Microsoft Comments On Adobe's Subscription Only Move

H

HardOCP News

[H] News
Joined
Dec 31, 1969
Messages
0
Microsoft has released a statement in regards to Adobe going subscription only. Microsoft's take on the subject? The company believes in the novel concept of offering customers a choice.

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. In the meantime, we are committed to offering choice--premier software sold as a package and powerful services sold as a subscription.
Click to expand...
 
That's what they say, it's more likely:

"Fuck you shithouse, we were going to do that first, now it just looks like we're copying you! :("

Wait why are they talking about choice when they seem to be trying as hard as they can to remove it from users and developers? :p
 
While I agree with the statement, Microsoft doesn't sell "premier" software, or even software that competes with CS.
 
subscription based software is bullshit. Sure there are perks, but it's also at the mercy of the company to keep delivering said perks. If you're not delivering, where's my incentive to keep paying?
 
Unless something better comes along I really can't stop using Photoshop. So my only real hope is that they bring it way down in price or the move backfires on them and Microsoft and every other company with sub ambitions.

But then I think to myself, a lot of people still play WoW.
 
Benefits are undeniable? Undeniable benefits for who? Congratulations customer you may now give us money for new software every year instead of every few years like it is now. EAT A DICK Corporate A$$holes.
 
I don't think subscription services are fair. You still pay per month even tho you might use the program only half a month. I'll subscribe but I want to have per hour billing kind of like cloud services. What happens if the service is inaccessible for two days why the hell should I be paying for that. Not everyone will have the same level of usage of a product offer a discount to those that use the program heavily for a monthly sub but if they seldomly use it why should any one pay the same for it for some one that uses it all the time.
We are going back to the mainframe days. All we will need is web browsers. Very few will have a workstation any more. Its whats going to kill microsoft windows division eventually.
 
Within a decade, we think everyone will choose to subscribe because the benefits are undeniable.
Click to expand...

So basically they are on the exact same plan in terms of eventually forcing everyone to subscribe, just a few years behind adobe.

I can see myself still using Office 2013 in 2025 before I subscribe to a version of Office.
 
Bring out the gimp!

Subscription may be fine in corporate, but no for home and small business users. In that regard it doesn't make sense. I know people who operate successful small businesses running old computers with old software and things are good. They'll never go for the added overhead.

If they're going to do subscription they need to make TCO, for the consumer, less. But then again there are those of use that only update every other cycle or so. This is forced update or don't play scheme and will make me look at alternatives in the future, gimp.
 
Its all about control thats it. Here is the caveat in grand plan, they will need to bring in huge amount of overhead because they will now require Huge Datacenters and support staff to go along with that. People feak out all the time but if production stops in an entire factory and its because of the software vendors fault I can forsee a lot of verbal abuse and lawsuits. Government needs to establish some rules because a leased car still makes the Car maker liable but software on the other hand comes with no warranty.
 
"benefits are undeniable"

Of course he's speaking about the benefits to thier own cash flow, not the consumer.

Unless you need to always have the latest and greatest version, the subscription model will be more expensive, just like leasing a car.

Buying a copy, and using it as long as possible is cheaper, just like driving the same car for 10+ years.

We still have systems running XP/Office 2003. Imagine how much the subsciption fees woould have been for 10 years.
 
Subscription-based software...because you don't already pay $400/mo for internet, cell phone, utilities...
 
nutzo said:
"benefits are undeniable"

Of course he's speaking about the benefits to thier own cash flow, not the consumer.

Unless you need to always have the latest and greatest version, the subscription model will be more expensive, just like leasing a car.

Buying a copy, and using it as long as possible is cheaper, just like driving the same car for 10+ years.

We still have systems running XP/Office 2003. Imagine how much the subsciption fees woould have been for 10 years.
Click to expand...

No serious designers today are still using the CS2 suite they bought years ago now. OS are different from creative software.
Designers like myself always want the latest tools at our disposal. In no way should my creativity be limited by the version of the software I'm using.
Subs offer constant updates, keeping me up to date with any new method or tool.
 
WorldExclusive said:
No serious designers today are still using the CS2 suite they bought years ago now. OS are different from creative software.
Designers like myself always want the latest tools at our disposal. In no way should my creativity be limited by the version of the software I'm using.
Subs offer constant updates, keeping me up to date with any new method or tool.
Click to expand...

Exactly.

Hopefully now my company will have NO CHOICE but to keep our creative suite software up to date. We're still on CS5 and there are many things the new versions offer that will save me hours per week.

However, as a freelance photographer outside of work, I see no reason to have to pay every month to use photoshop when my current workflow can still be accomplished using CS4.
 
One other problem with Subs is that its a constant upgrade cycle thus constant training cycle is required. Its not a problem for people that are highly technically literate but what about office monkeys that barely know how to use Word and outlook now they have to constantly learn new functions every 6 months. Some one has to pay and provide training. That's another thing that software vendors will charge extra money for.
 
I guess I will now become a FORMER Adobe user. I will get along as long as possible with Lightroom 4, then move on to another company who values its customers.
 
