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Cloud drawbacks as I see them.
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[David Lawrence] “Which means you will not be able to open your files. Thanks, but no thanks.”
So then your plan is to keep CS6 running forever and just never upgrade your computer beyond what you have now?
Software delivery via Cloud or direct download is moving forward very quickly. It’s not like Adobe is the ONLY company doing this. It’s becoming the standard for software delivery and within the next several years, it’ll probably be the only way to get your software. So if you hate this concept, well you’re gonna be in a heap of trouble in the next few years.
I guess that’s the problem I have with this entire thread. Software delivery is evolving, boxes and “ownership” of something tangible is going away. Apple only delivers their creative software via download. Autodesk delivers Smoke 2013 via download and they have had a licensing model for years. Davinci Resolve delivers via download. If you’re this upset about the “Cloud delivery” of Adobe products then move on to something else because it’s not going away, so either evolve with the product line, or go find something that still delivers in boxes. Avid might be the only one left.
As for the monthly subscription, you better believe everyone else is looking at Adobe’s model right now and trying to figure out how to make it work for their own software, especially software that costs in the same range or more. I expect by 2014 just about all of the major players will have some sort of a Cloud Subscription model in place. Adobe is just leading the way on that among the major manufacturers.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
Editor, Colorist, Director, Writer, Consultant, Author, Chef.
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“Science Nation” – Three years and counting of Science for the People. -
[walter biscardi] “So then your plan is to keep CS6 running forever and just never upgrade your computer beyond what you have now? “
No, but I should have the option of freezing an old machine and have it still work with the software I’ve already purchased.
[walter biscardi] “Software delivery is evolving, boxes and “ownership” of something tangible is going away. Apple only delivers their creative software via download. Autodesk delivers Smoke 2013 via download and they have had a licensing model for years. Davinci Resolve delivers via download. If you’re this upset about the “Cloud delivery” of Adobe products then move on to something else because it’s not going away, so either evolve with the product line, or go find something that still delivers in boxes. Avid might be the only one left.”
It’s not about physical boxes. What’s important is when you currently buy software from Apple, Autodesk, Blackmagic, and yes, even Adobe, it keeps working when you’re done paying for it.
The language in this thread is a bit confusing. We’re discussing two separate concepts that are getting mixed together.
1) Electronic delivery vs physical delivery
2) Software ownership vs software rental
I have no problem with electronic delivery. I prefer it. It’s how I upgraded to CS6 from CS5.5
I have zero interest in software rental. None. There’s only downside in my situation from my POV.
It has nothing to do with cost. It has everything to do with who controls access to the tools my business depends on. And it has everything to do with who controls access to the documents I own that I created with those tools. I’m not willing to give away that control. No way.
Here’s a a thought experiment for you. What if FCP Legacy was a subscription service? What if when Apple EOL’d it in 2011, they decided to flip a switch and turn it off? Or what if they gave a year and then switched it off? How would that work out for everyone? You can laugh and say they’d never do such a thing but with a subscription service model, nothing prevents that exact scenario from happening. The only thing we’re left with is trust that the software vendor won’t jack up prices or cut us off from our documents (either accidentally or intentionally). I think we’ve all learned hard lessons over the years about software vendors and trust. Thanks but no thanks. I prefer “Trust, but verify.”
[walter biscardi] “As for the monthly subscription, you better believe everyone else is looking at Adobe’s model right now and trying to figure out how to make it work for their own software, especially software that costs in the same range or more. I expect by 2014 just about all of the major players will have some sort of a Cloud Subscription model in place. Adobe is just leading the way on that among the major manufacturers.”
Perhaps, but I predict a huge backlash for software companies that try to force a rental model without providing any options for perpetual licensing. Case in point, Microsoft, who’ve already had to backtrack on licensing terms for Office 2013/365 because people hated it.
Software subscriptions make sense for a lot of situations. But there are also plenty of situations where they are completely inappropriate. As long as we all have a choice, everyone wins.
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David Lawrence
art~media~design~research
propaganda.com
publicmattersgroup.com
facebook.com/dlawrence
twitter.com/dhl -
Well said, David. My thoughts exactly.
Tom Daigon
PrP / After Effects Editor
HP Z820 Dual 2687
64GB ram
Dulce DQg2 16TB raid -
David, just a quick aside. It must have been quite an experience working at Lucasfilm when you did.
Tom Daigon
PrP / After Effects Editor
HP Z820 Dual 2687
64GB ram
Dulce DQg2 16TB raid -
[David Lawrence] “The language in this thread is a bit confusing. We’re discussing two separate concepts that are getting mixed together.
1) Electronic delivery vs physical delivery
2) Software ownership vs software rental”
This is exactly right. I’ve conflated the two incorrectly in my speech as well. Thank you for the clarification.
