Adobe, your products suck

[Kenoshirt]

I have used Adobe products since Illustrator 88. Since then, each successive release of the top 3: Photoshop, Illustrator, and later on, InDesign has become more bloated, buggy, slow and frustrating to use than the previous version. Unfortunately Adobe is the de facto standard for creative professionals and we are at their mercy. Note I am currently using current CC applications in my workflow on a brand-spanking-new hyper-fast Mac tower.

Take Illustrator, for instance. I've lost count of the times I see a spinning beachball and have to wait for a few seconds just to select and move a square. With NO OTHER SHAPES in a document. A square. Seriously Adobe? Illustrator also takes an inordinate amount of time to save a file to disk that's only a few hundred K in size. I'd expect a 1.5 GB file to take a few moments, but a few hundred K?

Illustrator is also prone to crashing daily. Sometimes more than once. Or failing to open a simple file with a "not enough memory" error. What, 64GB of RAM isn't enough? I didn't realize today's computers choked on 8MB vector files.

I have time to write this post because I'm currently waiting for Illustrator to launch in "Safe" mode. It's been stuck on "Diagnostic Test 15 Checking Preferences..." for the last 45 minutes. I suspect it's locked up and I'll have to Force-Quit it and relaunch. Only to continue to get stuck in diagnostic mode. Thanks for a buggy diagnostic mode, Adobe! You're really swinging' for the fences!

If the creative professional space wasn't so Adobe-dependent I would dump it in favor of some of the alternate, and better, options out there.

Oh yeah, Creative Cloud SUCKS! I don't want every damned color I select and shape I paste to become a library object! Let us turn off the "features" we don't think are necessary for our workflow!

Back to *trying* to work on a file to meet a Monday deadline...

[Rajashree Bhattacharya]

I understand that you are very unhappy with the way Illustrator is working for you, moving to illustrator forum for experts opinion.

Regards

Rajashree

[discoperkele]

OH THANK YOU Kenoshirt for this post. I have the exact same problem (only my RAM-memory is "only" 8 gig, but still): I'm working with a 664 kb file and the program still insits that there isn't enough memory... What the hey is going on? Im so bummed out and dissapointed in Adobe right now...

[d0nut247]

I feel your pain,

different problems, but same - been onboard with adobe for so long and can't believe the apps are still so buggy - annoyance.

They have been peddling the same piece of software for decades, and haven't stopped to think it might be worth making it work really well rather than adding loads of chaff every few months.

All i want are the tools from CS4 ish, but running nicely on my new hardware.

I want the big bucks im spending on hardware to finally deliver on what they show you in a keynote performance, not a constant race to outpace the softwares ever increasing hunger for more RAM and Ghz.

im sure people will say, don't upgrade, and stick to the last working version, but i upgrade each time in the hope that they have fixed some issue, only to find they have added a handful of new problems, and introduced something so bad it makes me want to crack out the drawing board and Rotring Pens in despair - i'm looking at you Live Shapes!

[grauenwölfe]

Agreed, agreed, you have no idea how much this is agreed. Adobe has obviously been infested with marketing execs who see the software not as a professional product or tool anymore but as a platform to push more products. The amount of bloat that Adobe installs is staggering. Dozens of startup and background processes running continually wether any Adobe apps are running or not. Processes that are manually killed through the OS but magically reopen, the kind of behavior that clealy defines malware and adware.

The software programming is at an all-time low and it simply DOES NOT matter what state-of-the-art technology it's run on, it's going to be slow, glitchy, buggy, and inefficient. The CC Desktop app is the biggest sack of sh*t to ever be passed of as legit software. If it bothers to work right it's main focus is writing logs and tracking user data. Just miserable that this is what Adobe has decided to do with all the resources available to them.

Their website is decidedly the worst example of a website I know of. Government websites are easier to use and navigate than this bottomless pit of endless links that only lead you in circles.

The support is so bad it really isn't even worth mentioning anymore.

Have to face it, this is what you get with a monopolized segment of an industry. They bought all the competion out. They just simply don't have to give a sh*t anymore and so they've chosen not to.

[Kenoshirt]

1000% agreed. If their software wasn't the standard I'd drop it all like dirty shirt. In fact, I'm looking into Sketchapp as an Illustrator replacement. For $99 it's current feature set it pretty slick and super fast and can save as EPS, PDF, SVG, Ect. Just not ai. Anytime I don't have to load an Adobe product is totally worth it. In fact, I think Sketchpad is picking up quite a bit of notoriety in the design world. One can only hope.

