Upgrade CS6 or CS?

There is a very current thread on this topic under way on the the Creative COW.  You might want to read it:

http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/2/1035457

Well first of all I'm very happy I had a chance to upgrade from AE7.0 (yes pre CS) to AE CS5.5 including a free update to CS6. This was really a steal. But yes, forcing clients to upgrade every version or losing their investment seems quite harsh. Of course there's more to it than getting more money from the users. It's also saving lots of money by not having to support up to 4 versions. I really don't want to switch to the cloud because I only use AE at home so there's no benefit in having all the other stuff. Also if you only pay the software when you need if for a paid job, you might not want to afford the time you need to practice new techniques and such. I know some cloud guys and they have it all but master none. Just my 2 cents.

> forcing clients to upgrade every version or losing their investment seems quite harsh

That's not what is happening.

People using the previous version (CS5.5) or the one before that (CS5) can get upgrade pricing to CS6. That's going back to a version released three years ago.

Andrew's CS4 software (which was release five years ago) doesn't qualify for upgrade pricing to CS6.

Andrew, I'm sorry if someone at NAB was rude to you when you asked your question.

You do understand that Creative Cloud is just a marketing term for Adobe's subscription payment model.  The software is identical to the fully paid version, get's installed to the local hard drive, runs off the local hard drive, and only needs the Internet connection once a month to make sure the payment is in?

A plus for the CC subscription is that Adobe now introduces updates for it, before they do for the perpetual license version (at least for PS). Hints have flowed that some updates might NEVER make it beyond the CC licensed products, but only time will tell whether that is true.

Still not enough to temp me to change the license for my Adobe software. Come CS 6.5/CS 7, I might change my mind, so I will "never say never." However, that is just MY personal choice, and others seem to benefit greatly from various CC licenses.

Hunt

Oh I do agree.

When editing a Project, I will seldom update anything, from the OS to the NLE - nothing, until I am done.

Good luck,

Hunt

We prefer to not rent.

That's fine.  From your post, it sounded like you thought Creative Cloud meant the software was run over the Internet, as opposed to locally.

the cost is three or even four times as much.

That depends on how often you upgrade.  If you typically get each new version, CC is by far the cheaper option.  If you upgrade less often, then purchasing can work out cheaper.  That's why it's nice to have both options.

we should have a choice

You do.  You can buy the software, or subscribe.  That you can't 'upgrade' from such an old version is a separate issue, and not all that uncommon.

I am aware that it is local if you like them being able to turn off your apps enjoy

It is the price you pay for not having to pay full price up front.  But so long as your payments are in each month, the software remains fully functional.

As for price it is more on the cloud hands down

Again, that depends on how often you upgrade.  As I joined when it first started for only $30/month, Creative Cloud worked out to be considerably less than buying the software, even at the upgrade price.  And with a new version about to be released, I will get those new features and won't have to shell out another chunk of cash on the upgrade.

As for choice you are reading this text not talking to sales they like a broken record said get on the cloud.

That's true.  But a pushy sales department doesn't alter the fact that you can go to the web site and order the Creative Cloud subscription, or buy the disks outright.  Some folks will want those install disks, so it is nice to still have that option.

If you like that Support has been shipped to India great.

I'll agree with you on that.  I do think support for American customers should be located here in the US and use people whose first language is English.  Support for German customers should be located in Germany and use people whose first language is German, etc.  However, the current support line applies to everyone, even if you purchase the disks.

Jim to not alow a user to upgarade and insist that the cloud is the only option is to remove there choice.

Those are two different things.  Plenty of software companies only allow upgrade pricing back to a certain version.  This is nothing new, and has nothing to do with the new subscription model Adobe is calling the Creative Cloud, which is NOT the only option.  You can go to the web site and buy the familiar perpetual license, either as a download or have the install disks shipped to you.

So you do have a choice.  You can buy the license you're used to for $1,900 outright, or 'rent' it for $50 month.  (And there is even a current offer that also let's CS3 and later users subscribe for only $30/month, first year.)

[Adobe] will not have any modivation to improve the software! Fact

According to what data, because the CC has been around for a year now, and Adobe has been busting balls to get the improvements editors want (at least the FCP editors), as well as new features we didn't know we wanted.

http://tv.adobe.com/show/adobe-at-nab-2013/

But to be a Bully about it. NOOOO SIR

That's somewhat offensive to anyone who actually has been the target of bullying.

001andrew wrote:

 

Dave my post on the Cow were removed. i guess Adobe sponsering the cow has influence

We won't remove your posts here, as long as you follow our guidelines. Not sure what happened over there.

001andrew wrote:

 

I am seeing the light the MVP are staff  makes more sense Jim

MVPs are not staff, if that is what you're implying.

I agree with Kevin: We are happy to have the conversation. We have no intention of deleting posts that are just part of an active conversation about a matter that is important to all of our customers. I can't speak for the decisions of Creative COW, but accusations of us being responsible for their actions are misplaced.

Good riddance?

If you have not purchased any software in 5 years, saying you are a loyal customer may be inaccurate.

I needed to catch up from CS3 now that I have started eiditing again and I was not happy about paying for the programs I use, let alone the programs I want to use. Happily, the Creative Cloud allows me to pay by the month, stay as current as humanly possible, and I can justify having a program on my hard drive that I only use once per month - or less.