WorldExclusive said:
No serious designers today are still using the CS2 suite they bought years ago now. OS are different from creative software.
Designers like myself always want the latest tools at our disposal. In no way should my creativity be limited by the version of the software I'm using.
Subs offer constant updates, keeping me up to date with any new method or tool.
Click to expand...

Well...there's ONE person on [H] who approves of this turn of events.
 
youd think between people saying no and keeping the current/most recent no subscription based edition and open source freeware/low cost alternative would take a huge chunk out of this, companies who NEED the latest version will buy into it
 
Putz said:
youd think between people saying no and keeping the current/most recent no subscription based edition and open source freeware/low cost alternative would take a huge chunk out of this, companies who NEED the latest version will buy into it
Click to expand...

Most companies do not need or want the "latest" of anything. Latest means retraining workers as well as updating machines. Besides most businesses were probably volume licensed anyway so this doesn't save them any money to start with....it probably costs them more.
 
How popular will cloud be when you have a 4TB drive the size of a dime. Will happen eventually. If small devices have mass storage and can transfer data from each other really fast. What need is there for cloud then?

The next thing will be you get charged for how much time you use the program for.
 
If the price of a subscription is drastically reduced from the price of the one-time purchase equivalent, I'd jump all over the subscription. It's a win-win: I always get the most up to date copy of Office / Photoshop and they get my monthly / annual fee for a service.

For example, if they wanted $50/yr for a personal copy of Office Professional with 25GB of SkyDrive, that would be entirely reasonable. They'd still get my $150 every three years, and I'd never have to worry about saving for upgrades.
 
Skripka said:
Well...there's ONE person on [H] who approves of this turn of events.
Click to expand...

I comes down to if it will make you money. If a sub will not make you money then you don't sign up for it.
Killing the retail software altogether is a risky move by them.

Skripka said:
Most companies do not need or want the "latest" of anything. Latest means retraining workers as well as updating machines. Besides most businesses were probably volume licensed anyway so this doesn't save them any money to start with....it probably costs them more.
Click to expand...

Your phrasing it as a company wide OS update, or employees will have to learn a new coding tool in order to continue working.
I agree with the volume licensing point you made, but CS has been operated with the same basics since it was made. No retraining is needed. And if they need to be, maybe the position is not for them.
 
OregonLAN said:
No thanks, you can keep your subscription based software.
Click to expand...

It's actually not a bad deal. I think it's $49/mo for ALL of their library. That comes out to $1200 for two years (the usual development cycle for Adobe). You'll spend more on that doing upgrades for some of their collections.

It just depends on how much of their software you use. If you use just one or two applications, probably not such a good deal.
 
So, let me get this straight.

For the transition from local to subscription based software, Microsoft believes the transition will take time and that customer choice is very important.

Okay, then why didn't they follow that same principle when they designed Windows 8, allowing customers choice, knowing that the transition would take time?
 
Still rockin PS 6 here, on win8 nonetheless... any new feature I may need I can get with GIMP or another freeware app... definitely worth saving some extra bucks :p
 
bigdogchris said:
So, let me get this straight.

For the transition from local to subscription based software, Microsoft believes the transition will take time and that customer choice is very important.

Okay, then why didn't they follow that same principle when they designed Windows 8, allowing customers choice, knowing that the transition would take time?
Click to expand...

sssshhhh........quiet or people might hear some common sense.
 
SamuraiInBlack said:
subscription based software is bullshit. Sure there are perks, but it's also at the mercy of the company to keep delivering said perks. If you're not delivering, where's my incentive to keep paying?
Click to expand...

That's what make subscriptions so good, if they don't deliver you stop paying duh, then they know to step up their game. The model was always similar its just before subscriptions it took way longer to react, companies had to purposely leave lots of already coded features out of an OS or software package because they needed that as a selling point for the next version. Think about how much people cry about when MS changes the office file format every 2-3 versions, part of the reason they did that was to force the ultra cheap skates to move up. With subscriptions they don't need to do that. They just need to produce a product that stays ahead of the competition.
 
Adobe will find ways to make people switch. Only PS6 and LR4 support the RAW files from the newest digital SLRs. I'm sure whenever Canon and Nikon release new high end models again Adobe will say they can't support it on older versions.
 
So now you get to pay for the exact same piece of software each year for forever.
 
rudy said:
That's what make subscriptions so good, if they don't deliver you stop paying duh, then they know to step up their game. The model was always similar its just before subscriptions it took way longer to react, companies had to purposely leave lots of already coded features out of an OS or software package because they needed that as a selling point for the next version. Think about how much people cry about when MS changes the office file format every 2-3 versions, part of the reason they did that was to force the ultra cheap skates to move up. With subscriptions they don't need to do that. They just need to produce a product that stays ahead of the competition.
Click to expand...

Negative, a lot of the time you NEED the software and will just have to keep on paying for the same broken piece of shit and they know it. At least right now, you can hang on to older versions and keep using them, that is not an option with subscription based.
 
Everyone is trying to leech your pay check on a month to month basis. Chip a little here and there. Fuck em.
 
$10/month just to use a single piece of software $120/year and that is only the promo price so that means $20/month after the first year.
 
As long as the subscriptions come with a Financial Backed SLA I would be a happy camper.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top