Adobe kills Creative Suite – all future features online only
Demos hardware magic wand and Project Napoleon
By Iain Thomson in San Francisco •
Posted in Cloud, 6th May 2013 19:55 GMT
Adobe had been expected to demo Creative Suite 7 at its MAX conference down in smoky Los Angeles on Monday, but instead announced there'll be no more versions of its boxed software and that the Creative Suite brand will cease to exist. All CS apps updates will only be added to its Creative Cloud suite, and Adobe showed off some new tools to tempt its software stick-in-the-muds online.
"We believe that we're now collectively hitting a tipping point where the web is now ready for a generation of tools and services that help build the future of HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript web," said David Wadhwani, general manager of Adobe's digital media business unit, at the MAX keynote.
The current system of duplicating changes made in the Creative Suite and Creative Cloud products was wasteful and unproductive, he explained, and while existing boxed-software owners will still be supported, they won't be getting any more upgrades from Adobe.
<more (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/05/06/adobe_kills_creative_suite_for_cloud/)>
"We believe that Creative Cloud will have a larger impact on the creative world than anything else we've done over the past three decades," Adobe said in a letter to customers. "It is our single highest priority to enable deep integration between our tools and services"
No Photoshop in boxed, physical format? If I were the alternatives I would be partying till the unshopped sun rises :D-rgdot (May 06, 2013, 05:43 PM)
No Photoshop in boxed, physical format? If I were the alternatives I would be partying till the unshopped sun rises :D-rgdot (May 06, 2013, 05:43 PM)
No Photoshop in boxed, physical format? If I were the alternatives I would be partying till the unshopped sun rises :D-rgdot (May 06, 2013, 05:43 PM)
Who exactly are the alternatives besides Corel, who are too busy dismembering their products to appreciate this?-app103 (May 06, 2013, 07:13 PM)
No Photoshop in boxed, physical format? If I were the alternatives I would be partying till the unshopped sun rises :D-rgdot (May 06, 2013, 05:43 PM)
Who exactly are the alternatives besides Corel, who are too busy dismembering their products to appreciate this?-app103 (May 06, 2013, 07:13 PM)
Last I knew the poster "non-alternative" is GIMP. I hear it's just too different and missing important things.-TaoPhoenix (May 06, 2013, 08:16 PM)
Since when is GIMP in a boxed physical format?-app103 (May 06, 2013, 09:37 PM)
... and being able to open/save vectors in a format that is acceptable for professional use ...-app103 (May 06, 2013, 09:37 PM)
... and being able to open/save vectors in a format that is acceptable for professional use ...-app103 (May 06, 2013, 09:37 PM)
I assume you mean .pdf or .ps ? Or am I wrong?-vlastimil (May 07, 2013, 02:54 AM)
... and being able to open/save vectors in a format that is acceptable for professional use ...-app103 (May 06, 2013, 09:37 PM)
I assume you mean .pdf or .ps ? Or am I wrong?-vlastimil (May 07, 2013, 02:54 AM)
I could well be wrong as I havent used more recent versions, but I thought that Photoshop only exported paths to illustrator, i.e. in .ai/illustrator format.
I guess like the doc format for word-processors, any serious graphic software has to be able to open that though :-\-tomos (May 07, 2013, 03:09 AM)
^ah okay, I thought ye were comparing with Photoshop (just in case not clear: I was talking about Photoshop's capabilities when exporting *paths* - not pixels).
I havent heard much positive about Corel unfortunately over the years. I do know of people who were using it professionally but not for publication.
FWIW when creating PDF's, I've also had trouble *with certain fills* with the supposedly dream combination Illustrator and Acrobat/distiller (CS4 & CS3 respectively). My solution was to (successfully) use the free PDFCreator (which is also unfortunately included in the "Contest" - The most difficult Opt Out screens on installs!? (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=34769.msg324877#msg324877) thread).
I dont often get stuff published/offset-printed but have had no problems with the PDFCreator PDF's.-tomos (May 07, 2013, 06:26 AM)
^ah okay, I thought ye were comparing with Photoshop (just in case not clear: I was talking about Photoshop's capabilities when exporting *paths* - not pixels).
