful customers. I hope many more will express their dissatisfaction with the company over this new decision.

  28. Overall Adobe is demonstrating the danger of monopolies with this move. Gone are the days when you can buy one product and use it for 3 years because it’s good enough for your purposes, gone are the days when you can choose which products you want to pay for based on what you actually use, and gone is the option to withhold money for several cycles when Adobe releases a total dud (as was the case with cs4). Adobe is abusing its power. I only hope someone can break their monopoly. Any company that does will instantly have my money.

  29. Maybe if you wouldn’t call it Cloud you wouldn’t have these confusion issues. Cloud is the most overused word of the decade. It’s a subscription that happens to need occasional internet authentication, it’s not fundamentally a cloud-run product, just certain features are. Subscriptions suck. $50/month, are you kidding me?

  30. The only people that seem excited about this are ADOBE. I have yet to find ONE positive comment on the internet that doesn’t come from an Adobe representative. One this is for sure when you get almost 100% of the people in the internet to AGREE on something, you F’D up BAD.

    Take a look around Adobe. We are your CUSTOMERS. WE pay your bills. WE make your profits. WE WILL put you out of business.

    You are opening up a market for a competitor to come in a take your whole monopoly down.

    1. That’s likely because people that are happy about something don’t run to forums to post about it. On the other hand I just had a great latte at Starbucks.

      1. Terry this is as half-baked as the DRM-Acrobat fiasco for academic licenses several years ago. Only when major institutions and one state government threatened to dump Acrobat did Adobe back down. Ask around at Adobe about that time when they had to backtrack on a stupid idea. This is deja vu all over again.

      2. OK, I am not an employee of Adobe. I have been using InDesign since it was Pagemaker 1.1 and Photoshop since version 1. Each and every workday (and many non-workdays) I use InDesign, Photoshop, Bridge, Dreamweaver and Muse. I also use Illustrator, Acrobat Pro and Lightroom sporadically. I have been a Creative Cloud subscriber since the day it was announced. I was planning on signing on just to get Muse but when it was announced that all the CS apps would be included I got my credit card online faster than the roadrunner could run from the coyote.

        I am here today because I have been reading about CC and wanted to see what folks were saying. Frankly, I am amazed no one is here screaming about how great the new features sound. I love so many of them and can’t wait to get my hands on them.

        Other than a small problem with validating while I was in a place that had no internet, I have had not one problem with the Creative Cloud apps. On the first day they were available, I figured it would take most of the day to download all the apps. (I don’t use all of them but why not?) I started them downloading and went to the gym. I got back an hour later and all (ALL) were installed. I sat down and opened them up and have not had a problem since. Crashed a hard drive once and had to reinstall. Took just about the same amount of time. I have loved the constant updates all year long.

        Cost wise, I figure I am about even but since I am in business the cost of this software is deductible and part of the investment I make in my business. I fully realize that there are lots of low-cost software alternatives but somehow I have never heard of the National Association of Cheap Photoshop clone Professionals. Getting tutorials and help for “real” software is worth the price.

        My favorite saying–The average American knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. Don’t be average.

        1. You are the guy for whom this was meant. You use 8 programs, and for people like you it is a great deal. But many, many of us don’t use more than one or two, and have been loyal customers for 10, 15 years. Photographers are getting screwed, plain and simple. I’m still seething over the Photoshop CS3 debacle with the beta-to-final installation that, because of Adobe’s screw up, cost me $250 in a new hard drive and clean install of my Windows operating system. Not one word of apology from Adobe, and the fix was buried WAY down on the belly of the beast web site you would never find on your own. The attitude (and that’s the real issue here) of Adobe is just astounding. Just as soon as I find an alternative to Photoshop I’m gone. Corel? Are you listening?

        2. You are the kind of person for which this works. Everyone else needs to know that this is only good for people like you. I think the rest of us should be writing reviews on consumer sites pointing out that unless you use 8 programs every day in a professional studio, the CC is probably not your best option.

        3. Adobe compares price for Creative Cloud with Master Collection. What happens to people you use Products like Design Std. They are always in a loss……

      3. I don’t think so. If someone complains about Apple, the fans will jump to their defense. So would loyal Adobe fans if they felt like it. Adobe has a lot of long time users/fans who love the software – I think that surprisingly few are defending this decision by Adobe.

        I am one of those Europeans who has to pay so much more than Americans for the exact same software ($81 – I use english versions) and frankly this new Adobe business model feels like a slap in the face.

        For a long time loyal user, it is extremely disappointing to see Adobe behave this way. Even if Adobe changed their mind about CC, I don’t think I would trust the company again. I will do everything possible to avoid using Adobe software in the future.

        Once Adobe was a pioneer company with the purpose of creating tools for creatives – now it’s only purpose is making profit for shareholders. They might as well sell soap.

        1. Adobe fans have better things to with their time than be flaming fanboys.

          Though in the USA, every corporation’s sole purpose is make profit for shareholders, so adobe is no different than the rest of them.

          1. You’re excitingly intent on defending Adobe’s “honor” here it seems. Too bad you’re not terribly good at it.

            If Adobe’s “sole purpose is to make profit for its shareholders” and it manages to annoy and alienate its customers so badly in its single-minded quest that they stop buying its products, guess what?

            No profit for its shareholders.

          2. I wasn’t even replying to you, so what was the point of this?

            I haven’t said a word about Adobe’s honor. Corporations have no honor in my views, I was pointing out that Adobe is just as evil as the rest.

            Yes, hurting their bottom line is the only way to get the attention of corporations. If you wish to protest the cloud, then never get a membership and either buy CS6 or alternatives to Adobe. Conversation about good alternatives to Adobe would be more productive than simply ranting about Adobe, because action is more effective than whining in most cases. Everyone is free to choose to buy or not buy the cloud, but that doesn’t mean we should be so hateful to each other.

          3. Miss if ya havent realised Adobe has monopoly in this industry and they are exploiting that even if it means hurting their customers and their businesses and you cant be competitive without Adobe software. So its a win-win situation for Adobe and all the creatives will be rooted out and only the rich kids will have CC on their computers. This will also make people charge more for design, hurting start ups. CC is bad for the whole design community.

          4. There have been some great suggestions on this thread and I am starting to investigate them. That said, I understand the impulse to vent frustration. The changeover is going to take time I can ill spare and it is infuriating, especially when comments are met with the equivalent of “who needs you anyway?” It true, the company does not need most of us individually. Perhaps, they do not even need most of us collectively. That is something time will tell. For now, I am not upgrading. When I need new software, I will look elsewhere. If Adobe makes a point of not needing my money, I certainly don’t need them.

          5. The only purpose of a business, any business anywhere, is to make a profit. It is not to make anyone happy. That being said, if customers are unhappy, profits will suffer and Adobe will do what it can to recover or cease to exist.
            In this case, Adobe just made a mistake and hopefully it will cost them control over the market. I’d love to see that happen, because it’s been charging ridiculous prices way too long, CC or not.
            I see this as an exciting time when others can step in and compete.
            Artful people don’t need to be bound by a nasty software company or an incompetent general manager at one.
            The fence is gone. Run people! Run!

          6. This is well said! We creatives can be a feisty bunch and arrogance does not sit well with us.

          7. Actually, the purpose of a business is to provide a product or service that provides value to a market segment and to be able to make a profit off of the value it provides – which is reasonable and expected. If the only purpose of a business is to make a profit, then Ponzi-type businesses would be much more abundant than they are now, or any other scheme that provides no value to the public.

            The apparent problem here is that Adobe has made some changes that have greatly decreased the value they have provided in the past, and they have now created a hungry market for an enterprising entrepreneur to come in and take advantage of.

      4. Tried to post a Software review at Adobe Product Site. One Star Rating for this ugly thing, which will bind me lifetime to have access to my own work. Was never seen there because Adobe cencored (was no bad word inside). The only side in the whole world where this “cloud” is a good thing is at Adobe. That´s it. You won´t find any side where there are more PROS than NEGS. Its 85% to 15%! Some people just paint their world wonderful.
        STOP CLOUD! KEEP CS6 ALIVE AS ADOBE WILL LET YOU!
        (PS.: Payed ten thousands of Euros to Adobe during the last 22 years! I had never trouble with their prices. But enough is enough. Adobe isn´t Adobe any longer since monday!)

        1. You can post positive reviews of the CS version you are currently using. Try large retail sites, not Adobe, Inform potential customers about probable registration limitations on their purchase going forward, warning them about the downsides of the CC, and explaining how understanding these drawbacks is especially important for potential users not associated with large companies or studios.

    2. I can tell you one (& only one use-case). I mostly use Photoshop for web designing. But sometimes I do logos, and then I need Illustrator. And with subscription based model, I can purchase Illustrator only for a month. I can’t think of any other benefits of this model.

    3. Unless the number of viewers matches the number of people leaving comments, then there’s lots of people who are saying nothing. probably because they aren’t pissed off enough to do so. A customer with a bad experience is more likely to recommend against your business than one who has a good experiences is to recommend it.

      1. A little bit against the marketing rules I know/studied… (LOL)

        But time will tell…

        Especially when we see the fee prices rising after the “Catch Cloudies” period.

        Regularly people defend good solutions, btw,… Have a look to all the forums – where are they?

        ———-

        CC = Cash Cow = Terminating the word “Archive” in digital future = Lifelong dependency = NoGo = Never

        1. I don’t know where you studied, but that doesn’t mean they were right.

          1. Ok. I understand – there is someONE who is defending CashCow.
            I wish you good luck. And always enough money for the fees to open and use your creations.
            ———–
            CC = Cash Cow = Terminating the word “Archive” in digital future = Lifelong dependency = NoGo = Never

          2. Yes because pointing out that there might be some people who don’t hate it as much as you is a great defense. And reminding people that they are free to seek out or create alternatives to adobe makes it a rock solid defense of adobe.

            Oh and I find it silly that people keep fussing about lacking of being able to open their files when adobe said they see that as an issue too and said they plan to fix it.

          3. I think, it´s good for Adobe, that there are some, defending their “cloud”. I´m not longer interested in this “company” and their CashCow (CC). Want freedom of choice & not being tied to a solution, where they can do (with file-types, prices,…) what ever they want and I have no chance to come out – without losing full access to my files.

            They had 2 month now, to give more that the answer “…we see that this is an issue…” (and such a “overwhelming company”, should have been thinking about before…). And if I have a look on, how radically and rashly they changed distribution I even don´t trust them any longer, anyway. I don´t make investments of a few 10thousand Euro on the base of a “promisse” like that.

            Don´t know what kind of work you are doing, but for me it´s fundamental, that I have full, editable access to all my (clients) files (of the last years). If it´s different for you & this “cloud” works for you – why not. Again: Good luck and ever enough money…

            ———-

            CC = Cash Cow = Terminating the word “Archive” in digital future = Lifelong dependency = NoGo = Never

  31. Isn’t the dealer taken right out of the equation? Buy direct from Adobe at whatever price they want to charge (bet the minimum subscription hits $100/month before you can believe). No discounts from the dealers anymore because, guess what, there aren’t any. This is the cable companies business model — charge whatever they want and it always goes UP. Oh that’s right, it’s a monopoly of sorts; and now it acts like one. (But they aren’t greedy you know.)

  32. So if I go with app licensing, it will cost me more for the 4 apps I needs vs buying into the full array of apps (1/2 or more I would not even use). As it reads now, it is $18 / month for each app. This leaves me with a bill of $72 / month. Vs. $48 a month for everything. Can I go with the everything and only install apps I would use? I would not want to waste hard drive space on apps I am not using. I also would not want to pay $18 a month continuously for an app I would only use maybe once or twice a year? I think $5 / month on used apps is appropriate… Then I could budge $20 /month * 12 /months = $240 a year on apps I use verses $576 on apps I would not even touch.

    1. Yes you can pick and choose which apps to download and install whenever you want.

      1. Terry, I hear a lot of frustration from people who use only a handful of apps and there is no middle ground for them. It’s one app or the full suite — just one of two extremes with no middle ground. Does Adobe have any plans to create a model that will allow users to select, say, 3-4 apps at a middle-ground price? Wouldn’t this satisfy many of the concerns of lower volume users?

  33. 2 Serious questions? Are my files going to be subject to DRM? – Like Itunes, where if I buy from iTunes, I cannot use on another MP3 player? Sorry my photos need to cross software and uses.

    Can I still use and add plugins? Like Nik Software, OneOne, Portrait Professional, Topaz, etc?

    The answer to either of these will make or break CC modeling. DRM and no plugins will make me leave Adobe no matter how much I need and love the software.

    1. Your files are your files. There is no DRM being applied to them. Yes you can continue to install and use whatever plugins you want.

      1. Yeah, just wait until the psd file format changes slightly and you decide to unsubscribe from the CC…SCREWED. You will be paying for the CC forever just so you can open your files. A real deal with the devil. Stop candy coating this Terry.

        1. Well Bill, the plan is to always have a save back to CS6, so not really screwed or locked in. hmmmm, I love candy.

          1. ” the plan” until Adobe changes things. Candy coating is used to fool people and hide negative issues. Given the 98%+ negative comments here and at dozens of forums, you can’t really think this still looks like a good idea can you?

          2. Is it a good idea for you or the ones complaining? Perhaps not. No company makes products that appeal to a 100% of the customer base. However, the 500,000+ people already on Creative Cloud seem to be quite happy with it and for them and potentially hundreds of thousands/millions more it is. Remember that everyone’s situation and needs are different. Those that are outraged are for their own reasons and no one is trying “hide” or “sugar coat” anything, but whenever something comes out that people don’t like or aren’t running with all the facts they tend to start spewing conspiracy theories and falsehoods out of fear, uncertainty and doubt. CC doesn’t work for/them. I get it. You/they won’t join. I get that too. What you don’t seem to get is that there ARE people that it does work for, who will or have joined and are happy with it.

          3. That’s right. It will be good for some, and not for others. And Adobe has essentially decided “to h*ll with the others.” When you are a de-facto monopoly, you don’t have to worry about serving ALL your customers, just the ones who make you the most money. Ayn Rand would be proud.

          4. Yeah, I guess you are correct that you can’t please everyone but Adobe has thrown the casual Photoshop using hobbyist under the bus. Instead of upgrading every 24 months for $200, the price after the teaser discount is $240 per YEAR, right? And if you stop subscribing the software stops working and the images cannot be accessed.

          5. Terry, you have sugar coated the message with your #4 myth. Your solution implies that a downsaved file for CS6 is the same as the native file for the version you are on and that it is no big deal to open your work on CS6. Adobe’s FAQ says that “New features added to the desktop applications after Creative Suite 6 may not be supported in the exported file, or supported by the Creative Suite 6 application.”
            Nowhere on this myths page or the FAQ do you or Adobe state that if your subscription expires that you won’t be able to open the original files.

            I am not an opponent of Creative Cloud, I think it has good features, but discontinuing an upgrade path for perpetual licensed Creative Suite has major implications for many in the creative industry, including me. It may be affordable for many in the short term, but many won’t know their financial position in the longer term and if they have to cancel their subscription, but still need to work they will be left in a difficult position.

          6. Many of the sheeps which are in cloud already, did because: they don´t thought to the end
            they saw a (looking) small price for big thing
            are big companys and have other financial situation
            Many of the sheep which are in the cloud:
            I hope will have money for the fees till the end of their lives
            (to open and print their files)
            Are NOT very happy (see help pages & forums of Adobe)
            Will wake up, when they once have no money and the client is at the door!

          7. Adobe is earrning nearly $25 million USD per month on the new mandatory distribution scheme, with very little out of pocket expense. The other 92% are the real losers in the scheme.
            Support thru their indian call centre sucks. thevcheap Indian call centres also make shareholdrs happy but not the custmers. With the new corporate America (fascism was defined by its creator Benito Mussolini as Acmerging of coroprate power with government power) the shareholders coupons always come befire the customers needs.

            Hopefully a fedral investigation of these practices will happen. I am writing my own congress critters including the links to this and ther forums were nearly 90+% of the responses are aginst the adobe

          8. I assume, from what you are saying, that the company is happy with a consumer base of uh, 700,000 worldwide. (including temporary Photoshop upgrade incentives) Adobe? Really? There has certainly been a change.

          9. THE PLAN IS…. HAR HAR!
            A serious company FIRST makes a solution, and THEN sells the product!
            THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTY from Adobe that there will be any solution in the future!

          10. Okay, but if in the future Adobe won’t let you register your old copy of CS6 on a new computer, you won’t have access to those files, even if you saved them to the legacy format. You are making it clearer and clearer that the work we are doing in Adobe programs is, for the long term, a waste of time.

