Offer Perpetual License again

[philipw68254291]

So let me get this straight - I bought a personal license for Lightroom 5.7.  Now I've bought a Canon G7X Mk2. But Lightroom 5.7 (or at least ACR within it) won't recognise the .CR2 format files. So Lightroom 5.7 is now USELESS to me. Adobe says "upgrade TO V6, go to Creative Cloud, or use DNG converter". I DON'T WANT TO - I WANT YOU TO UPGRADE 5.7 SO MY LICENSE ISN'T REDUNDANT. This is just blatant profiterring by Adobe, forcing people to buy new licenses when they have perfectly good paid-for and working software that Adobe refuses to upgrade.  IT'S A CON.  I am one very discugsted user, with several hundred photos sitting useless because of your greed for profit.  I think Adobe should explain.

​[Since this is not a request for technical help, moved by moderator the the Lounge Forum.]

[dj_paige]

I think Adobe should explain.

You might want to talk to Adobe about this, and not yell at us here in the forum, we are not Adobe, we are other Lightroom users.

But speaking from experience, almost all software manufacturer's charge for major new versions of their software. Any other software manufacturer will do the same. Also, you didn't buy the right to have future versions of the software, you bought Lightroom 5 and it's features.

[philipw68254291]

I understand this is a forum, but given that Adobe's site only gives one option - this site - for "making contact" (though of course it isn't really making contact with them), I came here and lodged my comment.  It's not my fault that they deliberately make life difficult for stand-alone users, nor that they make it impossible to contact them through any other channel.  I'm not shouting at users on here, but at Adobe. And I understand how software licensing works - but the fact is that Adobe is perfectly capable of updating ACR for v5.7 but just refuses to do so because it's employing a deliberate policy of marginalising people who have bougfht stand-alone licenses, and is coercing people into taking out annual subscriptions or spending another £70 to upgrade when they are giving away the ACR upgrade for free to people already locked into their subscription scheme.  Anyway you cut it, it's profit-chasing and shoddy customer service, and it stinks.

[davescm · Accepted solution]

I think Adobe go way beyond what other software vendors do by making the DNG convertor available free of charge so that anyone with an older version of ACR/Lightroom can use their old software with new cameras.

Dave

[cmgap]

Why would you expect that your old software should work with your new camera?

Do you keep your camera firmware up to date and your computer operating software up to date?

Your software is an extension of what's in your camera bag and updating to the newest version to take advantage of the upgrade in camera equipment is not a stretch. 

[philipw68254291]

As I said - because they release the upgrade to other users but deliberately withhold it to force upgrades or subscriptions. They could upgrade 5.7, but choose not to so they can bleed more money from poeple who have already bought the software. 

[John T Smith]

Software vendors do not (from my experience) go back and work on old versions once a new version is issued

And FYI... Microsoft did the same thing, and all under their own control... The perfectly good MS Office 97 I owned stopped working (would not even install) when I moved from a WinXP computer to a Win7 computer... Microsoft had TOTAL control over their own products (unlike here, where Adobe has NO control over new cameras) and I was forced to buy MS Office again to be able to use it

[Michael J. Hoffman]

When new versions are released, old versions are no longer maintained and feature updates cease. Development on compatibility of future hardware also ceases. Your expectations are much higher than anyone would ever expect or provide. When do you draw the line? I purchased Lightroom 1.0 back around 10 years ago. Should Adobe be expected to upgrade my version 1.0 compatibility so that it works with today's camera raw formats? Of course not.

The line one has to be drawn somewhere, and that line has always been demarcated with the release of the next version. When 6.0 came out, 5.x was frozen in time.

You could avoid this whole problem, of course, by subscribing to the Photography plan, where you are always up to date with the latest version of Lightroom and Photoshop at a very reasonable monthly rate.

Disclaimer: I'm not an Adobe employee, these are my personal opinions.

Mike

[Nancy OShea]

I just had a similar discussion with someone in another product forum.   Your license does not entitle you to free updates forever.  Every software version has an end date beyond which the maker stops distributing, selling, supporting or updating the product.    Microosft, Apple, and many other software makers operate exactly the same way.  This is nothing new.

[JoeKostoss]

philipw68254291  wrote

...or use DNG converter". I DON'T WANT TO - I WANT YOU TO UPGRADE 5.7 SO MY LICENSE ISN'T REDUNDANT.

