Adobe Creative Suite is on the chopping block

[arsheesh]

So I just read this article about how Adobe is going to discontinue its Creative Suite in favor of a Creative Cloud model. The article had a fairly triumphal spin on this, and apparently the Creative Cloud model has thus far been a commercial success, but I for one am displeased by this. The basic issue for me boils down to the option of ownership (or more precisely, a perpetual license agreement).

Currently one has the option to pay a fee each month in order to gain a temporary license to the tools accessible on Creative Cloud. There are several advantages to this. First, one need not make a large investment up front to begin using industry standard tools. Second, one need not wait a year or two between releases in order to access the latest new tools. On the other hand, this model does not allow for a perpetual license to the tools, meaning that it requires a perpetual investment of resources. So there is a financial incentive for those who regularly work with CS to make the costly initial investment to purchase the tools and avoid this money leech. However soon this option will no longer be available, and that makes me rather cranky. I have been considering purchasing CS 6, and am thinking now that I may go ahead and do so while the option is still available.

What do the rest of you think about this?

[Jaxilon]

Well, I haven't read the article yet but I did join for the monthly fee or like 19.99 or whatever it is. I figured it was worth it to always have the most current version. I didn't have 699.00 or whatever to drop on a box of software and as long as I sell a couple commissions a year I'm covered. I don't use the cloud for squat except sharing files just because I don't trust anyone enough for that yet. So far, so good. I'm happy with it.

Now, if they start doing something stupid like forcing me to store my files up on some cloud hard drive, I'll have a cow.

If it's like it is now, I think the monthly fee is cheaper than buying the box every couple of years and you have the most current version all the time.

[Meshon]

This is a tough one for me. I am the happy owner of CS4, but I recently got a new computer and want it to play well with my software. CS4 is a bit out of date. However, that highlights my difficulty with the cloud model, since I only update my software every five years or so! For me the investment doesn't necessarily make sense. That said I'm still on the fence. I may switch over since the initial investment is low.

I like that there's an option. That's what I like. My 2CS'

cheers,
Meshon

[arsheesh]

I like that there's an option. That's what I like. My 2CS.Meshon

Well I do too, but that's just the point I was trying to make: pretty soon there won't be a choice.

[Meshon]

Well I do too, but that's just the point I was trying to make: pretty soon there won't be a choice.

Sorry, yes, I was a bit unclear. I mean, I like that there's a choice now, less keen on there not being a choice in the future.

cheers,
Meshon

[vorropohaiah]

I don't really see the problem. Cs5 or cs6 are are more than what we need. If you already own one them theres little reason to update (personally other than the colour I much prefer the interface of cs5 over 6. A lot of things I enjoyed or was used to or just plain preferred have changed, most of them for seemingly no reason other than the sake of change itself, but I digress). No ones forcing existing owners to upgrade... Or are they?

[ravells]

I can see lots of reasons for Adobe to want to move to the cloud model. Harder to pirate (I'm guessing) as you will probably need an internet connection in order to use the software each time you run it. It makes it affordable for many more people (lots of whom I'm guessing are the current pirates). Assuming the price is $20 (say £15) a month, that comes to £180 a year and always having the most up to date version. Right now I don't think there's anything in the latest extended suite I feel that I desperately need over CS4 which I already have, but I guess that will change at some point.

[Nyarlathoteps_Evil_Twin]

I can see lots of reasons for Adobe to want to move to the cloud model. Harder to pirate (I'm guessing) as you will probably need an internet connection in order to use the software each time you run it. It makes it affordable for many more people (lots of whom I'm guessing are the current pirates). Assuming the price is $20 (say £15) a month, that comes to £180 a year and always having the most up to date version. Right now I don't think there's anything in the latest extended suite I feel that I desperately need over CS4 which I already have, but I guess that will change at some point.

Just a note on the web connection point above - you don't need to be online to use the software - it just needs to go online once a month to check your subscription is still valid. When you sign up you download the software apps themselves (that was a fun day for the entire collection) then can use them as you like.

My wife and I are both designers and having got sick of trying to keep multiple machines up to date with Adobe software, we decided to take the plunge and go with the Creative Cloud option. Fortunately we did it via our company so we're not personally forking out the monthly fee (we're paying two subscriptions, though that covers two machines each - one desktop, one laptop). I can totally understand the cost implications from a hobbyist perspective, but to counter that it does give you a lot of bang for your buck - we went for the full sub and now have access to ALL Adobe software - we're paying around £50/month for that which may seem a lot, but then every update comes as part of the subscription so no more shelling out for new versions. Over the lifespan of the software I personally think it is good value, but like I said I'm paying through my company not personally.

I know there's a lot of anger over this model among the design community in general, but my view is that Adobe have got to make some money somewhere - theirs is probably some of the most heavily pirated software around. I'm not saying that this new subscription model is a good thing from the hobbyist perspective, as in the past I've been there myself (i.e. not being able/prepared to fork out hundreds for a piece of software). One bonus aspect though is that I now have access to software I never had the chance to try out before as part of my subscription (I'm currently teaching myself After Effects).

That's my perspective - not great for everybody but kind of inevitable...

[Vellum]

I'm not a real fan of this cloud option for two reasons, I do most of my work with an offline computer and I don't fully trust the security of a cloud system.

[Midgardsormr]

First of all, since the original article was unkind enough to nowhere link to a first-hand account: Adobe Creative Cloud press release

Things have been moving this direction somewhat inexorably, both in terms of specific products, such as Adobe's Creative Cloud and SimCity 5, and in terms of computing in general. Autodesk (publishers of Maya, Autocad, 3DS Max, et al) is starting to experiment with processing in the cloud, where the only thing running on the local machine is the GUI, and the actual software remains on their servers. And some hardware manufacturers are starting to look toward situations where the end user has what is effectively a dumb terminal: input and output on the desk, with the computer itself physically located elsewhere, or perhaps even virtualized in a server. At the moment, it's not yet possible to compress the video signal quite enough for Internet delivery, but you can easily push it over a LAN. Ironically, it's not yet possible to send HDMI that way, so PC-over-IP, while it looks more secure on paper, actually re-opens the analog hole that the content producers have been working so hard to close.

I personally don't like it. I want to purchase my software and then not have to worry about ongoing costs to use it. Additionally, with every new release, somebody's custom tools get broken. We're still using 3DS Max 2012 at work because 2013 isn't compatible with many of our scripts and plug-ins. I've heard that Weta is still using Maya 4 for certain parts of their pipeline. If we project that forward, we can assume that eventually, mandatory updates will cause no end of headaches for pipeline developers.

As for the cloud storage end of things, I think it's safe to say that it will never be mandatory to use it. For one thing, I can't imagine when we'll have fast enough Internet service here in the US to be able to work with high resolution uncompressed 10-bit video with any kind of interactivity if the files are being stored in the cloud. I'm having a hard enough time managing it on gigabit ethernet when the servers are just down the hall. There's no way I'd want to try to work on my current project if my footage were in the cloud.

Security is, of course, another matter. I haven't really looked into what Adobe's doing there, but I would hazard a guess that they're at least trying to meet the MPAA's standards for access and encryption. If they can hit that target, then I would feel safe enough to put my own projects in their vault.