          11. Are you just making stuff up now? Adobe will sell CS6 INDEFINITELY! So where does it say you won’t be able to register your copy on any computer?

          12. We no longer have “boxed copies” of our professional creative software. However, yes you’ll be able to buy a perpetual license of CS6 and download/install the software indefinitely.

      2. The problem isn´t that there is a digital rights mgmt. (but who knows what Adobe is thinking about) – the problem is, that you simply can´t open (or print) many/most of your own created files after subscription ends.
        Converting in not editable other formats like PDF? I don´t think that I´m happy abut if I have to convert thousands of InDesign files to PDF after a vew years of subscription.
        DON´T TELL PEOPLE TEHRE´S NO PROBLEM! ELSE THEY MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON LIES!

    2. Actually since content copyright holders stopped insisting on DRM for music in iTunes, you CAN use them in any player that you want as long as the player is capable of using AAC files. You won’t have direct syncing like with an iOS device, but you can drag and drop onto the player with those files like any other connected storage device. Even AAC isn’t an issue as you can convert and make MP3 copies.

  34. $50 dollars a month is just too much. Many people, including me, are going to start looking for other options — immediately.

      1. Talking about which, I’m a bit disappointed to find that Adobe’s applied exchange rate is rather different from the official one. $50, or £46, or €60…?!?

  35. Myth No. 4 IS TRUE: If you quit the subscription, you lose access to your files.

    “if you’ve got previous CS App versions, you’ll be able to open your files provided that you’ve saved them down to compatible formats”

    And if you haven’t got previous versions, or haven’t saved them down?

  36. I am in business to make money, not spend it. I have recently cut all monthly expenses including memberships and equipment purchases so I can focus on #1) giving to God first (tithe), and #2) my family second. I don’t care how cool the new features are, Adobe is never going to come before those two, and I don’t have a steady month to month income to afford another monthly expense. I am not willing to go out of business so I can have the latest Adobe features. I hope they come up with a better solution soon.

    1. Here’s the deal. I’m not a fan of the Creative Cloud. I don’t like it, and I don’t like being told it’s my only option. However none of my complaints are about the price. If you can’t afford the $50 a month, then I have a feeling your business is having much bigger issues then the Creative Cloud. Graphic Designers and Animators make a good living, they’ll be fine. If you need too, bill a little more for whatever services you offer. But if $50 is the difference between you being in or out of business, you can’t blame Adobe.

      1. Not all Graphic Designers have a steady income. Some of us do it part-time and on a razor-edge profit margin. That $50/month could be the deal breaker in some cases when you have several really lean months in an economic slow down–and who’s to say that price won’t increase? My question is why completely abandon a sizable portion of your customer base when it could be IN ADDITION to the subscription model? Should a business abandon a sizable number of paying customers?

        1. I get that, and the ability for Adobe to change their mind at any minute on the price does worry me. I’ve spent years learning their software and I’m finding myself in an uncomfortable place not trusting the company and the direction it is headed in. The good news is I can stay on CS6 for another year or two without any problems. Hopefully at that point the kinks will be worked out.

          I absolutely think it’s a poor business decision but long term I do think it will generate more money then it loses. At the expense of the designers though which is a shame. However at this moment I believe Adobe is way to big to fall. Maybe in 3-4 years that will change and this will cause some serious competition. As of right now there aren’t any other great alternatives to programs like After Effects so I’ll keep using it. Maybe not as happily as I used too though.

          I have a feeling updates are going to cause a major headache with plugin compatibility.

      2. Don’t be so smug about being such a good businessman. The little man, the freelancer hits bad times occasionally, I have and have delayed upgrading my software until conditions improve. That option has now been taken away from me by Adobe’s bad business practice. Also I just hate to be bullied by the big boys into doing something I don’t necessarily want to do. Stuff Adobe!

        1. I freelance and am the “little man” so there’s no disconnect between us. I’m just saying arguments against the cloud purely on price aren’t going to get people very far. I have way bigger issues with it then the cost of it. However I will note that the overhead costs of freelancing are incredibly low. I stand by the fact that if $50 is going to make or break you, then you need to reconfigure things, because something obviously isn’t working.

          I think people who do this as a hobby have a much better argument against it then businesses fueled by Adobe software.

        2. Yeah, okay, I sort of agree and see your argument, but the price you are paying is wrapped up with the fact that you used to pay that price for a product which you owned and could choose when to use and when to upgrade. Now you are being asked to pay more just to use something which you will never own and that includes access to your own work. So, yes, the price is integral, when and if you pay should be the choice you make, not whether you pay and work or don’t pay and can’t work. The price we are all paying is far too high, the machine is taking over and may one day price you too out of the market if they so wish.

          1. Totally with you on that. I don’t like the idea that I’ll now be paying Adobe monthly until I die, they die, or a better competitor comes along. Those are really my only three options at this point. My job is dependent on their software. I much preferred owning it, and don’t like the idea of renting it. I agree that it should be a lesser fee, because you are right we are now renting and not owning the software. That’s a big difference.

            CS6 is solid software, so I’ll ride that as long as I can before my job requires me to upgrade to keep up with the latest project files.

          2. “I don’t like the idea that I’ll now be paying Adobe monthly until I die…” When you put it that way…and really, what other way CAN it be put…it makes one really want to reconsider joining this odyssey.

  37. I think it is funny how Terry jumps in and responds to only the comments that are the low lying easy to pick fruit.

    The one question mentioned previously is a good one. If you have to pay 50 dollars per month on subscription, 600 dollars per year, for the applications, what happens when you stop paying because you can’t afford or don’t want to? You could have spent 6,000 dollars over 10 years and walk away with nothing if you stop. That is how licensing will work.

    The monthly plan is really bad when compared to other examples. Consider Autodesk where I am on a subscription service for Autocad, Revit, 3ds Max, Mudbox and one other I can’t think of. I pay roughly 900 dollars per year. Sounds like alot but considering it is over 10,000 dollars of software and I get yearly upgrades I am good with it. I would upgrade my autodesk products every three years which means I would shell out between 5,000 and 10,000 dollars depending on what applications I would purchase. The annual price we pay for the license is worth it in this case. Also, I am able to install and run my license on 2 computers that are not running the programs simultaneously.

    In the case of Adobe, I am not seeing the worth since the monthly fee works out to cost the minimal user of photoshop and illustrator more money very quickly. Imagine the poor sap that just wants to use Photoshop for digital painting or something. Every freaking year they need to shell out the 600 dollars where most normal people would have upgraded every 2 to 3 years or more. Licensing is the move that software vendors are going to make but adobe could do this in a better way.

    I think you should still have the option to pay for a hard copy of the software but Adobe found it difficult to control who used its software. Although Adobe is trying so hard to paint the image of this cloud move being of best interest to the creative customer, it has really nothing to do with the customer. It does not make anything easier at all when compared to using the software as we have been using it. If you want cloud access to files, than use one of the many available options that are already out there. Adobe says the updates will be easier. Easier than what? You still need to download and install so that is a crock. No, this main motivation of this cloud is strictly adobe motivated and meant to maximize revenue by controlling use of software. I understand wanting to control the use of its product but not at the expense making things more difficult for the customer. Adobe should come up with a real benefit to cloud use. Autodesk offers cloud based rendering services so you can render images offline and not have to use a more powerful personal computer. I don’t use it but at least it is a real effort at an advantage other that “hey, the cloud will enable you to share files and get updates!”.

    1. I jump in and answer actual questions, not rants or opinions. The bottom line is that Creative Cloud works for some and not others. I’m not going to argue with you if it doesn’t work for you. Hope that helps.

      1. This summarizes Adobe’s attitude like no other. “Take it or leave it, we don’t give a s^&%.” “Hope that helps”? Seriously?? Freaking SERIOUSLY?????

        1. Wilson, it’s not a “take or leave it” attitude. It’s a fact that not all products/services for all companies for all of the people. I’m sure the $700 price tag for Photoshop didn’t work for a lot of people either. If it was a take it or leave it attitude there wouldn’t be different levels of membership options. It would all just be $49.99/month take it or leave it and of course that’s clearly not the case. Over 500,000 people joined Creative Cloud in a relatively short amount of time that do see the value in it. There are others that won’t. It’s not an “attitude”, it’s just a fact of life that no matter what you do you can’t please everyone.

          1. Terry, I’ve got to give you props for being willing to stand against the furor and answer questions. The big point is those people voluntarily signed up, they weren’t forced into it. The other major point is the 100% increase in cost for Photoshop users, and less ownership and no flexibility in decision making. You’re cramming something down the throat of long-time users of your products that, once they sign up, have absolutely no control over the future price or the flexibility to decide not to upgrade without penalty. It’s just simply not fair, any way you crunch it.

          2. $50 a month! Wow, this is disgusting. I hated how Steve Job’s thumbed his nose at Adobe but I am now on his side. This is criminal. Doesn’t Adobe know how much most of us struggle just to pay our bills?

          3. Then why cloud it is not an option as before?
            Cant hear that Adobe pimpt stuff here any longer!!!
            You exactly know it is becaus they want money and not because they don´t want money!

          4. Adobe has been serving a lot more than 500,000 customers for many, many years. They have now made their products unreachable beyond CS6 for an even larger number of customers by going with this subscription model. Adobe could try to “please” some of these customers by keeping the software available for purchase outside the Creative Cloud. Shutting down that choice is shutting out a LOT of customers. Is Adobe going to do anything in response to these customers or just not worry about pleasing them? I’m seriously interested in an answer to that question.

          5. Getting 5 cars for the price of one makes only sense if:
            – I can use 5 cars
            – or sell 4
            CashCow = Getting all you don´t need with the apps you want.
            ———-
            CC = Cash Cow = Terminating the word “Archive” in digital future = Lifelong dependency = NoGo = Never

          6. Yes, that is true. We are business people here. We understand that we cannot please everyone. We also understand that the people we do not please will take their business to competitors and that those competitors, given an infusion of capital, will innovate, invest, and overtake us.

        2. No, you always have a choice. No said you have to use Adobe. Can’t find anything else? Make something else with people who agree with you.

          1. I can’t even tell what you’re trying to ask. Are you trying to ask if I own shares of Adobe’s stock? If so I don’t see why, I’m telling people they should seek out something besides adobe if they don’t like adobe. Why you think I would do that if I had a stake in adobe’s success I’m not sure.

            And the answer would be no, I don’t own any stocks in any company. I don’t get paid to say anything good or bad about adobe.

        3. This is Terry’s personal blog. He’s not talking for Adobe with that response–he’s talking about how he’s going to carry himself here, as the moderator of this blog.

          I think he’s just saying he’s not about to engage in fruitless rants and those who choose to act puerile about this matter. It’s okay to post your opinions and problems, but only if you’ll do it like an adult.

          Seriously, some of you people have some valid concerns here, but going about expressing them in all the wrong ways. Most of you here know nothing about the attitude of professionalism.

  38. Currently the answer to number 2 is not correct. I was in a third world country last fall without any internet connection anywhere. I happened to be there on the one in 30 that Adobe Muse and Photoshop needed to connect to the Cloud in order to validate. All of a sudden, no more work for me on the website I needed to post immediately upon getting home. When I returned I called tech support and asked if there was any way I could have had it validate the software before I left the US and was told that no, there was not. I certainly hope that they have fixed this and that the update as of 5/6 means it is no longer like that.

    1. Sorry to hear that, but note that I work quite a bit in these apps on planes without a WiFi connection and have no issues. Hopefully you will not experience this again going forward.

      1. Terry, with all due respect, you’re not reading his post. He said the confirmation ping came when he was off-line in a third-world country, therefore his software was turned off. He wants to know if one can call Adobe, or in some other way take care of this absurd necessity before leaving; in other words, satisfy the confirmation requirement in advance or in lieu of the upcoming ping manually. See how stupid this whole idea is? You have now created a whole new set of worries that people have to think about to get their freaking work done. I, and many others, just really don’t understand what you were thinking when you came up with this biblically stupid idea.

        1. Yes, if there are any activation issues or about to be disconnected for a while you can call Adobe Care to have them resolved over the phone in advance or during if a problem arrises.

          1. And the phone costs will than be added to your fees. Also the often very expensive online taxes to verify when you are travelling.
            Stop CC keep CS6 alive!

  39. I’m more than a bit frustrated. As a licensed user, I choose to upgrade when I want to. As a result, I do so once every few years often skipping the incremental upgrades. I found this to be more productive as the partial upgrades were often buggy and problematic. Don’t get me wrong, Adobe’s product quality is good. I just don’t trust first generation products.

    Now I am forced to pay for a product when they want me too. I don’t have to install the next gen products, but I have to pay for them.

    I’m really not happy. I am due for the next cycle upgrade, but one aspect of being entrepreneurial is having the ability to say yes and no. Adobe really has essentially taken that away. And that’s wrong.

    As a business it’s their option to change the business model we’ve participated in together since 1992 when I bought Aldus PageMaker. As a designer and developer, it’s my option to stop using their products and perhaps focus some of my energies to make the competition just a little better.

    Just my Two bits.

    D. Desjardins

  40. Careful Adobe. Remember Quark? Once giants of the page design world? They got too big to care about their users and YOU took over.

    1. Good point. Also, look what has happened with Flash. For a while (pre-iPhone), everyone had to have a Flash-based web site. Now, nobody wants a Flash-based site because Apple won’t allow it on the iOS-based products.
      Adobe isn’t the only game in town, and perhaps they’ve just fired a shot in to their foot…. again.

    2. Quark XPress is still available, under new management that cares about its user base. It’s just as good as InDesign (and better in some ways). No subscription fees, either! Of course, you’ll still need a photo app, and a vector drawing app, and a web design app …

  41. Europeans pay more, but why?
    Also how many people, like myself are going to freeze their Adobe software and not upgrade? This may be a good thing since it will encourage other software to service disgruntled Adobe users who want to bow out of this crass empire. I’m not turned on by excess, the dreadful Terry White flaunting his camera I can’t afford. Let’s say no to Adobe and lose the idea that you must spend to be creative.

  42. The elephant in the room that isn’t being addressed in a visible way is this:

    When I could not afford to upgrade to CS6 I can still use CS5.5 FOREVER – IT’S MINE, I bought it.

    When I can no longer afford Creative Cloud I have NOTHING.

    Yes, if I planned ahead and made versions of my files compatible with older versions (If I actually have previous version I purchased in the past) I still have my work.

    If you do not have any previous CS apps on your machine you are simply screwed and cannot work anymore… “The bread line forms here….”

    Software as Service is bullshit.

    I really miss Aldus Freehand and PageMaker on my little Mac.

    Please, please tell me I’m just stupid and I’m missing something here.

    1. Need to make a small correction…. You won’t be able to use CS 5.5 forever…. I use Audition 3 and 6…. Why still version 3? Because in later versions they removed some things that I need….

      Recently I needed to reinstall the program and guess what…. You can no longer Activate your older products… This will be the future for all the clients of Adobe…..

      So pleased that I only used two of there programs….

      1. Thank you for sharing this. I was afraid of that. Will have to keep getting this computer fixed instead of buying a new one.

  43. This is SOFTWARE RENTAL, plain and simple.

    The uproar isn’t over that you can now rent the software. The uproar is that you can never, ever buy it.

    “all versions of the Creative Suite products, beginning with CS6, will remain available for the purposes of backward compatibility, ” ahhhahahaahahah — yes, there’s the rub, isn’t it. Creative SUITE. Not CLOUD.

    It’s vitally important to understand something here.

    Creative Cloud is a NEW PRODUCT.

    Photoshop CC is Photoshop CS 7 is Photoshop 14. You will never, ever be able to BUY Photoshop 14 outright. You can only RENT Photoshop 14.

    Similarly, their stated plan is that there will never be a CC2. The versioning of Photoshop, however, will go up. This means that in 6 or 8 months when Adobe releases Photoshop 14.5.. or Photoshop 15 your version will be overwritten when you choose to upgrade. The plugins that you DID buy (some are expensive, I might add) might then break. I fear that users will not be able to go back to Photoshop 14.1 – they will be stuck with Photoshop 14.5 because they downloaded the upgrade.

    There would be no problem if Adobe offered the RENTAL as an OPTION. However, RENTAL is the ONLY OPTION. You CANNOT BUY Photoshop 14 for ANY PRICE. That is a complete, utter travesty.

    1. It´s not a software rental…

      It´s a rental of your own files after subscription ends!

      But you have to read their Specs very carefully to detect this!