I havent heard much positive about Corel unfortunately over the years. I do know of people who were using it professionally but not for publication.
FWIW when creating PDF's, I've also had trouble *with certain fills* with the supposedly dream combination Illustrator and Acrobat/distiller (CS4 & CS3 respectively). My solution was to (successfully) use the free PDFCreator (which is also unfortunately included in the "Contest" - The most difficult Opt Out screens on installs!? (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=34769.msg324877#msg324877) thread).
I dont often get stuff published/offset-printed but have had no problems with the PDFCreator PDF's.-tomos (May 07, 2013, 06:26 AM)
Not trying to solve a problem here, trying to point one out...and the problem is Corel, as a company, makes a habit of dropping the ball and destroying previously great applications by not developing them in a way that allows them to become even better. If they had, then Paintshop Pro would be next in line to become the industry standard, behind Photoshop and Illustrator, a real alternative for those looking to migrate away from Adobe, their cloud crap, and still be able to have a boxed product.
My complaints about file formats was just an example of one of the many ways they failed to improve the product and bring it up to the level a professional would require. Instead they wasted developer resources on rather useless stuff. Corel really missed the boat, this time, and I hope they are kicking themselves...hard.
And I don't see PDFCreator as a good substitute, since it's not likely you can use it to draw stuff like this (https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=31177.msg299340#msg299340), from scratch.-app103 (May 07, 2013, 07:26 AM)
really not much use for average users in my opinion.-rgdot (May 07, 2013, 11:30 AM)
Not that long ago they did a nice thing with their CS2 (or was it 3?) product give-away and now they do this. Ah well, lets hope this move will make them see how the bottom of their "war chest" looks like.-Shades (May 07, 2013, 06:07 PM)
Adobe will love the idea that nobody will ever be able to pirate Photoshop ever again. Everyone that wants to use it will have to pay for it, monthly.-https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=29203.msg270859#msg270859
Update: Fireworks has been killed off.
Adobe targets the same Pro and Pro-sumer community that Apple had the misfortune of knowing when it redesigned Final Cut Pro. Adobe’s decision to solely embrace a subscription offering could lead to mass protest if not handled correctly.
Adobe will love the idea that nobody will ever be able to pirate Photoshop ever again. Everyone that wants to use it will have to pay for it, monthly.-https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=29203.msg270859#msg270859
Another inch closer!
;)-app103 (May 07, 2013, 10:26 PM)
I'm also guessing Microsoft and Intuit will wait until to see how much pushback Adobe actually gets. (I'm predicting they'll get very little.)-40hz (May 08, 2013, 06:24 AM)
Adobe will love the idea that nobody will ever be able to pirate Photoshop ever again. Everyone that wants to use it will have to pay for it, monthly.-https://www.donationcoder.com/forum/index.php?topic=29203.msg270859#msg270859
Another inch closer!
;)-app103 (May 07, 2013, 10:26 PM)
How long do you think before someone produces copies with the activation and online check code stripped out or the activation period updated to 1000 years?-Carol Haynes (May 08, 2013, 08:12 AM)
If anyone thinks this will stop piracy they are not in the real world - this is a HUGE gauntlet to throw down to hackers and what's more some loyal customers who feel ripped off will contemplate using cracked software rather than be extorted on a monthly subscription.
Maybe pissing off all those PITA "amateurs" is considered an unanticipated benefit?Good to know I'll still be of some benefit to somebody ;D ;D ;D-40hz (May 08, 2013, 08:24 AM)
How long do you think before someone produces copies with the activation and online check code stripped out or the activation period updated to 1000 years?That will work for now... but I expect them to begin moving more and more computations to the cloud within long. Just like there's big players trying to push internet-streamed gaming... it's a big wet dream not only to stop piracy, but perpetually be-Carol Haynes (May 08, 2013, 08:12 AM)
perpetually berapereavesheepcustomers of cash on a monthly basis.-f0dder (May 08, 2013, 10:37 AM)
Industry reaction is mixed. Some pundits point to this as the future, others explore challenges, and a few wonder if Office is next.