Peace.

[Kenoshirt]

*Sketchapp, not Sketchpad. Auto-correct.

[rcraighead]

I think Sketchpad is picking up quite a bit of notoriety in the design world.

So is Affinity Designer.

Illustrator is in trouble. If I really want to get my work done I use CS5 that's only because I'm holding out on an older OS.

[PITHBDITW]

I was on an older OS, desperately clinging to it until my computer couldn't take it any more and dies. I just switched and am pulling my hair out because things are twirling and flipping around, lines are drawing themselves and all of this animated bloat ware is in my face.

It is like working in a Microsoft product! I likened it to working not with a hammer, but "Inspector Gadget's" hammer with all of these useless things attached and springing out of it.

[Filippo Marchetti]

I still prefer Illustrator" because of the third party support (awesome plugins) and because it's a standard in the design business.

I think that, feature wise, illustrator is unbeatable.

Unfortunately it suffers from quite a few bugs and i can't seem to find a decent way to draw in it (not even with cool plugins like Astute Graphics' "Dynamic Sketch").

That said it's still better than After Effects.

I ADORE Adobe After Effects with all my heart, but most of the time is a bug-fest, specially on OS X.

[Guest]

I was thinking about backing up to an older OS on Mac too so I could go back to CS6.

[Eternal Warrior]

I know I'm clearly the only one here who hasn't had real problems with adobe.... But truthfully aside from trying to run on a very low spec PC doing somewhat intensive work I haven't.

I'm not convinced of the Mac promise these days.. TBH... you can get a much much better rig going anything but Mac for a lot less money.

For adobe products its better to focus on using SSD drives and good processors than lots of RAM...

I'm not going to say RAM doesn't help but I would rather have a killer processor and 16 GB RAM than the other way around.

I would not waste the money on anything but SSD to run the OS and adobe programmes.

But this is just my experience.

[rcraighead]

Eternal,

Just curious, what version of Illustrator did you learn on? It's possible you don't see the issues many of us are struggling with because you are familiar with only recent versions of Adobe CC. In "vintage" CS versions I was much more efficient and productive. Some tools have become more cumbersome and other tools have actually LOST functionality in CC versions.

[herb4]

Assuming you're addressing me, I learned way back in 93 or 94, before preview mode even existed. CS4 and 5 on my Imac run fine.

Here's a new one (not Illustrator related): If I use InDesign's "CONVERT" feature to open a newer CC 2017 version of a document, it REFLOWS THE TEXT for no reason at all. Same font, same document. It's bitten me in the ass a few times.

OK, Adobe, let's just change the way text flows for no reason other than you feel like it. Geez, at least make it a PREFERENCE. And before anyone asks "why not jusst update your software?" well, a LOT of times when we do that in my shop, we run into a host of issues with our RIP and unexpected problems, so that's why. Every time we update, something weird happens and we mess up a job because of it.

[herb4]

This entire Acrobat DC thing is a complete fiasco as well.

I'm not sure if Adobe realizes this, but my boss doesn't pay me to completely re-learn your interface for basically no good reason at all. Please, PLEASE just fix what is buggy, stop trying to reinvent things and just polish the software and collect your monthly subscription charges. This BS is actively affecting my ability to do my job - FULL STOP.  It's not just me either. I am surrounded by professionals who have been doing this work for 20+ years and they are equally baffled when I ask for help.

Of course, they were smart enough not to "upgrade" to Acrobat DC.

I've been in printing and graphics since 1993 so I'm not exactly new to change. Your company is becoming more and more like Quark every day and look what happened to them.

[herb4]

I'll just keep dog piling.

Anyone want to explain what goes in with my display, especially in preview mode? Today my cursor is blinking no matter what tool I use. It alternates between the tool I have selected and the one I selected previously. Also, frequently, my display shows a white horizontal line cutting directly through my art. It doesn't print, but it's noticeable enough for me to hold off and check the job. Zooming in or out, it's still there.

Last week the preview got so bad in Illustrator that the whole bottom of the file looked like an old VCR/TV that needed a tracking adjustment.

I've had to restart twice today because Adobe chokes while searching for updates or "syncing". A font I had loaded today (and needed) worked in Illustrator but not InDesign, forcing me to set it in Illustrator, convert it to outlines and place it.