    2. – “Mum, why am I not getting anything on the bread and why are we eating meatballs only?”

      – “Well my child… Next to the mortgage, electricity and so on, we have a montly payment for the programs from Adobe, the Office-packages and quite some other programs that we need. So we have to make choices….”
      – “But we had those programs for years..!”
      – “Yes dear, but if we cannot pay the subscribtions to the new programs, we will have no food at all, as we cannot work with those programs then AND have no longer access to the files”

  44. What about the, “This is actually more expensive” myth? Oh, right, that’s not on here because it’s not a myth.

    “I’m being forced to pay for upgrades that I don’t need. I used to be able to skip versions.” Also not a myth.

    How about, “Eventually, with advances to software and operating systems, old versions of perpetual licenses will be useless. So if I cancel my membership I’m held hostage by the only company that can open my files.”

    Nice fluff piece, Terry.

    1. Or what about another myst
      “A company who is assure, that its sheep will pay next month is not strongly motivated to do good updates”

  45. I have a biiiiiiiiiig concern with this and it’s simple. I could be looking at it wrong but there is a gigantic ” got ya!” in this. Example: I have Indesign cs5. Anyone who uses indesign knows that anything made in indesign cs6 can’t be read in five unless you REMEMBER to always save back compatible. Which most won’t cause the save button is a god send for crashy computers and save options get overlooked. That said.. You get CC.. and make beautiful awesome book. 2 years later you close your subscription. You now have orphan files that you can’t open because Indesign cs6 can’t open Indesign CC ( indesign cs8). VS. the paid software model where what you have is what you HAVE and you make stuff in what you have. There’d never be the issue of orphaned files.

    Now don’t get me wrong the concept for all this is great and I love that it’s now more affordable BUT…. I don’t like even the slightest idea of having files I can’t open with out having to buy a subscription. That’s just……… well ……. kinda wack.

    What they SHOULD do.. (and I think this is fair since you have access to the software anyway) do as you do as normal. But at the closing of the account the person at least gets to keep the last iteration of what they’ve been paying for. No upgrades and all that. Where it is, is what you have. Done.

    1. Hi, Adobe recognizes this concern and is actively taking steps to make sure that CC members will be able to not only save back to a previous format, but also to export out in other file types, print, render, etc.even if you leave CC. As far as ID CC goes it can save back as far as ID CS4.

      1. What about the idea of “when you leave the ship you take what you caught”? Meaning, if you cancel the CC, you can continue to use the program(s) but from then on you get no updates. If you want to return, you pay a slight fee ($50?) to receive the updates and, as a condition for returning, commit for a minimum period of one year. See, you give the customer at least some measure of flexibility, not “F-YOU customer, pay us or get F&%^#$!!!!” This is how you are coming across. You’re not even attempting to create a fair or flexible arrangement for long-term, loyal customers who have played by the rules in the past. Your existing CC arrangement is horrible. THIS is how they are rewarded? And please don’t point to current discounts as rewards for current customers; those are nothing more than the cheese on the mousetrap.

        1. They thought about that at Adobe (do you realy think they did not and make such a decision?????) and they decided to not implement it! That´t it. That´s Adobe. They shouldn´t play surprised.
          Adobe since monday is an ice-cold monopolist who uses his might in the market.

      2. You didn’t address the issue of the user not remembering to intentionally save a backwards-compatible file. Indesign has always had a robust exporter. That’s not the issue.

        I want to be able to create an .indd project file in InDesign CC that is specific to Indesign CC with all the new features that are in inDesign CC… and have it load up in InDesign CS6.

        The answer to that request I know already. The answer is “No, I won’t be able to”. You never have been able to. Adobe might be “actively taking steps” but until they either a) create a loader for CS6 that allows CC project files to be opened or b)revisit their misguided belief that CC should be rental-only, this will continue to be an issue that cannot be sidestepped with “saving to a lower version” or “exporting to other file types”.

        1. Please note – the issue of backwards-compatibility is always a concern with computer software. This isn’t only specific to Creative Cloud. The problem is that CC is a “gated community”. I cannot buy and keep any version of CC to keep on my computer in perpetuity for compatibility requirements without a need for another rental option. This is what Adobe needs to backtrack on immediately.

      3. Do you realy wan´t to tell us, the strategists at Adobe didn´t think about that before? They are all totaly surprised that there are people who want to open and print their work after subscription????

        This careful Adobe, that you describe?? No, or?
        They ice-cold tried to use their market position. And now they see, that their users aren´t that sheeps that they thought they be.

        Them can do what they want now. I´m out of the game.

        A 22 years ever paying and updating Adobe user, which had never a problem with the prices.
        I want, that Adobe has to pay the bill, not us!

      4. They recognized that? Are you kidding?
        You want to tell me, that Adobe didn´t think about that BEFORE they put that into our feeding-bowls?
        (If they are that “careful” – then better don´t trust!)

      5. Terry, since the last boxed offering is CS6, this would understandably what most would be concerned about. As long as they can back-save to CS6, they will be able to open and edit files created in CC. Of course, they may not have all the functionality of the more recent version, but at least the entire design (and all the effort therein) would not be lost. What I am hearing is that, historically, Adobe has only allowed users to back-save a single version. (I’m not a designer, so I don’t know if that’s true.) Thus there is concern that at some point, Adobe will no longer allow you to back-save that far. At that point, the designer would be entirely captive to CC. Are you saying that Adobe is working toward enabling back-save to an earlier CS version available? Obviously, at some point, OS issues might prevent that. But can you give some more detail on Adobe’s plans in this area?

        1. Currently most of the CC Apps can actually save back past CS6. AI for example can save all the way back to Illustrator 3 (not CS3, 3). ID has traditionally only allowed one version back and perhaps that’s the one you’re hearing about. However, ID CS6/CC can save back as far as ID CS4. The plan is to always allow customers a down save option and we will sell CS6 indefinitely. We are also looking at other ways and solutions to allow customers to be able to use their files if they leave CC in addition to what’s already there in the ability to down save to CS6.

          1. Thank you, Terry, and for the comment about the secure firewalls and related link, as well.

          2. To complete:
            What´s with down-save Premiere Files and some others? No way regarding to Product Specs, or? (The following applications support the ability to export to the CS6 version of the application: Photoshop, InDesign®, Illustrator, Flash® Professional, Dreamweaver®, After Effects®)
            What´s with new features brought into CC? Can be fully editable converted/saved to CS6? What´s in future? Any WRITTEN guarantee from Adobe, that the down-save possibility will be taken over to future-versions of CC? The small print on the CashCow (CC) product page sounds different… (New features added to the above list after Creative Suite 6 may not be supported in the exported file, or by the Creative Suite 6 application.)

            Talking about some Apps, which are able to down-save and DON´T talk about the Apps who are not, smells a bit like half-truth…

          3. Btw: “…we are looking at other ways and solutions to allow customers to be able to use their files…”
            Shouldn´t that have been done, BEFORE bringing the baby to the market? I think, a serious company….

      6. And how long do we have to wait for the solution?
        It´s 3 month now, that they are thinking about that and there was no answer…

  46. You updated myth #5 recently:

    “Update as of 5/6/2013: Creative Cloud paid members have access to a select set of archived versions of the desktop apps. Starting with CS6, select older versions of the desktop creative apps will be archived and available for download. Archived versions are provided “as is” and are not updated to work with the latest hardware and software platforms.”
    Is that an official Adobe announcement and if yes where can I find that Adobe announcement? I like to go sign onto CC based on this info. but I would also like to be sure that Adobe is behind it. Thanks.
    -W

  47. I have and love CS3. But have been feeling that it’s time to upgrade to CS6. I also just this week downloaded GIMP to consider as an alternative. Until today I have been hesitating to attack the new learning curve for GIMP. But, after reading about CC, there is no way I will put out new cash to stay with Adobe. GIMP, here I come.

  48. Here’s Not-a-Myth #6: The whole thing doesn’t work. My Adobe Creative Cloud membership is current and paid through May 27 (or so Adobe tells me), and I’ve been using Adobe products every day recently while connected to the Internet, yet right now none of my Adobe products work and I’m getting an error message to go renew my subscription. Here’s the screenshot:

    https://plus.google.com/115982055845994675852/posts/Vxjx92Lts3w

  49. Here’s Not-a-Myth #6: It doesn’t work. I’m an Adobe Creative Cloud member and my monthly fees are paid up through May 27 (according to the email that Adobe sent me). I’ve used Adobe products while connected to the Internet every day this week, yet right now none of my Adobe products work and I’m getting an error message to go renew my subscription. Here’s the screenshot:

    https://plus.google.com/u/0/115982055845994675852/posts/Vxjx92Lts3w

    [This is a repeat comment, as my first one appears to have been deleted… why not let a truth shine in??]

    1. I just received the email notification containing BOTH comments. Not sure why the 1st one didn’t post. I have no reason to delete them as I’m here to help. Which by the way I just had your issue escalated.

        1. This brings up a good point. I actually have no problem with the CC model of software licensing. I have however dealt with Adobe support on licensing issues and I can tell you that it is something best avoided altogether. They don’t deal with new problems (to them) well.

    2. now it appears that both of our replies have disappeared, but I did get your last one via email and you’re welcome.

  50. #4 It´s a lie and you know exactly.

    After you end subscription you don´t have any access to eg AE or PP files.

    You may have access to films/videos you created with the apps. But if software stops running you can´t open that files any way. See Adobe Specs. There is no other software (like you tell itis) to open it and Adobe will never give any software developer the right to use them. That´s the truth!

    Do you realy think I like to convert my (thousands) InDesign files to PDF when I wan´t to quit my subscription. Only that I can open and print them any longer?

    Never!!!!

    You are one of the Adobe Members right?

  51. #4 As Adobes Specs tell us: AE & PP Premiere Files are already not compatible bewteen CS6 and CC – And see the bottom line at Adobes Specs: THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTY FROM ADOBE that the behavior you describe will be the same in future. Means: Adobe can decide, when it wants to make his files downgrade incompatible!
    Keep staying in your wonderful world (of lies)! On your sooo coool wonderful cloud!
    Don´t fell down ever and never get out of money for the fees, when your client is at the door!
    What Adobe did is the greatest Shit ever!
    I use Adobe since over 22 years now intensively. Always payed. Always liked. Ever up to date! I´m totaly and absolutely pissed of!
    Dosn´t matter to me, if the step back if the stock-market price sinks more and more. I´m done with them.
    Adobe is´t the same since Monday. Smells cheap and ugly now.
    And now I even don´t like when Photoshop starts up.
    They once killed arrogant QuarkXPress with InDesign.
    Now I hope arrogant Adobe is killed by someone else in the market!

  52. Not paying $19.99 per month for Photoshop. Way more than I am paying with upgrades! What ‘acid’ trip were you guys on when you thought this idea up?

  53. Bonus Myth “I don’t like monthly payments and you won’t let me pay for a year all at once!”
    That´s tru: The myst is, that you don´t have to pay monthly, you don´t have to pay yearly…
    YOU HAVE TO PAY LIFELONG if you want to be able to open and print (many of) your own created files! AE, PP, InDesign and others which only can be opened with Adobe Software. And since you end your subscription you have no software to open them.
    Your only solution is, that in a few cases you can convert to non-editable formats like PDF.
    (AE & PP: NO solution!)

  54. I´m using Adobe Products since more than 22 years. I own Master Collection CS6. Ever up to date. Ever paid. Tenthousands of Euros last decades. Never a tear for the prices. Loved photoshop.

    With this decision Adobe pissed on many (no – have a look to the web: MOST long time) users – as they exactl know, there are workflows behind the Apps that can´t be changed easy. Heres a Monopolist who abuses his market power ice-cold.

    A license model where I don´t have full Access (editable) to my files after subcribtion? Or even can´t open my files in most cases? Never! For Example I guaranteed by contract, that my clients have 3 years of full access to their work/files. Thats min. EU 1800 for me now for nothing! (Stupid that this is legal!) But I think I find a solution. I don´t want to pay any cent to Adobe any longer. Adobe now is a kind of drug dealer bringing it´s sheep to dependency. Adobe isn´t any longer Adobe now. From one day to the other it smells cheap and ugly now.

    Many of us are simply in Panic how we can change our daily work. How long it will take to change our current workflows and how long it will take to find alternatives.

    But we already have workshops with clients and delivering companies here.

    This Distribution model is absolutely unacceptable!

    And many of us are that annoyed and disappointed and we want´t to know Adobe be informed about.

    They put a piece of shit into our feeding-bowl and spit on it.

    Stop CC!

    Keep CS6 alive as long as they let you and search for alternatives!

    The fact, that you can´t post negative reviews on their product pages (me and my colleagues tried at german pages, no bad “tone” – they never became visible), that you get mail, that you are not longer wanted at Adobe forums (happened to me, without doing anyone a harm) does the rest for me!

  55. Actually… I like the idea. Am I the only one on here?
    The number of users I know who repeatedly use pirate copies of the software annoys me. The ‘keygen’ population have created this subscription based software. Over the years I’ve only paid for a couple versions of photoshop. I’m currently still using the last version I bought which is CS2 back in 2004. I know an oldie, but a goodie.

    But I’m about to buy CS6. And boy am I glad I am. If CS2 has last me this long, then CS6 will undoubtedly last me just as long. Hopefully by the time I need to upgrade there might be a good alternative available. By doing this, I’m choosing not to upgrade for a while anyway.

    However for those design studios who regularly upgrade each year, surely this is ideal, ensuring each designer uses the latest apps. It won’t won’t work for me, but I can see the benefits. It addresses ADOBE’s huge issue of piracy, and reduces their production cost of disc copies. I’m going to guess that other software will follow their lead… I can see MS Office and Apple’s iWorks doing the same.

    No one likes change, especially those who like to cheat the system.
    Those that appreciate what the software is worth to them, will pay, and rightly so.

    Although, as I said, not for me right now, so CS6 purchase is imminent to avoid the creative cloud subscriptions.

    Neil

    1. If they have tools against piracy – they can also implement them in CS7! Classic distribution model! As the so called “Adobe cloud” (better named Adobe racket) is running local shouldn´t be a problem for a company which describes itself as leading. I have nothing against piracy! I would pay. But I won´t be a slave of Adobe! Won´t hire my own work after description.

      Also big agencies thinking about in which dependency Adobe will bring them with that so called “cloud” (= CS & a little bit online storage) which would better be named “Adobe racket”! Nothing to with the spirit of cloud computing… more money making with a hype!

      Also there is no need to replace the so called “cloud” (Lose your work after description) better named as “Adobe racket” as an option model!

      If you run to forums: Nearly 80-90% percent don´t like that so called “cloud” which should better be names as “Adobe racket”!

      Keep your own creations free! Don´t go to the so called…

      Keep CS6 alive along as you can and be careful with “updates”!
      Don´t trust them no longer anyway!

      Sign petition against Adobes Shareholders friendly plans:
      https://www.change.org/petitions/adobe-systems-incorporated-eliminate-the-mandatory-creative-cloud-subscription-model

      and also

      https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/ask-doj-investigate-adobe-systems-inc-recent-announcement-change-its-software-license-subscription/TfWzqjHQ

      1. Cheers for replying, and I hear your frustrations.
        Having looked around at others comments I can see this is a unpopular move for ADOBE.

        But I can see value for money here. For a single user in the UK paying just £360 per year is definitely a lot cheaper to get the latest versions of the software. I realise this is not a popular move for the home user, or non professional, but if you look at the amount of cash you have to spend to get the master collection, I see it as spreading the cost of it.

        I realise there is the huge issue of not being able to access the files when the subscription ends, and I think adobe will need to address this concern.
        But the subscription based service, I kind of have to agree with the move.
        Even still, I’m choicing to stick with CS6 for now.

        Me… I’m just a, self employed graphic designer from Yorkshire, UK. I see the subscription as just spreading the cost… Almost like installments. If I want it, I have to pay for it.

        The petitions you promote are not signed by me.
        I believe that piracy enabled non-professionals to access industry level software, and the move to a subscription service will eliminate this issue for ADOBE and establish the software as an industry exclusive option. This may help boost the graphic designers business as up-to-date software provides the latest design features.

        Regards,

        Neil

        1. Wow cencoring here! Cicked me out as rainschub… No longer wanted to post here! Great Terry White if that´s the way of Adobe!

          So here my reply:

          Me I´m professional too. Working with Adobe Tools for more than 22 years now (Master Coll. CS6 act.). Always payed. Always updated.

          I have to guaranty my clients a access to their files for a min of 3 years by contract. With the so called “cloud” model thats 2000 Eu now for me, only to open my own files.

