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Adobe Cloud vs CS
Aloha all!
I didn’t see a general “Adobe questions” forum, so forgive me is this is only marginally on-topic.
I oversee the facilities for the Communication Dept at a small private university. This includes a 20 station Mac lab.
Currently, we use Adobe’s CS 5 Design package for our graphic design and other publication classes, and Final Cut Studio 2 for video classes. I’m unhappy with FCP X, and am planning to migrate to Adobe Premiere once funding permits.
My initial plan was simply to buy the CS 6 Master Collection. But I’m puzzled by the whole Creative Cloud option.
If I understand correctly, Adobe is offering to rent me their products instead of selling them to me. Is this accurate?
Advantages to the Master Collection:
1. I will own it. As long as the hardware and OS remain compatible, it will keep working.
2. It comes on physical disks. Internet only needed for licensing and upgrades.Disadvantages to the Master Collection:
1. Awfully expensive.
2. Upgrades are never, never free.Advantages to Creative Cloud:
1. Short-term cost savings.
2. Perpetually free upgrades.Disadvantages to Creative Cloud:
1. I stop paying, the software stops working.
2. Heavily dependent on broadband technology.Is this a fair and accurate comparison? What am I missing, and what do I have wrong?
Mahalo!
Tom GThe difference between theory and reality is that, in theory, there is no difference between theory and reality.
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6 Replies
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[Tom Galli] “If I understand correctly, Adobe is offering to rent me their products instead of selling them to me. Is this accurate?”
More or less.
[Tom Galli] “Disadvantages to Creative Cloud:
2. Heavily dependent on broadband technology.”This is not the case: the product doesn’t actually run in the cloud. You install the software on your desktop and the Creative Cloud subscription replaces your serial numbers.
With Creative Cloud, you install the software locally on your machine and all the software actually runs right on your desktop. You need to be online when you install, and at least once every 30 days thereafter for authetication.
Creative Cloud subscribers will also get early access to new features.
Check out the Creative Cloud FAQ [link] — worth the read if you’re thinking about getting on subscription.
Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events -
[Walter Soyka] “This is not the case: the product doesn’t actually run in the cloud. You install the software on your desktop and the Creative Cloud subscription replaces your serial numbers”
I wasn’t thinking that it runs on the cloud; rather, that it requires you to download the software individually for each machine. Looking at the FAQ you linked to, and knowing the enforced limitations of our IT infrastructure, let’s say it takes an hour per app to download. Times 8 apps that we’ll actually use. Times 25 computers. That’s a lot of time to get up and running!
Now, if I can download it to one machine, then use that as a master drive to transfer to other machines (the same way I do disc-based installs) then it’s MUCH less of an issue.
The difference between theory and reality is that, in theory, there is no difference between theory and reality.
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[Tom Galli] “Now, if I can download it to one machine, then use that as a master drive to transfer to other machines (the same way I do disc-based installs) then it’s MUCH less of an issue.”
Well, I rather glossed over that, didn’t I? I don’t know how educational volume licensing would come into play for subscription. I’d try to talk to a sales rep and maybe also volume licensing tech support to get specific answers to these questions.
Walter Soyka
Principal & Designer at Keen Live
Motion Graphics, Widescreen Events, Presentation Design, and Consulting
RenderBreak Blog – What I’m thinking when my workstation’s thinking
Creative Cow Forum Host: Live & Stage Events -
just download the whole master collection trial DMG once and copy/transfer, it is the full suite. Once installed you can log into your creative cloud account and activate your subscription.
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You also have to weigh out how this looks in a budget.
Full software acquisition can be a harder sell to your superiors because it’s a large up-front cost.
Subscriptions are smaller costs that can slide by each year in the budget.
I did some number crunching (and this may be different with academic pricing) but creative cloud’s costs are usually more appealing if you’re a long term Adobe user.
Initial price for master suite ~$2,600
Price for upgrade (yearly) ~$500
Cost over 5 years $4,600Initial price for Production premium suite (video) $1,900
Price for upgrade (yearly) ~$375
Cost over 5 years $3,400Price for Creative Cloud on yearly contract $600 ($50*12)
Cost over 5 years $3,000Angelo Lorenzo
Fallen Empire Digital Production Services – Los Angeles
RED transcoding, on-set DIT, and RED Epic rental services
Fallen Empire – The Blog
A blog dedicated to filmmaking, the RED workflow, and DIT tips and tricks -
I was sold the second they told me you could install it on both a PC and a Mac at your home office. Upgrades for the suite for just one OS usually run about $550 a year. The lease price for the full suite is $600 a year. So long as you like to stay up to date with the software this is a great deal in my book. It’s even better if you’ve never had to buy the initial software in the first place. And for those of us who already own it, the cost is only $30 a month for the first year.
Dragzz
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