Like Adobe, we think subscription software-as-a-service is the future. The benefits to consumers are huge. Subscribers are always up-to-date. They get the latest and most complete applications. They can use subscriptions across the multitude of devices people use today. Web services like SkyDrive and applications like Skype are also more easily integrated with subscription services, like the new Office 365 Home Premium.
However, unlike Adobe, we think people's shift from packaged software to subscription services will take time. Within a decade, we think everyone will choose to subscribe because the benefits are undeniable.
Stay positive! ;)-superboyac (May 08, 2013, 03:28 PM)
u know, I've been noticing that the media seems to insist that the benefits of subscription cloud services are "undeniable". And I'm getting really annoyed by it. Not because there are no benefits, there are. But the way they say it, it makes it sound like the local installation does NOT have any benefits. And those who don't understand the differences hear this and it seems like it is gaining momentum.-superboyac (May 08, 2013, 03:28 PM)
u know, I've been noticing that the media seems to insist that the benefits of subscription cloud services are "undeniable". And I'm getting really annoyed by it. Not because there are no benefits, there are. But the way they say it, it makes it sound like the local installation does NOT have any benefits. And those who don't understand the differences hear this and it seems like it is gaining momentum.-superboyac (May 08, 2013, 03:28 PM)
The media is behaving like any good lapdog and doing exactly what they're told. The one pivotally critical detail that the cloud shills miss/overlook/ignore is the simple fact that the internet does not exist as a singular thing. It is a ramshackle group of discontiguous networks that just-so-happen to share relatively well with their neighbors. but any break in the chain of resold (to the Nth power) services that comprise the sum total internet could quite easily cripple a company if it decided to have a hiccup either at the right time, or for a long enough time. I've already had a (client's) cloud provider claim that a problem had to be on my (our collective) end because they could access the servers (INTERNALLY!!!) just fine... Yet I'm looking right at a trace route report that clearly says that their up level provider just took a shit because that is exactly where all the packet movement stops!
I've already gone ballistic on the phone when one of the cloud sales drones made the mistake of telling me that their total downtime for the previous year was only 11 minutes. Because I don't give a flying :) what their down time is ... I need to ensure that everybody between point A, and point B stays just dandy so my company's down time doesn't spike us right into the toilet. Because if a drunk hits a pole up the street from me, and the local utility company doesn't get it fixed really soon... Guess what? My company is blind as a bat trying to function .. Regardless of whether or not the "cloud" is allegedly construed as being "up" (I'm still getting fisted).-Stoic Joker (May 08, 2013, 05:38 PM)
[...]
I've already gone ballistic on the phone when one of the cloud sales drones made the mistake of telling me that their total downtime for the previous year was only 11 minutes. Because I don't give a flying :) what their down time is ... I need to ensure that everybody between point A, and point B stays just dandy so my company's down time doesn't spike us right into the toilet. Because if a drunk hits a pole up the street from me, and the local utility company doesn't get it fixed really soon... Guess what? My company is blind as a bat trying to function .. Regardless of whether or not the "cloud" is allegedly construed as being "up" (I'm still getting fisted).-Stoic Joker (May 08, 2013, 05:38 PM)
Somewhat 'prosaically' put - but pretty damn accurate (fisting or not).
At the end of the day none of this stuff is about customers or cloud benefits or anything that matters to users - it is all about assured and large revenue streams for US corporations. Corporation - business (extortion) as usual.-Carol Haynes (May 09, 2013, 04:09 AM)
Give me your money!http://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/containing/1815530
Not quite sure about Adobe's "cloud" branding. The software is exactly the same as before. It installs on your computer, the licence is locked to that computer unless you deauthorise it. The "cloud" appears to be just the way Adobe have worked out to ensure they extract money from users every month instead of those pesky people who refuse to upgrade their software every year,
Make no mistake, this is just a scheme to squeeze money out of the end users. They may as well brand it "Adobe remote wallet opening device".