          If they have tools against piracy – why not implement them in classical distribution? Apps are running local and are substantial the same as before!

          See no need to skip the so called “cloud” as an option.

          As long as there are no real competitors I call that forcing!

          If we don´t use petitions, how can we tell Adobe what we are thinking about them? They elsewise onl look for shareholders.

          A take one or all distribution also not very helpful. So a few will pay also for all.

          That´s it.

          1. You are ok to post here as long as you don’t engage in intimidation, name calling (sheep, etc.) and attacks of others that disagree with you. You seem to spend a lot of time here posting the same comments over and over again which leads me to believe you have other motives than just being angry about Creative Cloud. We get it! You don’t like it. You’d like to see Adobe change its policies. However, being unprofessional about it is NOT welcome here. Believe it or not not everyone feels the way you do. So yes, if you continue to violate the rules here you will continue to be blocked, your insulting comments will be deleted and you will be reported as a spammer.

          2. Can find much more aggressive words in the whole web about that fact. Believe me. And yes – I spend much time in that theme (as otheres), and I also have to spend much time in finding new workflows (like others). It´s important for me & I do my best.
            And I also think, Adobe is spending much time to tell their sights to the customers. But they did not really point out, what happens AFTER description to the cloud.
            I didn´t think I harmed anyone here. I just said what I think, and I don´t think I did that extreme. So let the others here decide if I did or not. I think I´m far a away from a so called spamer. But it´s nice to see, how Adobes handles that.
            Cicking one out with no warning – Not the right way!
            Will that be the way you handle your subcribers?

          3. Perhaps there are more aggressive words in other places on the web. However, this my blog and therefore my rules. It’s not up to “others” to decide what is acceptable here and what isn’t. Please keep your comments on a professional level. Also this is not Adobe’s blog. It’s my personal blog. You can find the adobe blogs at blogs.adobe.com There’s your 2nd warning.

          4. There was no first warning. You just simply cicked me out (Netiquette?). So this is the first. That´s the fact.
            I´m leaving by choice under this conditions.

            It´s your blog I understand. You have to decide what is to post here. And You are not Adobe infiltrated – I thought a little bit, as I saw you on Adbe TV, or? 😉

            Bye bye – you´ll never see me here again, as this is not the sense of web or real clouds!

            I think there are enough here doing my job good enough.

          5. Terry, thank you for allowing us to have this dialogue on your blog. It has been very helpful. I think it is important for people starting to use Adobe software to understand that the company has changed direction and is focusing on a more specific class of users. This discussion has made that clear to me and I will be sharing ideas and suggestions I have gleaned from it.

          6. I second moderation of such comments. I’ve done my share of moderation, and when dialog turns into personal attack, it’s time to shut it down. I come to these forums to look for insights and issues that aren’t covered in the mainstream media. I look for users stories, experiences, and “on the ground” insights. We all have opinions, but in a professional forum, there is a way to present them and there is a line that should not be crossed. Reading such comments is also a tremendous waste of time for those of us scanning comments looking for real, useful information.

          7. Huh? Where are my personal attacks? I didn´t harm anyone here personally, or? I was cicked out of this threat by Mr Terry Lee White without any warning (Netiquete?). The only thing I did, was writing the sentence “…if Adobe has brought enough sheep in it´s cloud” (or somewhat similar…). I didn´t name anyone a sheep. Also excused for that, if I did harm anyone with this comment. It´s not very easy, to keep a serious tone, when you have a look to Adobes behavior but I try (The last statement of the CEO was, that it is OK for him, to lose nearby half of the users, and he knows of the concerns – Look at CNET: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-57589987-92/adobe-ceo-were-off-to-a-good-start-with-subscriptions-q-a/).
            So your post is made to a statement, where I can´t see any misbehavior of mine. Please can you describe exactly what´s not OK in your eyes??

          8. I was really referring to the change in tone of this entire stream of comments. It was not directed to anyone in particular. Sorry if it came out that way.

          9. No offence meant.

            But you also have to notice, that there are many outside, who trusted in Adobe for many years (22 in my case). Build up workflows. Invested in PlugIns. Invested time in learning their software.

            Now we are confronted with a absolute unacceptable solution. We are also confronted with a company not giving any answers to all the concerns.

            So it´s really hard to keep the correct tone, as there are so many half-truth arguments or “cleared myths” around. And some of the myth tried to be mollified above are strange stuff to the professionals. You only have to read this threat or others.

          10. I have found your comments helpful, Hero. Thank you. I am one of those customers, apparently, no longer wanted by Adobe and it stings. I am a writer, primarily, but I do digital art and stock photography on the side. I can see from the tone of posts made by company representatives and employees that people like me are disposable. I write reviews for people like me–the folks who drive the semi-pro SLR market. I have found this thread fascinating and appreciate Hero’s contributions. I share his disappointment with this company.

          11. PS.: I didn´t call anyone a sheep! I meant it in a way how Adobe seems to see it´s users… For me that´s different. If I have to excuse my – Here it is: There are no sheeps outside. Excuse me!

  56. Myst 7: Adobe is thinking about a Lifetime Payment
    Why there isn´t a option beside monthly/yearly payment called “pay liftime”.
    As nothing else it is: If you don´t want to loose (Full!) access to your own created files you have to pay lifelong.
    As long as there are no real competitors it´s lifetime dependency and forcing customers!
    So please, make a (little bit cheaper) “I pay my lifetime” option also available and I will subscribe as the next slave to the so called “cloud” (better should be named “Adobe Racket”)!

  57. Beginning of a rental economy strategy where we get all the life we can afford on their terms and no more. Under threat that an upgrade will happen making your own work useless or functionally inaccessible. Already finding significant difficulty in sending PDF files as attachments with solution offered being to join their cloud and paying for something I used to be able to easily do with Claris. Adobe has always seemed inclined to invasive control to me. Losing a faithful customer here for over fifteen years.

  58. I refuse to be held ransom by Adobe. When I buy software I own it – end of story. Time to move on.

  59. If I understand this whole issue correctly, it is akin to the difference between owning a car and leasing it. If I own a car, I can drive it until it falls apart, which could be many years if i don’t drive it much and take care of it. This works fine especially for people like me who are not making much. Seems like Adobe is telling us that we can drive our owned car, but it won’t work for long because the gasoline formula is changing and won’t work with out owned cars for long. So we are forced to lease their car with the premise that we can get any car on the lot every month. But if we cannot afford the lease fee, we will be without a car completely! Adobe says we can always stop the lease payments and go back to our old car, but may have compatibility problems and won’t be able to drive it anyway.

    I certainly hope that the overwhelming negative reactions will cause Adobe to rethink this draconian plan.

    I like many others whose remarks I read, cannot afford to pay a monthly fee. I can can only try and save for upgrades every few years, and even those are difficult to do.

    I suppose that if this deal does go through as planned, many users will have to use their existing programs until they are no longer compatible with files others are creating and thus will quietly shut down their computers and walk away…

    1. Yes, but there are other companies and if many of us encourage them with our business they will innovate and overtake Adobe in time.

  60. Wow, you failed to address the actual problems with this harebrained scheme. You sound more like an Adobe flack than an objective analyst.

    If I pay $50 every month for Photoshop for the next ten years … that’s $6000, folks — and then I stop paying — I can no longer use any version of the software on my existing images.

    Today, if I’m on CS3 or PS7 or whatever, that software will work forever. It doesn’t have all the latest bells and whistles, but the old versions are plenty good for a lot of people and a lot of purposes.

    But now, the moment I stop paying, I no longer have any image processing software. I pay Adobe $6k and have nothing to show for it.

    Consumers are not going to accept this. And if they do — they’re fools.

      1. Not if your current software is a Creative Suite, and that’s too much anyway. My old version still works and will keep working.

  61. First off, Myth #4 fails to address the issue. Yes, if I used the Adobe Cloud for the next ten years and then quit I would still have my files, but what could I do with them? Do you suggest I re-save all of my files as CS6 and try to locate a working CS6 license in 2023 and a computer that can still run it? The problem isn’t access to the files, it’s that the files themselves are useless without renting the software from Adobe. It’d be like ending your Apple iTunes account and having all of your MP3s turn into 8-track tapes.

    With this move, Adobe is cutting off viability of their software for all but the professionals. I largely use Adobe products to serve the photographic, page layout, and web needs of a non-profit theater organization which could not afford the fees for me to have access to them. They could have aforded a one-time purchase amortized over many years, but not a monthly cost. Thankfully I already have a license for the CS6 Suite through my day job (who, incidentally, would also likely balk at the idea of paying Adobe a monthly fee for me to be able to do my job), but if I was just getting started there would be no options. Adobe has a monopoly here – can you name me one print shop that would accept a Scribus file in place of an InDesign file, or a GIMP file in place of a PSD?

    The Adobe Cloud is a poor attempt by Adobe to squeeze money out of people with no alternatives, to stop piracy with a nuclear bomb, and to shove those not making money on their work out of the marketplace entirely.

  62. Few people ever considered any of these 5 myths an issue. The issue most have is trying to tell us $600 annually is somehow cheaper then what we used to pay to upgrade. And the then inexperienced Adobe user/writer goes onto explain the price $1200 a year is what we used to pay. The reality is most users only need to upgrade at the $375 rate on what was a 18 month upgrade cycle. The Creative Cloud Subscription system is being used to wipe out that long time userbase and returning them to paying $900 over 18 months. Your article is nothing more then regurgitated bullshit like the rest. Most people don’t need or want every single app Adobe makes.

  63. Few people ever considered any of these 5 myths an issue. The issue most have is trying to tell us $600 annually is somehow cheaper then what we used to pay to upgrade. And the then inexperienced Adobe user/writer goes onto explain the price $1200 a year is what we used to pay. The reality is most users only need to upgrade at the $375 rate on what was a 18 month upgrade cycle. The Creative Cloud Subscription system is being used to wipe out that long time userbase and returning them to paying $900 over 18 months. Your article is nothing more then regurgitated bullshit like the rest. Most people don’t need or want every single app Adobe makes.

  64. Pingback: Anonymous
  65. Why can’t we still buy the products separately?
    I don’t care about any of that other stuff, I just want Flash. I animate for fun not business, now my hobby will cost me £50 a month.
    It’s not happening.
    The only people this helps is big buisnesses, you are cutting off the little guy and that sucks hard.

  66. Let’s see….. CC at $600 per year. That’s $6,000 for ten years. What a deal
    $12,000 for 20 years
    $60,000 for 50 years
    For software!!!!! And they only give you 20gb. They should be giving unlimited storage for these prices!!!
    You have to be kidding.
    $100 a year and Adobe would be making a fortune, but this is just plain greed!!!!

  67. I work for a relatively large company, we just upgraded to CS6 and I can tell you our IT and production departments were scrambling for two weeks trying to work out all our system issues and this is with perpetual licenses. We cannot afford to be down because of constant upgrades that might impact our systems. If this should happen, I’m guessing Adobe is going to have lots of headaches and complaints from the corporate world. I have a feeling, these users are going to be the deciding factor in Adobe’s profitability world. I wonder how many of them see this as cutting into their bottom-line profitability? Careful … Adobe, putting all your eggs in one basket, like JC Penney did … backfired on them, and they haven’t been able to turn things around.

    1. Excellent point! Even for independent contractors working on tight deadlines this sort of thing is a big problem.

  68. Maybe Adobe changed their minds about Myth #5. Last fall when I looked into going to the cloud I specifically asked about being forced to upgrade. I asked the chat support person the exact same question “When the new version comes out, will I have to upgrade, or will I be able to stay with the old version” 5 times. She hem-hawed around until I pasted the same question for the 5th time and she finally said “Yes, I would have to upgrade.” So either she was wrong, Adobe has changed their mind about that topic, or they’re saying that to get people to buy into the cloud. What are you going to do when they force you to upgrade? I suggest actually reading those “terms of use agreements” when you sign up.

  69. I was looking to upgrade to CS6, curious about the Creative could. I read more complaints than compliments… Sorry Adobe, prefer to stay with my older version and keep emailing and copying files to my pendrive. It may be promising but I am unable to hit a monthly toll with a bill for my work.

  70. Explain to me how I create content with the Cineware plugin in CC and then save it back to CS6 so I can open it if I decide to stop subscription payments?

    REALLY! Anyone. Tell me how that works and I’ll quit opposing this

  71. I have to admit, I’ll likely sign up for the first discounted year. But I have great hope that the up and coming new app makers will come from behind and change the market forever. Adobe needs to prepare to extend the discount, or face a Quark like future.

  72. I was looking into upgrading Lightroom and planned to purchase PhotoShop at the same time. I was unaware of the switch to Creative Cloud until I started to purchase PhotoShop. I don’t purchase subscription services unless I plan to use them extensively. Since I’m just a casual user, I only upgrade my software every 3-5 years. Not only did Adobe lose a sale on Photoshop tonight, but I’m now looking to replace LightRoom before it’s consumed by the subscription model. I realise the loss of my occasional purchases won’t impact Adobe. However, with more companies going to subscription models (tv, movies, music, video games, etc), consumers will start making decisions to drop the services they use infrequently. Companies will find it’s more difficult to grow their business because consumers will be required to make commitments and companies will lose occasional and impulse shoppers. Adobe should take a close look at the experiences that NetFlix has had and the difficulting they’ve had maintaining subscription customers long term.

    1. Excellent points. I’m with you. I’m not buying a new version. I’ll be looking elsewhere. There are great suggestions in this thread. You and I aren’t their major customers, but I have been a regular customer for a long time and I write reviews for people like us. There are a lot of people like us. Just ask the camera manufacturers.

  73. Terry: It’s the price that gets me. I get the Microsoft Office suite for ten bucks a month. Adobe’s products are probably better, but five times better? Come on, 20 – 25 bucks a month is a lot more realistic.

    I feel like I’m being screwed! But I love Adobe’s products and will stay as long as I can. I can’t deduct my “rent” and don’t know how long I can last.

    Bob

    1. Bob, I understand your concerns, but it’s also not just the tools. Most people overlook the fact they are getting services that in many cases they are already paying monthly for without question. With the full Creative Cloud membership you’re also getting:
      20GB of online storage space
      Access to $20,000 worth of both Web and Desktop fonts with TypeKit
      Exclusive Online Training
      Unlimited iPad App Creation with DPS SE (formerly $395 per app)
      Behance Prosite professional, customizable portfolio site ($100/yr value)
      Web hosting with analytics for up to 5 websites
      Both Mac and Windows versions for the same price.

      When you factor in the above it’s not just all the tools for $50/month.

      1. WOW! How cheap… How cheap…

        If there is enough money after eating all that yummies and all that coffee…

        I get everything I don´t need with the apps I need…

        Google and friends are throwing their storage away for nothing and I don´t like another cloud from another mythy company.

        What I don´t get is the full access to all my loved files. After subscription – as myths 4 is only the half-truth.

        What I don´t get is freedom of chice in the future….

        What I get are may other companies following (monthly fee in the end? Apple, MS, Autodesk….)
        Adobe is running out of real innovation and so they try to bind some of their customers. That´s it in short.
        They bought all their Apps (is there any which was developed by Adobe itself???). They even were not able to synchronize them completely. All the tools and GUIS are different even after 10 years or longer after introducing their “suites”.
        No, my friend. I think you worked to long at Adobe. And it´s the thing with the woods and the trees.
        I hope, not too many users don´t think that to the (bitter) end.

        Good luck to all the others and enough money to print your files!

      2. However, I don’t want those services.

        Do the majority of current CS customers actually want those services, and have purchased them in the past?

        20GB of online storage space would cost about $1.90/month from amazon S3.
        The most expensive subscription to TypeKit is $8/month.
        A Behance Prosite is $8.25/month.
        Webhosting – $4.50/month

        Hey, I’ll make a deal, you take away all these “services” (~$22.65 worth of stuff), and whatever the value is of “exclusive online training” and iPad App Creation, (let’s say $4/month each), and let me get CS for $19.34/month.

      3. However, I don’t want those services.

        Do the majority of current CS customers actually want those services, and have purchased them in the past?

        20GB of online storage space would cost about $1.90/month from amazon S3.
        The most expensive subscription to TypeKit is $8/month.
        A Behance Prosite is $8.25/month.
        Webhosting – $4.50/month

        Hey, I’ll make a deal, you take away all these “services” (~$22.65 worth of stuff), and whatever the value is of “exclusive online training” and iPad App Creation, (let’s say $4/month each), and let me get CS for $19.34/month.

  74. Welcome to the brave new world of the cloud. Where only the cloud and internet service providers make money. Get used to it.