The Acrobat interface remains a disaster. So much so that my dept has wisely decided not to even use it. While in separations mode, if I want to hold the shift key down to select multiple objects, it adds a green sticky note instead. This is a known bug that has been there for YEARS.

I'm just gonna keep this thread open and post in it every time this crap happens (so every day).

I'm not anti Adobe at aLL. CS2-CS4 were fantastic. Hmmm.....I wonder what happened after Cs4 or 5? Couldn't have anything to do with Adobe conquering the market could it? No competition.

[herb4]

Update:

Adobe Illustrator > New Document

I have an 8 foot by 3 foot sign so to set it up in inches, I type "8 * 12" for the width. Illustrator calculates this as ".02 inches". If I do this with the rectangle tool, it works properly.

[Ton Frederiks]

herb4  wrote

Adobe Illustrator > New Document

I have an 8 foot by 3 foot sign so to set it up in inches, I type "8 * 12" for the width. Illustrator calculates this as ".02 inches".

Update to the latest version to have calculations work in New Document dialog.

[herb4]

LOL, seriously? This is the solution? It's Adobe's solution to everything and, more than half the time, manages to break something else or, worse, brick my software. You guys should see my preview issues in InDesign right now. I can't trust a damned thing I see on screen. White lines cutting through my art, graphics sort of "jumping" all over the page if I scroll or zoom, truly bizarre VCR/CRT TV type "test pattern" static looking weirdness in Illustrator and InDesign. Fonts not loading. Color swatches I absolutely can not delete or alias.

I have more.

I've been setting up documents in this manner for decades. I use the transform palette and the software's built in calculation tools (since computers are inherently great at math and precision is  a must in my job). "please calculate 9 x 12" is not something that should challenge the program and "get the new version" is not a solution. It's an excuse for breaking something that was never broken.

i should not have to run to the internet 2 or 3 times a week to figure out why the software I use is not working in the way that it should.

Anxiously awaiting the "updated" software where commands are moved to different menus and keyboard shortcuts are re-assigned for no good reason at all and things that worked smoothy for years are inexplicably broken. Quark died because of crap like this; extortion, buggy software, greed, inattention and complete disdain for their customer base. Your software is fantastic...WHEN IT WORKS. CS4 and CS5 were golden and I still use them (until you brick them on me) at home. Just polish those, iron out the bugs and collect your subscription money. You folks are beginning to rival Comcast in terms of customer service and, even worse, quality.

[Ton Frederiks]

You are on a user forum. People here are users just like you and don't work for Adobe (unless they have an Adobe Badge).

[herb4]

^^^I'm aware^^^^

OK. Now InDesign does nto display effective resolution of a placed PSD file. I JUST restarted everything. The option is checked in my links pallete and was showing up 10 minutes ago Cool deal.

[Ton Frederiks]

herb4  wrote

OK. Now InDesign does nto display effective resolution of a placed PSD file.

This is the Illustrator forum.

[bbuxton]

I do share your frustration with Adobe software, not just Premiere elements but most of their applications since everything went cloud.

Every one of their applications is much harder to use, more capable yes, but the user experience has suffered enormously.

I have been using Adobe products for more than 20 years and seriously miss the golden days of Illustrator 10, Photoshop 7, Premiere 6 and After Effects 7 which I feel were the best editions of the software that Adobe had ever produced.

[jdanek]

From the outside looking in, I see many, many more user complaints since CC started vs. the boxed versions. Seems like CS4 was the last rock solid version. 

[foundedc3278324]

I have to chip on this discussion Adobe has become so bad with there updates since the introduction of the CC subscription. Since the introduction of monthly subscriptions there is little need for making software run better or the need to add killer features to make you want to upgrade, slowly adobe software has become buggy and poor. Illustrator has been awful and photoshops rushed attempt at artboards (because sketch was becoming a player) was terrible. I regular have the spinning beach ball on all the software earlier version had a few issues but were solid and the beachball appeared a lot less. As a user since 1991 I've seen the software decline in user satisfaction over the last 2 years, old machines really struggle with the new software that seems to be updated regular to iron out major bugs that weren't tested before the release, we are forced to upgrade as well as if you receive new files they cant be opened unless your on the current versions. Adobe doesn't seem to care much as they are now the main software company for designers. lets face it adobe now cares little for its customers now it has them locked in. I'm hoping for the quark to indesign revolution which gave CS its power sketch has already got a few people talking lets hope adobe dosen't buy it and burn it.  Adobe needs to change its ways!! as the title says adobe you suck!