Nobody is going to take your CS3 or CS4 away from you. Upgrade. Don't upgrade. Who says that Adobe owes you a discount of any kind. Sure, they have done it in the past. But they never had to.

The MVP badge indicates a non-staff user. The bottom of the page on this link explains the MVP badge. http://forums.adobe.com/docs/DOC-2327#Points__Leaderboards

I have to agree with things say about the way Adobe is doing the creative cloud  leaving little choice and forcing us to move that way. If I look  over the other video forums of user of Adobe products , in many case they are not very happy, But there is more to this, it effects many users that are in areas where they have very slow downloads or no access to internet ,it effect a person who did a project on a older version of the product and needs to re-edit, a project in the future and needs access to uses CS6  year or 2 down the line, but he cannot because CS6 has been replace with CS8 subscription and not CS6 Subscripsion. This move to the Cloud has also effected  reseller of Adobe products Adobe , I have spoken to one  reseller  he has alread seen his sales of Adobe drop. Adobe is giong to loose many loyal users , I really feel Adobe should rethink this approach. This hold thing is starting to make me feel like the way Avid went and not listend to there customer base . I for one evenualy move away from Avid and left a very bad taste behind , I wonder how Avid is doing now these days , maybe a note should be takn out of this, listen to what the many users are saying on both sides and give everybody the choice and options.

Just my 2cent which is not worth much these days.   

Nobody is forcing anybody to buy the Creative Cloud. They are, however, really trying quite hard to make it look attractive to the majority of users. Lots of nice perks.

If you are likely to go back and edit with an older version, then you are correct. You are possibly better off having the box of software. My guess is that as long as people are buying the boxes, Adobe will continue to sell them.

However, I know that when Adobe provides little upgrades within the same version number, the old software seems to be gone. I do not know if it is possible to "downgrade" back to the version that worked. What I also don't know, and possibly no other user does yet either, is what happens when we move from CS6 to CS7 (or 6.5 or whatever "next" is).

Are we going to be given a choice to keep our CS6 along side CS7, CS8 and so on?  It should be possible. But will it be? Because if it is, it takes away one of your major, and quite logical, concerns.

Also, another concern is the requirement to log into the Internet every month. They really ought to be able to send you a key code of some sort with the e-mail they send to tell you they received your payment for the Creative Cloud. You could then sneaker-net the code over to the editing PC. That would eliminate any possibility of changes in the middle of an important project and help to keep viruses off of the editing PC.

As for resellers. Yes. You are right. They are going to have to change their business model. I have always purchased Adobe software from Adobe and not a reseller, but I know that other people do use resellers. The Creative Cloud hurts their business. The online sale of products from any manufacturer has been hurting resellers for years. And it is getting worse. But what can we do? We all buy from the Internet instead of paying more locally. It hurts us all in some ways, but it opens up the market to lots of products we would never had had access to before.

These are technical concerns more than sales concerns, and some of the staff here might actually be able to help out with things like these.

Adobe offers me products through the Creative Cloud that are not possible in a box. Or not logical to sell that way, in any case. Of course, I am just a hobbyist who dabbles at this. The professionals out there have different concerns and I think Adobe should address them.

I just don't think that a Sales decision to not allow CS3 owners to use that to get a discount is something that we can do anything about through this particular forum. At NAB? Sure. Via e-mail and snail mail to the appropriate people at Adobe? You bet!

So, I imagine the real question for Todd and Kevin is: Who should people write to? Who made the decision that people want overturned?

Steven,

In my ego-centric thinking, I had really not considered how the Creative Cloud would impact Adobe Certified Resellers, but you make a really good point.

The potential for an update to hit, while in mid-edit on a Project is also one that I had not considered. Not all updates have been without issues - some things DO change.

Thanks for taking my thinking outside the box.

Hunt

Two key points here are addressed at the five minute mark in the following video.

2. You CAN make a phone call to validate the license..

5. Updates are ALWAYS optional, they never get installed without your initiating it.

http://tv.adobe.com/watch/adobe-at-nab-2013/adobe-creative-cloud-for-video-professionals/

> Are we going to be given a choice to keep our CS6 along side CS7, CS8 and so on?  It should be possible. But will it be?

Yes.

You will be able to have as many versions installed on your system as you like (e.g., I now have After Effects 9.0.3, 10.0.2, 10.5.1, 11.0.2, and 12.0 installed and working fine on the same computer). You can also choose when (or if) to download and install new versions that come out while you're subscribed.

Here's an excerpt from a statement by one of my colleagues on this:

Creative Cloud paid members will have access to archived versions of major releases of desktop applications made available via Creative Cloud. Starting with CS6, older versions of the desktop creative applications will be archived and available for download. (If there were several dot releases during that product cycle, Adobe will choose the appropriate version to archive but may not archive every dot release.)

You will be able to have as many versions installed on your system as you like

I was hoping that older versions could be kept on the PC so it is good to hear that has been addressed.

You did not address the issue of downgrading back to an earlier dot release if the newest release breaks something important..

And the Zen master says, "We'll see

Now there's a "go get 'em" attitude which really gets things done.

Now there's a "go get 'em" attitude which really gets things done.

We'll see.

Hunt