    Adobe isn’t the first to do this, expect most of the software vendors to follow in the next 3 to 5 years. Microsoft has already pulled their small business products. Intuit is maybe two years away. Right now there is little price competition, five years from now??

    In my particular case, the pricing will be about a wash. Though I wouldn’t mind an option to prepay a year for perhaps a 10% discount. The current prepay option is for 49.99 * 12 or 599.88 which make little financial sense to me.

    1. I think it depends on how much you earn using the software. If I must, I will pay for a Microsoft subscription, since I am a writer. I can see that, for graphic art studios, the CC makes sense. It will be an individual decision. Some hobbyists, I am sure, will sign on just because it is more expensive than the competition. (The Starbucks Effect)

    1. If you are not making $50 a month to stay in business, you don’t need CC you need a real job…..

      1. huh!

        It´s the arrogan… of Adobes tone…

        Brrrr.

        By the way… I make my 400.000$ a year but I will NEVER EVER subscribe to this BS taking my freedom of choice, taking my file access after subscribtion, making me a Beta-Tester…

        Will a company, whos clients pay all the month make great updates (not so buggy as in the past)????

        NEVER!

        We already found some alternatives & I think within a year or two all of our workflows will have changed.

        Bad things have to be punished.

        I hope the 10% down at stock market already will go on!

        Seems some analysts are informing themselves and not only reading the sugar glossy BS announcements…

        1. Adobe Systems Inc. (ADBE; $43.94) reported second-quarter profits that exceeded analysts’ estimates. Subscribers continue to sign up for
          Adobe’s cloud computing services, with the company adding 221,000 Creative Cloud subscribers last quarter for a total of 700,000.

          Adobe faces a fearsome competitor for cloud computing services in Oracle Corp., but many analysts are upgrading Adobe stock because of the potential for a billion-dollar recurring revenue stream. The mean target price for Adobestock is $47.67 per share, with a high target of $58.

          1. Let´s wait and see…

            (Some analysits also call Adobes business reports terrible minimalistic and not very satisfying for the moment ;)….
            And it would not be the first time, analysts failed ;)…

            As their self set estimations are set very low (for their Wall Street Friends), may be they reach their 1.25 K of “Cloudies”.
            May be. Hope not.
            I think the 700.000 users who already got blue-eyed into dependency (lost their full, editable file access in case of quitting, what´s like a kind of slavery) are not the best number to point out that this “overwhelming” solution is a big success.
            Isn´t it more a sign that this distribution is NOT WANTED?
            But Adobe uses all it´s “creativity” to paint the cloud as pink as possible.

            NOTICE:

            Thats ONLY lower than 6% !!!!!!! of their total 12.5 Mio users WITHIN A YEAR. And under the condition, that they do everything, to press and force you into this horrible “cloud”. Not pointing out all the Negs of their “solution”, telling half-truth or worse. Killing the “as option” possibility, when they could foresee, that they will never reach their targets without that.
            ONLY 6% under the condition, that there are big discounts for former users, which soon will end.
            Every bet: If they can foresee, that they will not reach their self set low target of 1.25 K till the 1st of December, you can see other big discounts or “cloud” bundeled with products (as cameras) or small solution to mollify the concerns of big PS Hobbyists community they angered.

            EVERY BET ALSO

            that prices will raise (I think the timeline is mid/end 2014). Their “Cath Cloudies” Period will and must end in a near future, For the moment they have big loses of income with their “change”. The lower the amount of Cloudies, the higher the prices for that. Simple math. And they have to raise, if they want to raise their revenue. There soon will be no longer income for them by CS buyers. Also the discounts for former users will end soon.
            I would be carefull to get into a “no way out solution” (losing my full, editable file access in case of quitting subscription – hiring your own archive) under this conditions.
            Wonder if ALL Cloudies will stay, when prices raise double, triple or what ever.
            But time will tell.

            ONLY…

            if they do not reach their Wall-Street Targets, they will change anything.
            It doesn´t matter to them, if they lose their face to us.
            But to Wall Street…
            (They jumped to the first place of my most hated software developers from one day – may 6th – to the other. And not only mine.)
            Do you heard/read any reaction from Adobe, which shows, that they are listening anyway to all this concerns? Or more comments like “…some are not ready for the cloud…”

            THEY CAN´T BUY

            all the competitors in the marketing business (like they did in the graphical business). There are many (better and bigger) sharks in the pool here, And also: Things are changing much faster. So yes, Oracle is an big competitor.
            And there are many, many others also.

            Adobe is also very late with it´s decisions to get an part of the cake. Their acquisitions seem aimless threw the last month… Do they have a doubt about, what their “cloud” will become in future?
            In my eyes Adobe is seen much to big at stock markets for the moment.
            Wonder why.
            But let´s see….

            MY SUGGESTION

            Keep CS6 alive, as long as you can!
            Remember it´s still good and stable.
            Make it the Win XP of Adobe.
            Do you really need the cloud-gimmicks?
            Compare ratings at Adobe Website to those on Amazon (but be careful, it seems some stars are written by Adobe 😉
            ———-
            CC = Cash Cow = Terminating the word “Archive” in digital future = Lifelong dependency = NoGo = Never

          2. I also think, Adobe is a little bit “miss-informing” markets for the moment. Telling a little bit half-truth as to their users too.
            This could be punished. At market and from users.
            A Membership board, selling out it´s Stock (Google -> Insider Trades, Adobe) also not a good sign…
            Or?

      2. $50 a month X 5 employees = $250 a month (vs. going for well over a year with NO payment a month, then updating only when I want.

        For small businesses that need to worry about overhead, healthcare, keeping the lights on, etc. An extra $250 a month is not something to sneeze about. Sure in the long run it may be about the same – its all about having the power of spending my money when I want: (before fiscal year-end when I have a good handle on how business did for the year and can make the decision to upgrade to help my taxes if I want). Plus Graphic Design (at least for me) is very seasonal. Marketing Departments want to use up all their annual budget before year-end, otherwise they wont get the same amount the next year. November and December are extremely busy for us as all sorts of projects fly our way. Summer = very slow as all the Marketing VPs are on vacation. Being able to upgrade during the Peaks is definitely a help to cash flow – versus having to pay monthly during the Peaks and Valleys.

        I realize this is the way of the future. Im surprised it took this long. The founder of Oracle was talking about this sort of thing years ago. He sees a future where no one will own ANY of their software – and even the lowly word processor will need to be rented.

  75. It’s almost like Adobe is some sort of… business, trying to make, what is it… money. They’re not a charity and this move makes them far more accessible for the amateurs and up-and-comers while pushing some of their less frequently used apps onto even the pros. The whining is unwarranted. Start your own enormous great software company and never change if you REALLY think they’re wrong. Personally I love it, wish it were cheaper, but I also wish everything else were cheaper too.

    1. and I wish you always enough money to have full access to your creations, for print outs and so on.
      Oh it´s so great what these nice guys at Adobe have done. So great. Even the door-opening for others to follow… So great. And how helpful that comment “Do your own startup…” – I even don´t thought about that… thanks a lot will rapidly do… Or should I wait till I can buy Adobe for one dollar?
      Hm, Better drinking a Latte at Starbucks and eat some yummies… Think I can wait…

    2. I don’t think this is good for amateurs or semi-pros at all! It only makes sense for full-time highly successful graphic arts professionals with an established group of reliable clients. That cuts out a lot of us, at least some of the time. If you are really an amateur and you want to be able to access the work you do, the CC is probably not the best idea. It will have many features you do not need. Try Elements instead. You can buy it off the shelf. It will support your new camera. Just be sure to save your work to a type of file that can be read by other company’s software. They may put Elements on the Cloud too. Then you would have to move to something else.

  76. And here is the new overwhelming great solution from MS: Winidoofs most creative cloud.

    Nothing changed, but you´ll get 1 gb of online store and a few other useless gimmicks (….and we can name it “cloud” that way).

    And all that for a little monthly fee of $50!!!

    No longer great barrier to use winidoofs and your PC!

    Always get automatic updates like Pissta or winidoofs 8 (without the possibility to aware!)

    It´s so absolutely great. So sugar glossy (BS)!

    The small print:

    Winidoofs will connect to your bank account and when there is enough money it will start up. Else not.

    Yes, we have access to all your cloud files and can do what we like with them. Even we can cut the access. But we will not do… may be… trust us…

    You will never lose full editable access to your files (as long as you pay)

    No, there are not so many Apps (in most cases none) that can read and FULLY edit your creations. We tried to not tell you this. Xuse, that we don´t pointed out better.

    No, we are not longer motivated to do updates (we never were a lot), as you will have to pay anyway.

    And yes, we will not longer sell other packaged OS, as we indirectly promised a few month ago when we said, that our latest OS will be the last upgradeable.

    Yes, you will always have to upgrade your hardware if we decide, it´s necessary. Elswise you can use our provided old version (we will not give our non subscribing long time users) but you have to pay for the latest. Sorry for that.
    Ehm, and, yes, you are a kind of Beta-Tester in future. Ehm, and we don´t give any warranty for anything. Ehm, good luck (May be our new updates – if they ever come to table – will not break any workflow like in the past. And if: Now you can be sure it hurts all users not only that, who installed first).

    No, YOU don´t have to decide if it´s good for you or not. So it´s not an option any longer. It´s a must you must like.

    Yes, it´s right, we bought also the competitor with the hooked fruit and all the others, so we are a monopolist right now. But you have enough choices to go to. So take it or not.

    No, we are not listening to any concerns.

    And we even don´t care about you.

  77. Terry I admire you for keep your responses professional considering.

    Its easy to see that anyone who cares enough about a product or a company is going to respond to change positivity or negativity publicly.

    A thought:

    There are “500,000 new users on CC” now? That’s a hit in the record industry.

    We all know this: Adobe can’t be all things to everyone forever, it’s business and in business survival depends on change whether we like it or not.

    1. Exactly. In business everything is allowed.
      Survival counts.
      Dosn´t matter if the users like it or not.

      hm hm hm

      Keep your response professional. I would also suggest.
      Hm Yummie.and an other one. Hm.

      1. Yes, and creatives who have long been loyal customers, and have contributed much to Adobe’s growth now have the power to contribute to the growth and development of other companies. I will continue to enjoy my older CS Suite. It does everything I need it to. I understand from this that customers like me are considered valueless by Adobe. It is good to know where we stand. I will include this information in future reviews so others will know too before they create files they will not be able to access in the future.

    2. But in the record industry, I will NOT have to shell out every month to listen to my song.

  78. You said “You’re going to be pestered once a month to make sure you’ve paid your “Adobe bill”.” when having the creative cloud does not involve being pestered by any bill. It’s auto-paid, so no pestering and no bill. I call auto-pay bills bills that pay themselves because it’s taken care of without me ever having to worry about it. It’s a bill, over course it involves money leaving my account, otherwise it would be called stealing.

    If you don’t like the idea of paying every month, then pay annually. If you don’t like either, then say you don’t like paying regularly and buy CS6 (if you haven’t already). Don’t complain about a bill if your issue isn’t will the bill.

    1. You have to validate it every month even if you paid for a full year. What the hell are you talking about? and the CS6 excuse. So you want people to buy CC or use CS6 for the rest of their lives. After a few years the function gap would be unbridgeable and Adobe will succeed in its manipulative efforts of taking over their customers’ software choice and suck all the money outta thier “not-so-deep” pockets

      1. I’ve had it for months and if there’s some monthly validation, I’m not aware of it. The solution isn’t CS6 for the rest of your life. If most people use CS6 and never upgrade to the cloud, then Adobe will not see enough profit off of the cloud and change their minds. This is a suggestion for protest while continuing your work. If you don’t like the cloud, you have options. But I don’t see why they have to involve being rude to me. Aside from being a customer, I have no ties whatsoever to Adobe; I’m a freelance web designer in the US working for a client in the UK.

        1. Jacquilyn just graduated a couple years ago and what’s sad is that many of the “satisfied” users of CC are students or newly graduated designers. For them, it’s an opportunity to try out many different Adobe programs without having to put out a big upfront fee. Unfortunately, they can’t really imagine themselves as paying out huge amounts of money over a potentially 50 year career. Adobe is doing their best to brainwash the young that this is a fair way for Adobe to be compensated for their IP.

          Nor do the younger artists recognize that within a relatively short period of time, their artwork may become as inaccessible as the old 78 records of the 50s or the 8 tracks of the 70s, particularly if Adobe fails to thrive as a company. Nor can these these young artists imagine they can incur financial responsibilities of home and family which come with middle and older age where they can no longer afford the CC subscription. It’s pretty much of a Trojan horse which is bound to eventually damage their ability to access their art.

          It’s fine for Adobe to say that artists can save their artwork in CS6 and be able access it 20 years from now, but is that true? None of us can run CS on the computers of the1990s. Once this generation of computers goes the way of the old “record players” none of this artwork is going to be available unless designers have kept paper copies. Even if Adobe users didn’t update their Adobe programs regularly in the past, none of us are still using syquest drives and floppies– we gradually moved our files as we upgraded our computers. Now it looks like we are all going to be stuck in 2013 technology, unless some other company moves in with software that will allow us to convert our adobe files into their formats and move forward with their software capacities.

          Though there’s a lot of people who have signed up for CC, reading over the reviews at the Adobe website, it seems that the more naive and inexperienced users are the most pleased. Older and more experienced users who usage is focused on just a few programs seem far less impressed.

          1. Yes, I lack imagination and the ability to do basic math, that’s why I’m a creative professional and a small business owner.

            And yes the PSD file format is the same as physical storage devices, because there aren’t programs like GIMP that can read PSD files if you really really need something to open them with and Adobe is unavailable. And adobe hasn’t said they will fix this problem, sure.

            Again, yes software changes = hardware changes. And when you make these changes, there’s never a way to transfer data. And PS CS6 can’t open files from PS7 yeah, you keep telling yourself that version compatibility is the biggest problem ever.

            Yeah, using PS for over a decade makes me inexperienced. Deciding to take advantage of the deal adobe offer when I signed up for the CC makes me naive, more so than decided when the deal is over I will drop them like a hot potato if they don’t offer any plans but buy everything. And liking newer versions of software? Well that just makes down right dumb.

            (Sorry, couldn’t help the sarcasm. You’re just pissed because you can’t control Adobe and since Adobe won’t listen to you, you’re taking out on me. I understand, but I really don’t care. Rant all you want, it won’t hurt my feelings.)

  79. I do not like this new cloud thing. For one thing, it’s more expensive after the special pricing ends. Then, you will have to pay who knows how much. I understand that If you cancel the subscription, you no longer have any of the apps or programs to use. I suggest that upper level Adobe personnel read these comments.

  80. RE: Bonus Myth “I don’t like monthly payments and you won’t let me pay for a year all at once!”
    Thanks for clearing this up. It’s a shame that the Adobe sales people have no clue about their product. I actually was on hold for 45 minutes to speak with a sales rep who had no clue about the product offerings. When I asked him about paying for it all at once he said that it couldn’t be done.

  81. For years friends and colleagues have complained about the terrible expense involved in owning Adobe’s software. Personally, I’ve owned every version of Photoshop since 5.0 and every version of Premiere since 5.1, and I’ve owned every major (x.0) version of Creative Suite Production Premium.

    I always defended Adobe’s expensive pricing because I attributed it to piracy. I thought they were making up for the drag of stolen software by passing along that price to paying customers. And I was more than willing to pay the “pirate tax” to support the developers of such an awesome product.

    But Creative Cloud is difficult, if not impossible to pirate since it requires monthly check-ins with the Adobe servers for the software to continue working, to receive updates, etc.

    Creative Cloud, by its very nature, cannot be pirated, so Adobe isn’t losing money there. But it’s still priced at “pirate tax” levels.
    There is no perpetual license, so CC users can never actually own the software they pay for.
    Even if development is slower than anticipated, is substandard or ceases altogether, CC users will still be forced to continually pay for the subscription in order to work with their most recent Adobe-format files.

    I have a difficult time justifying paying so much for a product I can never own, a product that has no guarantee of being what I want in the future, but that I must continue paying toward in order to continue working with my most recent files. Sorry, but I’m going to be investigating any possible alternatives and continuing to use CS6.

    1. Well said. I am in the same boat. I really wouldn’t be surprised if we see Adobe EVENTUALLY doing an about face on this – it may take awhile. That, or piracy will be ramped up by people wanting to fight Adobe – I imagine they have had to greatly step up their security systems.