For Adobe, the reasoning behind this decision is simple. According to our sources, the company had long searched for ways to stabilize its revenue. Previously, it would receive bursts of income every two years with the latest Creative Suite release. Convincing users to upgrade was a daunting task that left an impact on product decisions.(my emphasis:)
The new lineup ... also includes the Lightroom photo management app—the only Creative Cloud offering that will continue as both a perpetual license and cloud subscription.http://www.macworld.com/article/2037034/adobe-scraps-software-licenses-in-favor-of-cloud-subscription-scheme-for-creative-suite-line.html
Why is Lightroom a special case? Because Adobe makes the distinction between professionals using software for their livelihood and enthusiasts who use it for fun. “Lightroom is tricky because it falls in between," said Morris [Scott Morris, Adobe's senior marketing director]. "Lots of consumers use Lightroom, but it’s also used by pro photographers. So we’re treating it both ways."
Data should be cached on end-user computers and the caching should be intelligent enough to predict what data the user would likely need next and download it from the cloud in advance. The cloud should work even if the connection to the whole internet is severed and only connections to local computers remain. If the data is on any of the local computers, it should be accessible.-vlastimil (May 09, 2013, 04:48 AM)
Which does seem to confirm 40's idea that they are otherwise simply not interested in the amatuer public. I thought a lot of camera enthusiasts used Photoshop, but I guess they may have mostly moved on to Lightroom.-tomos (May 09, 2013, 04:50 AM)
...Creative Cloud desktop applications (such as Photoshop and Illustrator) are installed directly on your computer, so you won't need an ongoing Internet connection to use them on a daily basis.
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 3 months (99 days) even if you're offline.
re: Adobe online authorization/activation
Actually...what Adobe requires to use CS doesn't look all that unreasonable to me. Apps are installed locally and can be used without a constant (or even frequent) Internet connection. Per Adobe's FAQ:...Creative Cloud desktop applications (such as Photoshop and Illustrator) are installed directly on your computer, so you won't need an ongoing Internet connection to use them on a daily basis.
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 3 months (99 days) even if you're offline.
I don't personally consider that requirement to be all that unreasonable.-40hz (May 09, 2013, 07:09 AM)
I've heard different experiences (described online) from people using CC over the last year. That could be bugginess in Adobe's implementation, but who cares - if it dont work, it dont work ...-tomos (May 09, 2013, 07:18 AM)
You know, I've been noticing that the media seems to insist that the benefits of subscription cloud services are "undeniable". And I'm getting really annoyed by it. Not because there are no benefits, there are. But the way they say it, it makes it sound like the local installation does NOT have any benefits. And those who don't understand the differences hear this and it seems like it is gaining momentum.-superboyac (May 08, 2013, 03:28 PM)
Given that, where are the benefits to the user that are so undeniable?
What does it really mean for software to be "in the cloud"?True. Initially, it sounded like the software would be run through the browser or something. Especially with the talk about HTML5 and what not. But now, it sounds like you describe, basically same local installation and a different license verification technique. I don't see how "cloud" is being used except for license transactions. I guess if your work files are being synced online automatically, that's also part of the cloud. But the question is, is the actual software running online or locally? Fully cloud, to me, means I work on photoshop within firefox. Meaning I didn't install anything on my computer.
Because I don't see anything interesting in Adobe's change, in terms of software architecture. So far as I can discern, the only things that are changing are:
- Only available via download, no physical media
- Auto-update via download
- Change from a single payment perpetual license to a recurring subscription payment
- Optional online storage of data (which we already have via tumblr, etc., anyway)
So it's a minor tweak to delivery, and a fundamental change in how you pay for it.
Given that, where are the benefits to the user that are so undeniable? The *only* benefit I can see is the convenience of automatic updates, but to me that's quite minor. It doesn't make the pricing model change undeniably better, and the once actual change is something that I'm not willing to pay any extra for.-CWuestefeld (May 09, 2013, 11:55 AM)