I can see why Adobe and Microsoft have moved completely to subscription-based sales of their software. Higher income, easier upgrades, no more CDs or packaging... Like so many other businesses, they cater to a shared economy; monthly fees and cloud-space replace tangible ownership. Just like my laptop doesn't even have a CD/DVD drive anywhere, it was built to stream and to download, not play tangible media. BUT - it is starting to feel like I'm hooked on an expensive drug that continues to get more pricey. You cant stop paying or you will lose the ability to use the software you've relied on for graphic design for years! If I lost my Creative Cloud software I would go through withdrawals! It reminds me of Pandora. I used to love listening to the smart customized for me stations, but after awhile, the songs got repetitive and I yearned for something more meaningful in my music experience. I ended my paid subscription to Pandora about a year ago. And now if I listen, I get ads every two or three songs! It is so annoying that I went down to my basement and dug out some old CDs to listen to. And there is was! These were songs that I already paid for and loved and had not heard in years. I have hundreds of CDs that were almost forgotten, but suddenly they were better than anything that was approved and posted by the people at Pandora. Those CDs are bought and paid for, they are mine, and that is something the shared economy fails to deliver. Adobe has been around for a long time, and has been nimble enough to shift with a fast-changing digital market. I'd like to see them shift again into something else now, perhaps evolve more of a human approach to creative tools marketing that isn't just a temporary subscription. Try to sell smaller groups of software as sets at a lower monthly price? Or give your loyal users who have subscribed for two years or more the ability to keep the version they paid for when they cancel their subscription. Creativity is more than just black and white, and I expect more of Adobe than this.
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