  82. I live in a foreign country and do not have full banking rights – no automatic payments, no credit cards. If I were to pay monthly, the transfer fee would US$20 on top of the US$50 sub. for Photoshop and Premiere – US$70 p/month for two programs? Plus, it takes on average 30 minutes in the bank to complete such a transaction – not to mention the paperwork and being stung further by currency conversion. I could pay upfront making the whole deal less tedious, but for something I don’t have a perpetual licence for? Terry, can you see how some of us don’t fit Adobe’s mold?

    1. Yes, some will never fit Adobe’s mold no matter what the mold is. Just like those that have told me for years that they could never come up with the price Adobe is charging for single applications, let alone suites. There is always the option to buy a pre-paid card if you can’t do monthly payments.

      1. That would still incur $80.00+ worth of annual costs over and above purchasing the card – along with the time spent doing paperwork and waiting at the bank for confirmation. I can’t sit in my comfy chair and fling money around via Internet banking like a North American. All I want is to choose which versions I want and when – if I want to sit on software such as Adobe CS6 Production Premium for three or four years that should be my choice. Those days are over it seems.

        It also seems a shame that you as a photographer are not more supportive of those of us who feel Adobe’s plan is aimed at well-heeled pro’s paying in U.S. dollars – how long has Adobe given you free subs for? One, two years? I don’t mean this spitefully, but can you disclose your agreement?

        1. So when someone doesn’t agree with you (support your cause), it then becomes an attack right?

          I’m an Adobe employee as it’s clearly stated in my About Page. Even if I wasn’t I wouldn’t have a problem with the subscription model as I use many of the Adobe tools and see value in the offering beyond the tools. I dont’ have a problem with people that DON’T feel that way, why is that you have a problem with people that do?

          Sounds like you’d be paying the $80 based on your location no matter what you bought, so I’m not sure the relevance there. Do you get changed the $80 to buy a perpetual license? or upgrade? Are there no local resellers where you live selling the pre-paid cards?

          1. Terry, I don’t have a problem with people who think Adobe’s new plan is workable and offers value – Adobe employees naturally seem very enthusiastic about this new corporate model – but they are the ones this was tailor-made for: it’s free for them, or they can afford US$50+ p/month for the rest of their creative life – that’s US$24,000+ if you have 40 years of creative living left.

            And no, I didn’t incur banking charges when I bought boxed Adobe software because it was bought off the shelf. Now I can’t do that. It looks like in the future I will be back to my Sony Vegas licence and Capture One Pro.

            Oh well, I am just an old-fashioned ‘little guy’ after all – you know, one of the strange ones who likes to have install disks and the shiny box in which they came, and being able to use ‘my’ software for years without threat. But hey, I’d be happy with perpetual licence downloads of future Adobe releases, ‘No, says Adobe’.

            Enjoy your alliance with Adobe – I hope it continues to bear fruit.

            Yours sincerely, Lost Customer.

  83. I love the fact that when I buy a Canon 5D MK5 I won’t be able to open the files because ACR10.8 won’t work with CS6. I will either have to go to one of Adobe’s competitors or subscribe – Capture One here I come!

    1. If you bought a 5D MK5 you would be able to use the FREE Adobe DNG converter and open those RAW files in Photoshop as far back as Photoshop 7.

      1. DNG is slow as molasses and a PITA. You could use Canon software to download and convert to TIFF, or you could pick up the latest Elements. They upgrade camera RAW support.

  84. I upgraded to one of the CS6 suites and it cost me $375. Amortized over 3 years, that’s a little over $10/month. Compare that to the $49.99 CC would cost over 3 years, you come up with over $1400 MORE for CC. Multiply that by 3 licenses, and we’re talking over $4200. (Corel has made a discount available to CS4-6 owners who want to switch to their products.)
    Frankly, I’ve never had anyone come to pick up a print and say, “Wow, this looks great. You must be on the Creative Cloud.”
    Let’s get real… CC is great for those who collaborate, and it is a poor business choice for those who do not. One CS6 no long does what I need it to, I’ll be buying another product (probably Corel’s products.)
    As to LR5… I’m glad they made this a stand alone option. However, my studio already has licenses for 3 other products that do about the same thing as LR. So, we’re already to switch of Adobe ever moves LR5 to a subscription based product.
    I’m in business to make money and having the latest-and-greatest of anything cost money. Money-in minus money-out equals profit. And, as long as my quality is of a high standard, my clients could give a flip whether I’m using Adobe products or something else. In fact, they don’t know and they don’t care, but my balance sheet does.

    1. ‘CC is great for those who collaborate, and it is a poor business choice for those who do not.’

      That’s on the nose. Adobe’s acquisition of Behance pointed towards that for sure. I’m currently collaborating with nobody. CC essentially doubles the annual cost of the former CS Suite for me, with little benefit.

      I need InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop and none of the rest. But I know that I will have to open CC InDesign files at some point, so Adobe has many of us by the short hairs.

      1. I question whether CC is feasible for large projects due to bandwidth restrictions for most Internet connections. A 2mbps (2*1024*1024 bits/second) upload speed to the internet means it is going to take 4 seconds per megabyte (8*1024*1024). That’s 4096 second per gigabyte, or about 1 hour 15 minutes per gigabyte.
        I think I would rather have gigabit speeds on my own LAN and have everything hosted locally on servers than have to go back and forth to the Internet to access the CC.

        1. According to the article, the software and your work reside on your computer as always, once you download the programs. You can store files online if you want to, but that is not required.

          1. That’s true about the software, I’m talking about project files. If you have a gigabyte project file, you’d be waiting 1 hour 15 minutes per exchange on a 2 mbps link.

      1. I’m still using LR, but I have been using ACDsee for years before LR came along. I find ACDsee much better for file and folder handling. LR doesn’t let you move things around on your hard drive like ACDsee.
        I also use DxO Optics Pro as its noise reduction works much better than LR.
        Recently a friend suggested I try AfterShot (Corel). I only loaded it a couple of days ago, but it supports layers which is impressive.

        1. Thank you! That’s great! I move pictures around and use external drives, which I disconnect, so LR was terminally confused. I’ve been using Bridge, which works fine, but these sound even better.

  85. I don’t like this change but I feel once consumers vote with their wallets and pocketbooks, things will fall in line. That’s all you have to do. If Adobe sees more people buying Adobe CS6 over CC, then I can bet you’ll see a CS7 in about 2 years.

  86. microsoft offers office 365, good on up to five machines, 20gb of storage, and all for only $99 a year. whats so special about adobe they have to charge 5 times more for a package most people will only use three parts of?

    if there was a package for desktop publishing – indesign, illustrator and photoshop for 29 a month that would be about fair. but if i want all three i pay either 60 a month for the three individual licenses or 50 a month for those three applications and a bunch i’ll never install or ever need.

    i’m sticking with cs6 for as long as i can. most printshops are still using 5 or 6 and the idea of creating something in indesign cc and then having to save back to cs6 so i can get it printed and losing who knows what in formatting and type control is a headache i can live without.

    can i even save a cc indesign file back to cs5 in one step? or c4?

    1. Yes InDesign CC can save an IDML file that opens in CS6, CS5 and CS4 (in one step)

      1. That’s what he’s saying, I think. CC files might be more advanced than the files clients are actually using, especially if businesses, designers, and photographers balk en masse, Then, if you created a file in a more advanced CC format, you would have to save it to an earlier version to work with a client and lose effects you included.

    1. Find no one.
      Looking for alternatives.
      Don´t pay fees.
      OWN the right to use the software as long as you want.
      OWN the right to use your own creations
      (without paying for the usage of your archive after subscription)
      Also be happy.

      1. Philosophy ftw!

        Better stop paying for that cell phone bill while you’re at it. Don’t want Verizon “owning” your camera phone pictures when you cancel your plan!

  87. Point #4 is not really a “myth”, as much as you simply named some workarounds, which are extremely inconvenient to users. Seriously, at the end of a CC subscription, who has the time or energy to re-save possibly hundreds or thousands of files into older legacy formats? I am assuming that CC defaults to saving in a new, non-backwards compatible format, as with previous versions of Adobe apps.

    While users may still have their files, there are very few if any apps that can read Adobe’s proprietary formats … especially if we include all layers, effects, etc. So basically you are left orphaned and alone.

  88. Hi, Terry. I have heard a number of people concerned about language in the license agreement that gives Adobe the right to modify the software at any time they wish. It sounds as if Adobe is claiming the right to modify software already downloaded onto an individual’s computer(s) without their permission or even, potentially, without their knowledge. At least, that’s the way it’s being interpreted when the question has been raised. Would you care to comment on this?

    1. That really isn’t anything new. Software companies reserve the right to modify their software, fix bugs, add features etc. whenever they want. Updates are done by the user therefore with their permission as they always have been. Even with “automatic” Flash Player updates you have to agree that you want them done automatically. So again, nothing new here.

      1. Thanks, Terry. I am preparing a feature for Print Solutions magazine in a Q&A format based on questions I’ve compiled from forums like these. Would you be willing to scan through it for accuracy from Adobe’s perspective? It’s due tomorrow.

      2. So, if we have an older version and are willing to forego updates, they could still reach in and freeze it unless we pay? Is there a way to keep our old versions from phoning home?

        1. Again, where are you getting this from? “Reach in and freeze” a perpetual license? Really? Spreading FUD doesn’t help your cause.

          1. Okay, glad that isn’t true. After what I’ve seen and you have said I would believe anything. Someone on another forum said a customer service representative said something about mandatory upgrades of boxed editions in the future and I was wondering what that might mean,knowing that even older versions of the software do connect with Adobe occasionally when you are online. Glad I was wrong about that. (I gather Adobe customer service agents will say anything to make you buy, which is, by the way, not good policy)
            Separate question: What happens if my hard drive crashes and I have to reinstall my older version of CS or install it on another computer with a compatible OS, will I be able to do that? Will registration support continue to be available for older versions or just CS6?
            On this thread, please see this comment by Paul Aijtink:

            “Need to make a small correction…. You won’t be able to use CS 5.5 forever…. I use Audition 3 and 6…. Why still version 3? Because in later versions they removed some things that I need….Recently I needed to reinstall the program and guess what…. You can no longer Activate your older products… This will be the future for all the clients of Adobe.”

            Is this true?

          2. Activation Servers don’t stay up forever as we start to see little to no activations of a particular version, those servers are taken offline. However, it’s as simple as making a call to customer service to be activated on a particular version. I just had a customer using Acrobat 7 Professional and needing to reinstall it on a older computer. That activation server is no longer up, but customer service was able to get him installed.

  89. Do you know anything about becoming certified for Creative Cloud? Adobe doesn’t seem to know. At the moment, certification is just for CS6 but given it will be outdated I thought money would be better spent to certify with Creative Cloud.

    1. It usually takes anywhere from 3-6 months after the products ship before ACE exams are ready/available.

  90. …not to mention, people just don’t want to be “owned” in their own “house.” The whole subscription model trend just kind’ve sucks. It’s so “big brother-ish” and it’s gotten to the point where it’s just more about greed and the lusting after a guarantee of a vulgar, consistent profit margin, than anything else. I don’t want to rent everything in my home and my profession. I want control in my life, just the same way Adobe wants control of my wallet, and worse yet, believes they’re owed it. The argument is barely about the software itself, it’s far more about the GD power struggle involved in having control over one’s own life, tools and craft. The attitude of big business since the economic crash in the US is just abysmal. It seems that large corporations feel now as if they are OWNED a customer base, and OWED a profit margin and OWED loyalty. I have to earn respect in this life. Why doesn’t Adobe? There logic is that of a common drug dealer: get you hooked and dependent, change the rules every fifteen minutes, wave the “dope” in your face, then raise the price when you’re desperate. How long will it be before Home Depot starts charging me monthly for a hammer and, worse yet, how long before Adobe starts putting a meter on just how long you use Photoshop, Illustrator, etc., then charge you by the minute? Once we go down that road, there’s no coming back, and I think that concept, at least subconsciously, is why so many have an overall negative, visceral reaction to Adobe’s Cloud nonsense. I know I do. Following Adobe’s logic, it would be perfectly acceptable to just “rent” or “subscribe” to having a child.

    1. Many of us are bailing. Competition will appear. For now, my CS Suite is fine. I can add plug-ins if I need anything else. I may have to keep getting this old computer repaired, but that’s not bad either. I’ve looked into PS Elements and Corel. Elements upgrades Camera Raw codecs, so I could open files and save them as tifs, then use my older software until someone comes up with something stunning. I am sure this will happen. Thanks for all the leads, everyone!

  91. Let’s put this straight. A company release a new version of a software when substantial improvements and changes have been done. I mainly use Adobe Premiere. I bought CS5.5 on September 2011. Six month later I was said that “just paying $750 dollars” I could have CS6… and almost immediately it came the CC. I signed up with CC just in order to see what the “great improvements were”. Oh SURPRISE!!!!! no substantial changes at all. And now, the only really new thing in Premiere CC is the Lumetri engine. Use it if you want spend 45 minutes rendering 10 seconds of color correction.

    Then:

    1- We have been paying for upgrades that are only light updates.

    2- We will be paying a monthly fee for very few improvements made to a software that we already own.

    3- Once my year with CC ends I will be switching back to Final Cut: amazing software, competitive price (they lowered the price in a way that will beat Adobe Premiere big time) and great customer service.

    Those are the facts.

    Now if someone can discuss also WITH FACTS, go ahead.

  92. “Yes, you can buy a year of Creative Cloud at once and even lock in your price by doing so right here or here for student/teachers.”

    Really? When I asked them about they told me that monthly was the only option. Check your facts with Adobe.

    1. Adobe doesn’t yet offer it directly, but Amazon does as I’ve provided the links above.

  93. I’ve adapted to using GIMP, Scribus and Inkscape. I still open up CS5 for some of the advantages, but for most stuff, those are fully sufficient. I will definitely agree that GIMP is NOT a replacement for medium to hardcore photographers by any means.

  94. Dear Adobe,

    Make Creative Cloud half the price and most people will shut up. Then we’ll all be happier. Thanks.

  95. Terry, please answer the question: why Europeans have to pay 61.49 € instead of 49.99 $? It’s posted lot of times, but I can’t see it answered (if it is, please point me to it)… What justifies the price difference? Is there any particular reason?

    1. The Euro price includes VAT which is tax, unlike the $49.99 which does not include tax and it will be added at check out.

      I am not fond of the pay as you go CC model… I like the freedom of having disks in hand and to know that I can install at any time with out internet (if not available) because you never know when that emergency could arrive… which has happened a few times over my many years. I bought the disks and I can install them when I like with no issues.

      It’s odd adobe would take this approach, this is going to either scare people away from the product and send people elsewhere or make people find ways to steal and hack the software even more. With other companies offering comparable products I believe this will strengthen the other products in the market due to the cash flow they will receive. Adobe better be ready to lose capital(us, you and me) but it doesn’t seem they are too worried about losing million$.

      I guess it might be time to support a new underdog just like I did with Adobe many moons ago 🙂

      Good-by old friend… It’s like my best friend just committed suicide 🙁

  96. The way I see it: Designers/photographers are usually the last people to get paid for their work as Mr.Businessman thinks design is worthless because his secretary can throw a flier together on Word.

    Now throw in the monthly ‘rental rate’ to use this software (which for the majority of the work, open source software is more than capable), try passing that on to the client!

    Look at the Self Storage industry: they get you in at $XX and then raise you XX% each year you stay. Unfortunately, with Adobe, you have no where else to go. Stuck like Chuck.

  97. I only use CS Design standard (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and Acrobat). I’d be much more tempted if there were a reduced subscription for just this set of apps. Doing the single app subscription would make it even more expensive.

  98. CC is shit, I won’t even lie. A monthly subscription is completely horrible and I will probably just keep repeatedly making new accounts, as to have infinite time with adobe.

  99. The biggest problem with the Creative Cloud is that they’re charging you as if you were buying a brand-new copy EVERY YEAR. And that’s not a “myth”. It’s a fact. Take my example- I’ve used CS 5 for three years now. It cost me about $600. Under the Creative Cloud, I’d have paid $1,800 for the exact same software. Anyone that doesn’t realize how badly they’re being screwed by the Creative Cloud needs to have their head examined.

    1. Your math seems a bit off. What cost you about $600? A single App? If that’s the case then you’re not comparing apples to apples. A single App CC Membership is $20/month ($10/month for the 1st year), not $50/$600. Also in 3 years you’re still on CS5 and with CC you’d be on the latest version with 3 years of upgrades.

      1. This so called “cloud” = 600 $ per anno. Not a single App (and you should know that). That´s the way it was meant.

        So it would last 3 years till you reach the price of a CS Suite or let´s say 4 with upgrades.