The DNG converter is FREE, FREE, FREE.  It is a perfectly good way to get what you want, for FREE!  It will allow you to use Raw files from your new camera in old Lightroom 5.7.  Why the big reluctance to try it?

[dj_paige]

The DNG converter is FREE, FREE, FREE.  It is a perfectly good way to get what you want, for FREE!  It will allow you to use Raw files from your new camera in old Lightroom 5.7.  Why the big reluctance to try it?

@joekostoss

Because he wants to complain, that's why. FREE isn't what he wants. DNG Converter isn't what he wants. He wants FREE and the Lightroom user interface; in other words, he wants to get features that all of us have paid for, without paying for them.

[johnrellis]

Please repost your feedback in the official Adobe feedback forum, where Adobe wants all feedback provided: Photoshop Lightroom | Photoshop Family Customer Community . Adobe reads everything posted there, but are rarely seen in this forum, which is primarily user-to-user and low-level technical support.

[elie_dinur]

> "So let me get this straight - I bought a personal license for Lightroom 5.7. "

No, you did not. You bought a license for Lightroom 5; the first version of which, 5.0, was released in June 2013. It was supported and updated until the final update, 5.7.1, in Dec., 2014. A year and a half, about average for Lightroom versions 1 - 5. So now, after more than another two years, you are complaining because this nearly four years old software is not being updated with new camera support - despite the fact that the DNG Converter is essentially indirect support.

[nitinm88020944]

I would like for Adode to give people like me that do not use Lightroom often the option to purchase a stand alone. I am now stuck with a subscription that forces me have photoshop and lightroom, but I do not need photoshop. And the subscription is $20 per month - so I am paying $240 for something I don't often use. 

I would gladly pay for an upgrade when I need to upgrade. 

[Rob_Cullen]

Unfortunately, for those like you, perpetual options are no longer available for Adobe products, and Adobe would not be going back on their business decisions. The subscription system was introduced to protect their property rights.

Lightroom-Classic is still "Standalone" (ie. operates with local files). The Creative Cloud subscription is only needed to download, activate, and confirm your financial status.

I do not know your country currency (or conversion rate), but the Photography Plan 20GB is available for US$9.99 (not $20), and you do not have to install or use the other apps included in the Plan.

IMO the Photography Plan 20GB is the best value of any 'Photo' software package in the market.

[nitinm88020944]

Thanks for the info Rob.

ok I checked.

For Canadians like me the price is $12.99 CAD / month.

Questions:

1. Can I pay in US as I have a paypal account and have funds in USA and CAD?

2. If I stop my subscription for say 1 year, will I still be able to use Lightroom classic? My reason is that I would start  my subscription again to get some new feature if I like them. I most use LR classic for it's organization and very quick photo quality corrections.

Nitin

[dj_paige]

1. Can I pay in US as I have a paypal account and have funds in USA and CAD?

I don't know

2. If I stop my subscription for say 1 year, will I still be able to use Lightroom classic? My reason is that I would start my subscription again to get some new feature if I like them. I most use LR classic for it's organization and very quick photo quality corrections.

If you stop paying your subscription, Lightroom Classic still works, except that the Develop Module and Map Module will not work. So all of your organization is still available and usable, and you can ever use Quick Develop in the Library Module. In addition, you can import new photos and organize them, export photos and so on.

[nitinm88020944]

Thanks DJ.

I checked, I can pay via PayPal also. which is great as there is a huge saving (convert US to CAD will be $130 CAD instead of the $155 CAD if i paid in CAD)

Sam question for the photoshop in my plan.

What portions of Photoshop are available to me if i do not renew the subscription for a while?

Nitin 

[Rob_Cullen]

"What portions of Photoshop are available to me if i do not renew the subscription for a while?"

Nothing, zero, zilch- Photoshop Does not work at all! And NO Sync for Mobile devices or Cloud storage.

And not to forget the Cancellation Policy!- The Plans are a 12-month Contract. If you Cancel the plan you still have to pay penalty fees for the remainder of the contract. (eg. 50% of remaining Annual fee).

https://helpx.adobe.com/manage-account/using/creative-cloud-subscription-terms.html#cancel