Pay for play.
As long as I’m railing against Adobe for their exorbitant upgrade pricing, I might as well relay one of the ideas that’s been bouncing around my head for a while: why not allow users to download software for free, and only pay each time they use it.
Heavy duty Photoshop users, for example, would pay more than the casual experimenter. Professionals would likely pay more than amateurs. And you could have corporate pricing, similar to family plans in the cell phone world.
I believe more people would download the applications to try them out, and if they liked them, subscribe. Plus, users wouldn’t have the pain associated with upgrade cycles. When new releases come out, they just download the update and keep paying. This would alleviate the perceived need on the part of software developers to push upgrades out every 18 months, and allow them to focus on iterative improvements instead. And, it would reduce the revenue lull between upgrade releases for developers, providing a more consistent stream of revenue.
I’m sure there are many sound business reasons why things don’t work this way, but I’m too frustrated to think of any right now.
Perhaps as software continues its migration into the cloud, this is the way it will be.
Until then: Adobe, lower your upgrade prices, dammit!
that is the dumbest thing i’ve heard of in a LONG time. why in the world would i want to “rent” photoshop/illustrator/indesign? that’s like renting a donut, eating half of it, then giving back the other half to the person you rented the donut from. that’s just plain RETARDED.
Actually, it’s nothing like eating a donut, since the donut is reduced in quality and amount after use, whereas software (just like videos, music, or games you rent onilne) aren’t diminished in the least.
Currently you rent all your software: you don’t own any of it, you’re just licensed to use it. The only difference in the model I’m suggesting is that you’d only pay for the time you use it. It’s similar to taking a cab vs. owning a car: I’m only paying for the time I’m in the cab. Or renting a music studio instead of buying all the equipment, etc.
In fact, Adobe already has a limited rental program where instead of paying the full amount, I pay a pro-rated amount for the duration of a project.
Another, closer analogy would be Aviary, the suite of online graphic software programs. While their product is currently free, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect that they would charge for use, so an entry level graphic designer with limited funds could pay as they go instead of having to pony up thousands just to get equipped. One might also think of music rental programs (not iTunes), where you listen to music over the cloud, but you don’t officially own it; you pay per use.
At any rate, I thank you for your thoughtful, good-natured, respectful reply. I also encourage you not to post anonymously in the future; it might take the edge of your responses. Have a wonderful day, and keep up the good work.
As we learn of more companies placing corporate wealth in front of customer satisfaction I’m reminded of the Mark Cuban quote “Make your product easier to buy than your competition, or you will find your customers buying from them, not you.” I have for some time felt that Adobe is one of the least friendly, least customer service oriented companies I’ve ever had the displeasure to have dealt with. I never understood their mindset of penalizing customers who like their products although this is a pattern they’ve consistently repeated. Perhaps it’s something in their core corporate makeup, such as giving away Reader to establish it’s ubiquity and then gouging for every other Adobe product. I’d personally avoid C$5 and go with the $59 knock off if those features will suffice. Good luck.
Interesting idea. Like you mentioned, there may be a lot logistical issues with it. It is based on time used or based on times the application is launched. Either way, people would find workarounds.
On a side note, Photoshop CS5 (full version) is 1,434 euros in France.
Last – Have you heard of PixelMator? It’s basically Photoshop with a different interface. For only $59. http://www.pixelmator.com/
I It’s incredible the level of functionality and thought that has been put to other imaging applications out there and nobody ever talks about those.