        After that you pay more and more and more with CasCow (CC) as with CS.

        And after you quit subscription you own nothing. NOTHING!

        You have to re-subscribe if you even want to be able to fully edit your own archive.

        With good, old, fair CS you have the lifelong right to use your Software-license and you also can resell.

        So Adobe and many others trying to cover this non myths with dusk.

        (hope, not again being removed from this blog as a not wanted critical voice like 2 times before)

      2. I think she is not talking about a single app account.
        She means the whole package, which is 600 $ a year.
        (Not only using Photoshop or an other single App)
        So, if she is using for three years = 1800 $.
        Which can be compared to the price of a CS Suite.
        So, after this 3 years CC gets more and more expensive with every year.
        And I think, she is right with that math.
        Or?
        Btw: There is nothing she owns after 3 years (CC), which is different in CS – where you can use the Software, once paid, as long as you want (and can also resell).

        1. Again, you’re not taking into upgrades into account. So after 3 years you’d have out of date software and most people would upgrade at that point. The cost of a suite upgrade is/was around $500. The original post made it sound like they spent $600 and there is no suite that is/was only $600. That’s why I said the comparison is not Apple s to Apples. For $600 you’d only get a single app and at that point you’d compare it to the single App membership which is NOT $600/year.

          1. Why taking the worst case scenario?
            How many Master Collections Adobe sold?
            How many Users are able (or want) to become Professionals in all the Apps? (Don´t know one, who is Cutter, Web-Designer, Photoshop Prof, Print-Designer and Illustrator in one person)

            The users can not longer choose what they want and need (and pay only for that – they have to take all. Not fair in every case, to call that an advantage)
            So I compare a “regular user” who used one of the Suites. Which are roundabout 1800 $.
            And Upgrades were around 500 $ every 18 month.

            So after 3 years CC you have the price of a Suite.

            After that the Updates are 500 $ in 18 month with CS (if you DECIDE to buy) compared to 900 $ with CC (18 month and no ability to decide anything).
            That´s min. +400 for Adobe every 18 month.

            (and much more outside US!?)
            And that´s the situation for most of former Adobe clients.
            (Which mostly don´t like to take every update)
            That´s why so few posters here are happy with prices.
            May be small budget newcomers may see it as an advantage, but in the end Adobe decided to focus on moneyed clients.

            Also: The Master Collection (which is worst case) also becomes more expensive with CC, but it lasts more than 10,5 years till that point (compared to a always updated CS MC).

            The raising costs will take effect after a longer period, but they will – with every math (Beside the advantages of cloud features as online storage or syncing, which are not part of CS – But who needs? Online storage is cheep as never).

            And what´s also not part of your math: After subscription you own nothing with CC (In many cases you have to re-subscribe if you want to use your creations. Not all Apps are able to export fully editable or can be opened with alternative SW).
            CS can be used as long as you want or are able to.
            And also: You can resell!

  100. Costs way too much – there are a ton of products out there that are a lot cheaper and will do more than enough. This is only good for large companies and not all the small companies or designers – time to move on to something else. Check out Corel, etc.

  101. Is this supposed to sell me on it? I left Adobe and I’m never looking back. If you stop paying you have no access to the software you could have paid for to keep! NO THANKS!

  102. It’s not even a matter of paying is a matter of never owing
    something you have been paying for. It is worse than leasing! At least
    at the end of the payments whatever you were leasing is yours. And if
    you don’t use half of the software what’s the point of paying for it?
    Would you pay to rent snowboard gear every month when you don’t even
    snowboard? And worse will never owe! I hope this change will break Adobe and give confidence to other companies to enter the market.

    1. Yup, I see a laundry list of programs I can now download – but I have no need for them, and never will. its like paying the super-premium cable bill for all the extras and HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, etc, when all you want basic cable.

  103. Would you pay to rent snowboard gear every month when you don’t even snowboard? And worse will never owe! So why would you willing allow yourself to be exploited like this? I think Corel will be coming back… and strong!!!

  104. I want to see FIREWORKS CC! Tell Adobe it’s their BEST app by far for Web design. Thank you.

  105. First fail is the Creative Cloud Desktop app. I have tried to get it working for months, read every blog/forum post with no success – total fail!

  106. Um the video here has several straight up lies in it. “fonts” in real time… CC manager says it’s coming soon, and always has. Bait and switch? several other features are “coming soon” up until last week, you couldn’t sync *anything* to InDesign; and Illustrator CC downsaves to CS6 by RASTERIZING all of your effects. I’m so disgusted at the whole thing. 🙁

  107. Also #4 is not a myth, and the writer even says that it’s the truth, yet somehow is a myth? If you EVER stop paying for creative cloud, you can never access your files again. PERIOD. Just because they are on your hard drive vs in a mythical cloud is not what the ‘myth’ is about, If I bought CS6 I can install CS6 and access the files in the year 2105 on and old computer, just like I can install Photoshop 4 on an old Mac and access those files if I ever wanted to. If I ever do not pay a monthly subscription to Adobe, I can never access my files ever again. HELLO.

  108. I have two computers at home and I know you can install on both but can they both be used at the same time? My sister and I are students that use photoshop and other adobe programs frequently. I just want to know if I get the membership can we both be using photoshop at the same time on different computers or do we have to buy two memberships?

  109. I guess we are done with Adobe products. After buying every version, all the way to CS6, will never use something like this again.

  110. What a pathetic waste of time and resources it has been for our company. Now we will need to find alternative layout applications.

  111. The customer service people are the worst now also. They lie to you and then when things dont happen, you call back and the original liar tells you a manager overrode the decision. Then that Adobe manager lies to you and you hang up again thinking everything is OK, only to find out some other “Adobe manager” in some 3rd world country lied to you again. When I think about it, I’m not surprised this entire product turned into a huge fail. The same thing happened to the customer service.

  112. about #4: I think you are not right. Because:
    a) If I decide not to update/pay any more, then I would have to buy the standalone version for xxxx$. So you need to pay your file off.

    b) Please try to open a file made in CS5 in CS1. Perhaps you can now open a file created in CC in CS6, but what after they changes the file format? Added new features? So, your file is broken and not useable any more. And save them down-converted? Yeah, once I decide to stop CC, I will open all files I ever created and export them as old CC versions. Where do you find this “export into old versions in CC?”. And what about changes they have done to filters? Or new filters? The file is broken and cannot be used without CC. Perhaps I can get my footage list, but I can do that with a single dragNdrop.

    The statement “The files are yours” is rubbish. Yeah, I have my files, but I cannot open or use them…

    If I stop CC, I have to do everything again.

    1. You wil have to export as .idml file.
      Its in same place where you export as PDF, just use the drop down menu to save as .idml file. Its not very intuitive that this is how you do it, but it actually does work well. Older versions of indesign will open up .idml files just fine – and these .idml files are very small (not sure why) but they open up just like the CC versions – you then have to save it as a new name.

      Of course, if you decide you want to quit CC (like me), you will have to find and do this to ALL your files. If you forget one – you are going to be out of luck.

  113. Thanks so much for this discussion and for your answers, Terry. I am happy with the software I have now. I am glad to hear that I will be able to continue to use it on my older machines in the future. I was worried about this and now feel much better. Thanks to comments here, I have been spurred to do some research. I am comfortable with contingency plans I have been able to make. It’s better to be warned about this sort of thing before purchasing a new system and encountering an unexpected nasty surprise. Glad the Cloud works for those for whom it works. I can see clear advantages for certain users. Glad, also, to have heard about alternative software from generous commenters here. CS has been wonderful for me through the years, and it is hard to move on, but I am not a full-time visual arts professional, and I do not buy a new computer every year, or even every four years, (automatic software upgrades with stiffer processing requirements are out of the question), so when it comes time to buy a new computer and graphic arts suite, I will look elsewhere. Competition could produce some exciting results. (For those considering Photoshop Elements 11, I recommend reading the one-star reviews on Amazon. Again, the problems will not concern all users, but you should take a look before ordering/installing to be sure. Apparently, some files are not removed by a standard uninstall.)

  114. On #3 Yes I understand I can use the cloud to link the file and they can view it in a browser. The question I have about this is what about the client using my file/s I created for them? Would saving down to CS6 be the only option?

    1. That would depend on the product. InDesign for example saves back to CS4. Illustrator saves back to Illustrator 3 (not CS3, 3). Photoshop PSDs can be already be opened by a variety of products including older versions of PS. Not to mention the ability to save out a layered TIFF.

      1. Is there a reason why the updates for CC can only run if all Adobe apps are quit – even older non CC versions?
        Example: I want to update PSD CC, but to do so, I have to close Illustrator, Indesign, Acrobat – every Adobe product I have before the installer will work. I understand that I should have to quit PSD, but why the rest? And I certainly don’t understand why i need to close indesign CS6 to update a CC program.
        Is CC somehow attached to the older CS programs now?

  115. We were still using CS (1) , we used it for YEARS. Now with the new mac it doesn’t work any more so ok, new product. But the price I paid for CS I could divide over 5 years, this is 588 euro per year!! it’s like buying a new CS every single year! PLUS I don’t get any discount since my version was older than CS3… (why was it older, oh yah, ’cause i don’t earn that much…) So people who earn little have to pay more than those who earn a lot and can always afford new versions. Very just.

  116. I am an amateur photographer. I find it ironic that many people will spend hundreds or thousands on a new camera, a new lens or a new flash and upgrade them every few years as technology changes. Spend a few thousand to go from 16 MP to 22MP or to go from cropped sensor to full frame. So if you replace or upgrade $500 to $600 or hardware every year it is no big deal.
    But paying $500 or $600 per year to upgrade an entire suite of software or $360 to benefit from the latest technology of one application like photoshop seems to throw a lot of people for a loop. There is probably a much greater need for ongoing technical support for software then there is for hardware. With my camera, after the first year, I have to pay a fortune if something goes wrong with my camera. With software, as long as I subscribe I get the latest and greatest as well as ongoing support.
    People should view CC like they would a maintenance contract. You don’t need support or enhancements buy CS6 and stick with it.

  117. Hi Terry,

    I just wanted to give my feedback, since most of the comments seem to have been negative.

    I subscribed to Creative Cloud on the strength of this article.

    I can understand long-term users’ frustrations and I share some of the concerns, being an open-source advocate, myself. However, I have just started a business and the new sales model works VERY well for me. I never would have bought a – hypothetical – CS7 Master Collection: the price would have been completely prohibitive. As a business start up, a fixed monthly cost that I can offset against regular work makes much more sense than an up-front capital investment.

    Some commenters have mentioned that small businesses are being screwed with CC. I’m a small business owner and couldn’t be happier!

  118. I
    am not fond of the pay as you go CC model… I like the freedom of
    having disks in hand and to know that I can install at any time with out
    internet (if not available) because you never know when that emergency
    could arrive… which has happened a few times over my many years. I
    bought the disks and I can install them when I like with no issues.

    With other companies
    offering comparable products I believe this will strengthen the other
    products in the market due to the cash flow they will receive. Adobe
    better be ready to lose capital(us, you and me) but it does seem they
    are too worried about losing us. Don’t get me wrong I see what Adobe is doing, they are saturating the market. Just like the photography industry has taken a nose dive. While the big companies made their money from professionals now they have gotten giant off our backs and have opened the flood gates to anyone. So if you spent thousands on going to school and learning from the ground up, it will not matter anymore and all your hard work, dedication and money just went down the drain because like the person said in the below post… if it was not for the monthly CC subscription they would not of been able to afford a start up. So now skills, schooling, etc. are a thing of the past and any one that is in school(jk, grade school, high school, college/university) that can afford $19.99 a month can cutthroat professionals around the world. Why does Adobe make it cheaper for students? I wish I could pay $19.99 a month… I should also start producing crap like they are at a ridiculously low rate because many people are no longer going for quality, they are going for affordability…. so in essences, thank you Adobe for lowering the standards of peoples expectations…. oh and reducing my pay that I worked hard at trying to get for many years digging my way through the ranks. I guess in today’s world we are in a don’t need to earn your stripes, it is just being given to people no need to earn anything. As long as Adobe is raking in the dough they could care less about the people that got them to where they are at today. What used to be a VIP club and you had to earn your right to be there is now becoming a boys and girls club of wanna bees. Thank goodness I don’t need Adobe to live out the rest of my life.

    Just imagine if some Ivy League Schools started letting in any student with the lowest grades. Would that school stay Ivy League for long? or if the some Pro Sport Team took the slowest and weakest players?
    It yes would give people slower, weaker, and not as smart hope but would kill the game and people would eventually not care. Adobe prides itself at being the professional tool but I see adobe as being greedy company.

    I guess it might be time to support a new less controlling greedy company just like I did with Adobe many moons ago 🙂

    Good-by old friend… It’s like my best friend just committed suicide 🙁

  119. Unfortunately CC is not ready for primetime in my opinion.

    Load it up, use it for a couple days – then…. It won’t launch. After spending an entire workday on the phone with India to try to figure out what the problem is (I kid you not – it was 7.25 hours on speakerphone). We are talking relaunching in safe mode, installing CC and programs onto new USER, all sorts of stuff. Over and over. They finally figured out there was some incompatibility with an older version of Indesign I had on my machine. Ok – now I get to work, right? nope. It has gotten progressively and progressively SLOWER. Im talking 1988 slow. Move an object – wait two seconds for it to draw. I used the Adobe Creative Cloud Unistaller to get rid of IndesignCC, then reinstall it. Now it won’t even open up. It says I should try deleting Indesign Preferences. But I uninstalled the ENTIRE PROGRAM. Trying to call Adobe about it is near impossible and the website even says it has an extremely high call volume now, so try to find the answer on their online sources – Gee I wonder why.

    Getting CC was the worse mistake I have made at my studio after being in business for 20 years – I can honestly say that. Luckily some of my jobs are still on IndCS6 so i can still work on those. I have a colleague who has CC and it appears to be working for him, so I will slowly get all my jobs back to CS6. For some reason IllustratorCC and PSDCC work fine though. Lots of unhappy clients in the meantime.

    A quick internet search will show that I am not alone with the very slow performance – LOTs of others having similar issues. Not that it matters since I can’t even get it to launch anymore.

  120. I will never rent software and never pay Adobe a dime for creative cloud. There are other graphic apps starting to approach Photoshop…. especially for what I use it for. If adobe was smart they would cut the price in half and let people buy once and use forever. I fundamentally refuse to EVER go down this path. I’ll use CS6 for 10 years if need be. I can’t imagine needing any other features anyway, already has far more than necessary. Just turning to bloatware now.

  121. Adobe, thank you for taking 20 years of work and holding it hostage:

    “If you decide to no longer be a Creative Cloud member then you won’t have access to your Creative Cloud applications anymore, but if you’ve got previous CS App versions, you’ll be able to open your files”

    Thank you for confirming that Adobe has become a shake-down operation.

  122. If I have been a member for let say three years and decide to quit, will I be able to use Photoshop indefinitely in the state it was in when I did quit. What are my options?

  123. Adobe has unfair practices. I signed up for a Student Membership for one year. The year was up and then I was rolled into another annual membership without ANY warning. I should have been rolled into a month-to-month contract so I can cancel whenever I want. Now they ask me to pay $150 cancellation fee. I believe it is unfair to ASK the CUSTOMER to remember when their 1 year contract ends. In my case, I knew approximately when it was but I was 1 month late to cancel to their 30-day window when you can, evidently, cancel. It is unfair also to just roll you into another 1-year contract without giving you an option to cancel or roll into a month-to-month contract! I understand that they CAN so that, my issue is that I feel it is not fair to the customer. It is preying on people!

  124. What has caused me to refuse to buy ANY new Adobe software is that the EULA, any Adobe Software that uses the cloud, the user is giving Adobe permission to look at their computer to verify their authenticity. That is fine, however the EULA goes on saying that the user is giving Adobe permission to look at ANY files on that computer. Adobe is saying that this is in effort to fight piracy. I do not pirate software or media files! However, NO ONE other than me has rights to my files and privacy. I have Dreamweaver MX 2004 along with Fireworks, and Flash. I would love an updated version, but not at the cost of my privacy. Thank you Adobe… thank you for being a part of the NSA-Nazi movement…

  125. I create .app and .exe to install our 3rd party plugins to our customers Adobe application. Some of our customers are asking about the Workgroup management that adobe now has. Some customers have a single InDesign Install on a server (25 license) and can share that out. Will they still be able to install my stuff to their single install? Can you provide me more information on how workgroup management may affect me? Does workgroup mean private network, no server or profile? Any help would be great!