[walter biscardi] “Apple only delivers their creative software via download. Autodesk delivers Smoke 2013 via download and they have had a licensing model for years. Davinci Resolve delivers via download.”
@Walter I don’t think anybody in this thread is upset with digital delivery of software (i.e. boxes vs download). I know I’m certainly not. There really isn’t any software that I purchase now that I don’t download off the intertubes (FCPX, Adobe, Resolve, Smoke, etc.). I’m not worried about digital delivery. I think people in this thread are apprehensive about how they come to own or lease their software. Much like a car, some love leasing, others prefer to own long term.
In all the examples you sight – FCPX, Resolve, Smoke – all of those are purchased perpetual licenses delivered via download. If you don’t want to upgrade to Smoke 2013, no problem. Stay on 2012 as long as it runs for you (1, 2, 3, or more years). Make a backup of the .dmg file and you can re-install it as long as the system will run it. If you don’t want to upgrade to Resolve 10, no problem. Stay on 9 as long as it runs on your system. You own it.
I like the Cloud as an option, just not as the only option. I am one who tends to upgrade as they come out with new releases, but I realize that that model doesn’t work for everybody. Some people upgrade every other version or every third version. I tend to want the new features but I realize there’s a good portion of the market that either doesn’t need it, can’t afford it, or doesn’t have the system to take advantage of it so there isn’t much point for them.
[David Lawrence] “Here’s a a thought experiment for you. What if FCP Legacy was a subscription service? What if when Apple EOL’d it in 2011, they decided to flip a switch and turn it off?
I think this is an interesting hypothetical. I can only imagine how much worse the backlash would’ve been had Apple de-activated FCP1-7 on June 21, 2011.
[David Lawrence] “Software subscriptions make sense for a lot of situations. But there are also plenty of situations where they are completely inappropriate. As long as we all have a choice, everyone wins.”
+1 to this. More options = more ways to saturate the market with your product. In software licensing more flexibility is a win, in my opinion. I’m sure we’ll know in another month or two what Adobe will do. There seems to be too much FUD going around right now about Adobe, the Cloud, and CS. They have a killer product in CSNext and I’m excited to get my hands on it somehow in the near future. I’m glad to see that on the software feature side, Adobe has listened seemingly very, very well to its customer base. They appear to have a solid feature set headed our way.
Ryan Holmes
http://www.ryanholmes.me
@CutColorPost -
David Lawrence-
Software subscriptions make sense for a lot of situations. But there are also plenty of situations where they are completely inappropriate. As long as we all have a choice, everyone wins.Ryan Holmes-
I like the Cloud as an option, just not as the only option. I am one who tends to upgrade as they come out with new releases, but I realize that that model doesn’t work for everybody. Some people upgrade every other version or every third version. I tend to want the new features but I realize there’s a good portion of the market that either doesn’t need it, can’t afford it, or doesn’t have the system to take advantage of it so there isn’t much point for them.
I think you guys have hit upon the essence of how many of us feel. Choice is important. I cant really understand the hostility expressed by naysayers and fan boys when folks express the desire for choice on how we purchase Adobe software. Regardless I am proud that folks have stepped forward to let Adobe know what they want before decisions have been made and the products released.
I have always appreciated how well they listen to us as editors. Now we will see how well they listen to us as customers.
Tom Daigon
PrP / After Effects Editor
HP Z820 Dual 2687
64GB ram
Dulce DQg2 16TB raid -
You have an option to check Jadobe retail vendors. If you dont then dont complain.
Richard
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You can speak all you want but you are loosing valuble time. the sooner you get cs 5.-5.5 or 6 the fazte you resolve your problem. Adobe has stated that it will only be 1 version prior upgrades. so catch while you can.
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[Tom Daigon] “David, just a quick aside. It must have been quite an experience working at Lucasfilm when you did.”
It’s not often you get told your job is “to invent the future”. For me, even crazier was being fresh out college and in the space of a week going from slinging lattes at a local cafe to sitting in a Cupertino board room kicking ideas around with Douglas Engelbart.
My colleagues and I used to joke about it being the “golden age” of multimedia, but looking back, there was a lot of truth to that sentiment. It was an amazing time when anything seemed possible.
BTW, when I started, my project was a special research project at Lucasfilm Games. There were under 20 employees in the entire games group. When we went from research into production, Games Division was spun into two new groups – Lucasfilm Learning (for educational products, like my project) and LucasArts (for games). When I went to the 25-year anniversary party for Games Group at their new home in the Letterman Digital Arts Center in the SF Presidio, the group had grown from under 20 to over 400 employees.
A couple weeks ago, Lucasfilm’s new owner, The Walt Disney Company, shut LucasArts; just 154 days after acquiring it.
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David Lawrence
art~media~design~research
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