download only license: MacOS and Windows?

[Dick W]

All sources for the Element Bundle download license I can find seem to require specifying Windows or MacOS. I have several of each. Supposedly the license covers two installations--can one download/install/activate one digital download license of PSE/PrE 2019 on both a Windows and a MacOS machine? How?

A separate rant: I've bought the Elements bundle every version from PSE4/PrE2 to PSE2018/PrE2018 except PSE5/PrE3. On average, I've spent a bit over $90 each time. This year the price hasn't dropped as it has every year for many years. Even at the adobe.com upgrade "discount", it is still $40 or $50 more expensive that it's been in years. I've also licensed Office 365 Home as long as there's been such a thing. On average, I've paid almost $20 less than for PSE/PrE. Off365Home include 6 family-share installs, 6TB of OneDrive, etc. Off365 is a much broader scope package, gets far more and better maintenance, and is much less bug infested. I use two or three Office apps virtually every day. I use PSE weekly at most and PrE several times a year at most. I'm really struggling with Adobe's Elements family value proposition. Yes, I understand developing and supporting complex software products is an expensive undertaking. Yes, I understand that the PSE/PrE user base is narrower. But at this value proposition, it's a self-fulfilling result.

[Jeff Arola]

When one buys the download version from the adobe website, one just gets a license for either windows or mac.

The license key will not work for both windows and mac. Buying a version for each operating system is required.

It looks like adobe changed the way download versions of photoshop elements are licensed from third party retailers.

In the past up to pse 15, one could buy a version to download that included a license to both mac and windows.

Now it seems third party retailers now do it the same way adobe does. That is, windows and mac versions can only be bought separtely

with the license only working for the one operating system that was purchased.

You can still buy the boxed dvd version from third party sellers that includes both mac and windows installers along with a license key that works for both operating systems.

There has also been some debate on the license terms, which adobe has yet to make clear.

Read here under the F&Q where it says Can I install Photoshop Elements on more than one machine?

and see how you interpret. To me it's clearly different from past versions of photoshop elements.

Frequently Asked Questions | Adobe Photoshop Elements 2019

[Dick W]

I agree. That reads very different from what my understanding was of the previous terms. My understanding may have been wrong.

This is all more nails in the coffin of the Elements value proposition. Are they intentionally trying to kill it? It just seems hard to fathom how many home users, even photo enthusiasts, are going to get herded by this to CC--clearly what they'd like us to do--at its price. Sure, I get for professionals and business use, it's just money. Not for people who don't make money from images.

Unfortunately, I have 35k images cataloged in PSE Organizer.

[Jeff Arola · Accepted solution]

I forgot to mention the license terms included with actual photoshop elements 2019 software install

are still the old license terms that are stated here:

Frequently Asked Questions | Adobe Photoshop Elements 2018

The License Agreement that ships with pse 2019.

Section 2.1.3 of the pse 2019 license agreement.

Also, for the record i bought the boxed dvd version pf pse 2019 and have it installed one each on a windows and

mac and have not had any problems with activation or as adobe calls it now Sign-In.

[Dick W]

Thanks a lot. That's more like what I was remembering. I guess I'll be looking for the boxed version, as I've done in the past, instead of the digital download. And that kills the adobe.com upgrade license/price. I guess I'll just have to keep watching for the price to drop. I'm not sure they've added $80 of value from 2018 to 2019, but at that price I'd probably buy it anyway because, well, I've not really had a good reason for that for a number of versions now. They sure haven't added $150 worth. So hard... I really ought to figure out how to kick this habit.