  126. At our institution we have purchased Creative Suite educational versions for $450 Cdn, and used them for 48 months before purchasing a new version. That was $9/month. The lowest Creative Cloud student introductory pre-paid monthly fee I’ve seen is $19.95. So basically a doubling of the price?

    1. The one part of your equation you’re leaving out/overlooking is that you had no new features for four years. With Creative Cloud you’d always have the latest versions of all the applications at all times.

      1. So this is worth double?? There is some value in continuous updates, but that is not worth anything close to double!!! Maybe a 10% premium. And what is the regular price going up to when the introductory $19.95 “deal” is over?

      2. My Media Lab has 40 copies of CS6. We have no operating budget for updates, and every four years have challenged for capital budget funds for new software. Under this new model we can’t afford Adobe products.

  127. dr. marnish solved my relationship problem 3 days ago , i sent him some gift of appreciation for the Commitment love Spell he did for me, he made my lover to love me again. and to be committed to me again, i am very very much happy. dr.marnish brought me happiness, email dr.marnish@yahoo.com or call him +15036626930 he will turn your broken relationship around
    Rebecca

  128. So what is the motivation to updating the apps anymore if they always get the same amount from us every month anyways? hmmmmm

  129. Adobe software is a rip off and they make you continually buy new software or your old software will not be supported! Don’t buy anything from Adobe!!!!

  130. Here’s a reality: Adobe Cloud is unavailable for everyone globally today. I needed to install Flash on this computer at work to finish a project due tomorrow – now I cannot.
    If this was not cloud based I would have been able to install and finish this project. Now I have to hope that their ‘cloud’ services come back online in time for me to finish this project.

  131. Okay, so apparently the Creative Cloud (according to Terry) is exactly like every previous version of Adobe Software. It’s not browser based, you don’t have to have an internet connection, and you can run previous versions. So what he’s really telling us is that the only major difference is that we now have to RENT Adobe programs instead of just buying them. And I’m here to tell you, that’s what I personally hate the most about the Creative Cloud, and it’s definitely not a “myth”.

  132. I’d love to see a tiered plan- pick 2 apps for this price, 5 apps for this price, 10 apps for this price, or the whole lot of them for this price, etc… That might be a more fair way to ensure that those who only use certain apps aren’t paying more than their fair share. I’m aware that this is already an option for Ps/Lr, but I’d love to see it extend to any combination of apps.

  133. Am now happy happy and happy, my name is Amelia from England I believe priest Jayema now, After so many comments on how priest Jayema helped alot of people got back their Ex, Jobs and properties, i contacted him and tell my story of how a lady broke my relationship, Been married for 8yrs and with 3kids, suddenly my Husband moved out and told me never to contact him again, i was so heart broken, depressed and sad, after all the story,priest Jayema told me to put my mind at rest and told me that all my problems will be solved within 2days , i was still hoping until priest Jayema called me again for my husbands picture and told me, i will have to get some items and i did all he asked me, on Sunday morning my husband came home by himself and knelt down to beg me, weeping bitterly and asked for forgiveness, i did forgive him and i told priest Jayema about everything and he said all he wants from me is to share the good news with the world so people out there , here is a prove that real casters are still online, for any kind of problems that need solutions, contact him:jayemamagictemple@gmail.com or you can still visit his web site http://jayemamagictemple.webs.com/

  134. work for adobe much ? … they deliberately engineered it such that you can only write back one version file format wise and … no … stop subscribing and you wont have access to your files as a new user in all likeliness, there is no decent reasoning behind that except exploiting users captive to a file format like indesign. Adobe = an awful lot of faffing about, the ‘tools’ are now bloated and turgid, full of services hardly anybody uses, Im having to troubleshoot users right now on quad core i5 8gb memory imacs – whose experience is worse than photoshop 7 on powerpc, that requires some explaining? there CC experience is real sluggish, and adobe forums are crap, and any decent help comes from largely censored users talking to other censored users. Adobe moved to CC subscriptions because they could see with 64bit compatibility they’re would be no real reason for users to upgrade except artificial file format and bloat feature addition reasonings. so they turned they’re tools into a subscription service in which they can claim that the next update will fix everything when in fact it never does. How many bugs were in software that shipped on ROM ? software updates are a perpetual excuse for shonky software, shipped before its ready.

  135. This whole article (company promo) is about “You can do this” and “You can’t do that”. F-U. I don’t want to read the fine print every time I turn my computer on, and I don’t want to pay a monthly rental fee to use software that I used to buy with a one time upgrade fee. I also don’t want to be forced into a revenue stream for some bloated software company that can’t figure out how to juice its customer base fast enough. Get over this stupid scam and get back to producing products that your customers are willing to buy. If you spent half as much time on development as you do on trying to convince us all that we’ll like getting reamed, you’d be much further ahead.

  136. Sorry
    but, if everyone has the number of programs I use each day for work, play, and
    my own business it would be a substantial financial burden on them. Let us say,
    that the price for each program was $20 a month as a subscription, I would be
    up for $340 per month….. This is the same as a lone for a car or a
    portion of my mortgage payment. I can’t see people on average weekly earnings
    having the resources to cover this bill. I still use MS Office 2007 I have not upgrades but you say that you will still be expected to keep paying for older versions of the software. I purchased it once and I have had it for seven years, it does what I need it to do. Now, let us calculate $20 per month for 12 months times 7 years. That comes to a Wapping $1680. This is just a way of getting more money out of people.

  137. Hi, I’ve noticed I can’t preview an html/js animation produced with Flash CC if I’m offline… I guess that might be because it makes calls to Abobe code libraries perhaps? However, that is not what #Mith 2 says…

  138. I work for a very large multi-national corporation, since content creation is not there business, this exception software (Creative Cloud) will not be purchased because they only purchase perpetual lisence software. Even though I’ve prodominatly used Adobe products for 15 years I’m forced to looked at other alternatives.

  139. Here are some CC truths;

    1) End your subscription and you can’t open many file types any longer, better hope what software you move to can import those files.
    2) Unlike perpetual licenses you can use forever until you want to upgrade, with CC you must keep paying, better hope that monthly rate doesn’t go up.
    3) If you paid $2,600 per copy for the CS6 Master Collection, it will take you 5 f***ing years to recoup that loss with the CC, and your CS6 resale value just went away. Adobe’s answer to you, “hey but you can keep it forever” as if that was a new benefit.
    4) Don’t try upgrading your OS, you might find Adobe CC doesn’t work so well on that platform, they have not worked out that little issue yet.
    5) Oh yeah, and the CC has been hacked, thanks Adobe for leaking my personal info out with your lame security.

  140. Thanks to DR VOVOLA for bringing back my wife,and brought great joy to my family?

    Hello to every one out here, am here to share the unexpected miracle that happened to me three days ago, My name is Jeffrey Dowling,i live in TEXAS,USA.and I`m happily married to a lovely and caring wife,with two kids A very big problem occurred in my family seven months ago,between me and my wife so terrible that she took the case to court for a divorce she said that she never wanted to stay with me again,and that she did not love me anymore So she packed out of my house and made me and my children passed through severe pain. I tried all my possible means to get her back,after much begging,but all to no avail and she confirmed it that she has made her decision,and she never wanted to see me again. So on one evening,as i was coming back from work,i met an old friend of mine who asked of my wife So i explained every thing to her,so she told me that the only way i can get my wife back,is to visit a spell caster,because it has really worked for her too So i never believed in spell,but i had no other choice,than to follow her advice. Then she gave me the email address of the spell caster whom she visited.(vovolaspellcast@yahoo.com }, So the next morning,i sent a mail to the address she gave to me,and the spell caster assured me that i will get my wife back the next day what an amazing statement!! I never believed,so he spoke with me,and told me everything that i need to do. Then the next morning, So surprisingly, my wife who did not call me for the past seven {7}months,gave me a call to inform me that she was coming back So Amazing!! So that was how she came back that same day,with lots of love and joy,and she apologized for her mistake,and for the pain she caused me and my children. Then from that day,our relationship was now stronger than how it were before,by the help of a spell caster . So, was now stronger than how it were before,by the help of a spell caster . So, i will advice you out there to kindly visit the same website vovolaspellcast@yahoo.com ,if you are in any condition like this,or you have any problem related to “bringing your ex back. So thanks to DR VOVOLA for bringing back my wife,and brought great joy to my family once again.{vovolaspellcast@yahoo.com } , Thanks.

  141. Pointless article ! This Creative Cloud is just dumb ! Good for you if you find normal having to pay for features that you might not even need in the long run !
    Of course you’re not forced to upgrade I agree.. but no matter what you still have to pay the bill every year/month for using the software, basically you’re renting it nothing else…
    Now here’s the question : do you prefer owning or renting a software ? The problem isn’t due to the confusion caused by the “cloud” term as you suggested, the problem is that after a few years, you’ll find yourself having paid more than 1000 $ for something you’ve finally never owned…I just discovered your blog, but I seriously hope there are other more interesting articles rather than this mediocre attempt at selling a pointless concept to supposedly “naïve” people

    Sorry for my english

  142. Da hell why didn’t Adobe offer both choices for customers. The choice given that the customers can either use the CC or buy the same suite or needed software on disc or download for a one time price. Now it feels like Adobe is trying to pull a Microsoft by jumping on the bandwagon. Like Microsoft trying to cram a tablet UI OS on desktop computers instead of making a useable separate desktop UI OS for it.

  143. As a fashion and web design diploma student I would NEVER have been able to afford a master collection/suite of Adobe design products! I did purchase CS5.5 before CC launched (or before I knew about it, anyway) and that was in excess of $500 on the STUDENT pricing! I feel incredibly fortunate to be learning this brand new (to me, I actually had CS5.5 on my Mac since 2011 but had never touched it as it terrified me lol) huge program of ANY number of Adobe applications I CHOOSE to download as desktop applications when I please for only $15 a month as a full time student! It scares me to imagine what shall happen when I leave uni when my course is over (although, my intention is to pursue my bachelor degree after my diploma so they shan’t be for quite some time;) because the cost IS prohibitive long term fit non-students! Around $50 a month. You end up paying far more for Adobe in the long run… Well, in some ways… In other ways it is simply amazing and almost too good to be true! Because you’re NEVER having to pay for ANY updates/software releases/upgrades NOT EVER! And you have a far wider range of access to a massive number of brilliant Adobe products than most people would ever have been able to afford upfront! Also, businesses (in Australia at least) can claim those monthly payments back on tax! In fact so could sole traders/freelance individuals! And, now that I think of it- students likely could in Australia too! (I can only speak for OZ as I do not know of the legislations on tax write offs in any other countries) but… At the end of the day- I am SO grateful that we have this creative cloud capability available to us- especially the student pricing that we as full time students are able to take full use of! I am a bit disappointed in Adobe for making it SO incredibly difficult for me to get my student serial number to activate my previously purchased CS5.5 as soon as CC was launched (I fought for months to get the serial number and finally gave up abs wrote my VERY expensive CS5.5 off- bad subscribed to CC, only to get an email two hours later with my CS5.5 serial number! Lol) Hmmmmmm I’m sure this doesn’t sound dodgy just to myself! But, whilst I can still afford it I guess I shall keep both, as no doubt as an emerging designer in two very CC reliant fields I shall require CC over CS5.5 at many points.

  144. I teach video as part of my program and we’ve paid Adobe a few thousand dollars over the years to get programs (mainly Photoshop, Premiere and AfterEffects) that work well for our students.

    Education budgeting doesn’t work the way Adobe is now requiring us to deal with Cloud–at least around here. We can get one-time grants for specific purchases of necessary software, but budgets are not set-up for monthly charges. We’re going to be looking for other solutions that can be bought outright–even if those products cost more than Adobe–because Adobe is not interested in our market.

  145. Late update: the above link to the annual plan says it’s been discontinued, though the Student/Teacher link still works.

  146. Your social videos persuaded me to join Adobe CC including Stock and even made me draft a blog post on my decision, however when I went through the buying process I realized at least a 47% penalty for Switzerland and CHF versus USD and more than 100 USD per month for an individual subscription in Switzerland. Now this may not be an issue for medium to large companies who will simply buy in the US, as they all have billing addresses everywhere, but this will fail to attract individuals like me. I strongly assume Adobe may not change its pricing strategy for individuals buying in Switzerland and Europe, as bloggers complain since years about it, so I decided to not join Adobe CC and to expand my usage of open source and individual vendors. Again I loved creative cloud, but out of principle I can`t support or endorse overpricing individuals in Switzerland versus USA. The same is true for Europe versus USA but there the gap is not so extreme.

  147. The creative cloud solves a lot of problems with the old CS model; mostly problems for Adobe’s bank account, but problems none the less.
    However, it’s really driven a lot of potential customers out of the market. As an aspiring/practicing graphic designer who rarely makes money off of my work, it is entirely unrealistic for me to shell out the $600 a year to pay for a collection of softwares that will act as nothing but practice tools for me to learn on. I’ve just upgraded my computer and lost the copy of CS5 that I’ve used for years. It wouldn’t be the end of the world for me to buy the latest version of the CS as an investment in my potential. But signing myself up for a lifetime of monthly payments (with which I may end up with a bitchin’ portfolio and no income) just isn’t something I can commit to.
    I’m also concerned about Adobe’s lack of motivation to innovate, given they’re making money every month whether there’s updates or not. With the old model, Adobe had to win us over with each new update, to justify shelling out the dough. Now, we’re shelling out the dough either way. That’s some bu’shit.

  148. I was happy with photoshop CS… as in no numbers after it. I liked Flash, up until Actionscript 3.0 came out. Since then the upgrades have always come faster than the support for trouble shooting and the benefits have not outweighed the costs. Each iteration of CS got uglier than the previous version, and cloud is not only ugly, it is a scam, like smartphone plans. For most people, 50-120 bucks is about what photoshop is worth. What good is a cloud for someone who doesn’t stay online constantly? 99 days? are you insane? Adobe is like the FBI trying to nose into privacy and poke at us constantly, demanding backdoors to snoop. The same backdoors used by hackers. Good Job Adobe. You have been demoted to a special place between IRS agents and COMCAST on the evolutionary scale.

  149. I bought CS Master Collection years ago and have used it year-in, year-out since then, which is a good deal for my business overhead. Paying monthly means a perpetual expense that is truly a good business model……for Adobe.

  150. I didn’t tried CC yet but I am preparing myself to do so. As far as I know this new business model is a big success. We do live in an age of cloud and fast document sharing so please stop blaming Adobe for screwing up your business. This is the first time Adobe decided to sell their apps for really reasonable price and make them available for small companies, start-ups and starting freelancers as well. I wish them luck with this business model and I hope that they will maintain this policy for a long time.

  151. I want the world to know a great man ,that is well know as grategodess.he has the perfect solution to relationship issuse and marriage problems.the main reason why i went to gategodess, was for solution on how i can get my husband back because in recent times,i have read some testimonies on the internet which some people has written about grategodess.and i was so pleased and i decide to seek for assistance from him on his email.(grategodesslovespell@gmail.com)which he did a perfect job by casting a spell on my husband which made him to come back to me and beg,for forgiveness. I will not stop publishing his name on the net because of the good work he is doing.i will drop his contact for the usefulness of those that needs his help. Contact his via email. grategodesslovespell@gmail.com

  152. Adobe sucks and Service desk service is one of the worst in the IT Software market.

    Moving slowly to Gimp and very happy. My suggestion is to try it and just leave PS for the “pros”.

  153. My overall problem is making monthly payments. Monthly payments build up and suddenly the monthly cost of living and doing business has built up so much that you have a hard time keeping up. Time for the next payment? I hope I have that money available at that time. The inverse, I know exactly how much money I have when I buy. I buy, I get to own. I don’t have to worry about it anymore. Maybe next month I’ll hit a slump. I can still use my programs that I already paid for. When we buy a physical product, often times we can finance it, but we can buy, own it, and not have to worry about it anymore. Now, the companies have not only eliminated that choice, they eliminated the ability to pay something off. They’re renting. So I’m going to stick with CS6, which provided more than I need, as long as I’m able to run it on the various updates of Mac operating systems.

  154. What about Creative Cloud sucks? Is that just a myth? It seems Creative Cloud is always running as a background process then when I actually want to use it, I have to log in, then it won’t actually work to download something like Adobe XD so I’ll try to update it, and the CC app won’t successfully update, so I’ll have to uninstall it and re-install it. What a waste of time and money.

  155. what if I want photoshop but not lightroom? The $9.99/month price seems very steep if I only want half of the photography plan

Comments are closed.