Adobe unveiled Creative Suite 5.5 today with lots of new features, but the company also launched new pricing plans.
[ad#Google Adsense 300×250 in story]Calling the new subscription-based pricing plans “affordable and flexible,” Adobe said the new pricing plans will be a good option for users that want to stay current on the new releases.
The new pricing plans will also be good for users that have specific needs for a new project and don’t want to purchase a full suite. Of course, there are many users that may want to try a full Adobe suite for the first time and this will give them that access.
Of course, all products available on the subscription pricing plans will be the latest versions, so users will always be up-to-date.
As an example, Adobe said users could subscribe to use Photoshop for $35 per month, Design Premium CS 5.5 for $95 per month, or Creative Suite 5.5 Master Collection for $129 per month.
This subscription based pricing could work really well. I mean when it’s only $35 a month for PS it could be a way to get some of the casual pirates as it’s easier to part with $35 a month than $800 in one fell swoop.
Yet, this won’t endear Adobe to all those students who want to learn how to use Photoshop and be creative. Interesting move, innovative, too, but a tad expensive from a student’s point of view.
$699 for Adobe Photoshop is a fair price for what the program does and what anyone can do with it, which is to make a lot of money once it is learned and the person gets hooked up with customers and learns what it takes to produce a finished product that customers are willing to pay good money for.
Students eventually have to confront the real world, so they might as well start bucking up now and do a little (or a lot) less partying and spend that money on a valuable tool that will enable them to potentially earn thousands of times the purchase price in professional income.
Pros already know Photoshop so they likely own it already, therefore, not needing to rent it, the rental option does not make sense to them.
Novices don’t know Photoshop so they likely don’t already own it, but needing to learn it, they download a trial version for free to learn it, not needing to rent it.
So for whom is the rental option for?
Perhaps pros. previously working for a full service company but now out of work, seeking temp. work, i.e., jobbers who no longer have free access to Photoshop.
With the Bush-era economy continuing to tank — and Adobe is well-aware of this –, perhaps it feels that there’s a greater and greater need of offer the rental software option at $35/95/mo to indigent and itinerant Photoshop pros.
The rental option is Adobe’s tacit acknowledgement that job prospects in the bad economy is not likely to improve for creatives.
You think it’s a fair price, I don’t. Sure it has loads of features but ask any professional designer and they will tell you how much they simultaneously love and hate Adobe’s products, because they’re not very well made.
Your argument about student having to accept the fact that they have to pony up hundreds of dollars, just for the possibility of making money using the app is unrealistic and extremely condescending.
If a poor poor student can’t quit partying and save up the $699 as an investment in his professional future and knuckle down and learn it, then he might as well drop out now and find him some cardboard and make himself a real nice sign and look real hungry so folks’ll feet real sorry for him.
It takes a lot of real hard work and Adobe products will help you make a lot of money–maybe not you, but sane people who know how to work and don’t avoid it every chance they get.
Quit blaming the damn economy.
The rental system will work or fail on its own merits no matter how much whining you people do.
What makes you think students party all the time?
I know more than enough hard working student that don’t party at all and still can’t afford a $ 699,- piece of software.
Maybe you can afford it, I can too, but I’m sane enough not to buy Adobe applications because I have no talent whatsoever when it comes to graphics design. For me Aperture and Pixelmator do the job for anything related to graphics design and photography.
You’re a condescending prick, who’s very far removed from the realities of a student’s life.
can i “subscribe to own”. after sending as much or more than the total retail price?
*spending