Should I just buy cs6 now?

[Cole Slow]

Hi I'm a third year graphic design student.  I started with 5.5. I've been waiting for the next version after cs6 since I have 1 more year to finish school but it seems like that's not gonna happen. However, I can't afford monthly subscription for cloud, also it will be more expensive than buying the programs as a student. So, how do you think? Is it better to buy cs6 now for the future? Thanks in advance

[Jacob Bugge]

kim,

There is no particular rush in terms of update opportunities, since CS6 is now truly a perpetual application/license, but you may buy it now to get (as much) up to the current level (as possible).

It is probably impossible to predict what is going to happen in all aspects, including options and prices.

[Noel Carboni]

Just for reference, you can get a decent student discount on a cloud license:

http://www.adobe.com/products/creativecloud/students.edu.html

There is no student discount on upgrades, however - never has been.  You'll pay $200ish for the upgrade to a perpetual Photoshop CS6 Standard license, or $400ish for the upgrade to Photoshop CS6 Extended.

-Noel

[Guest]

If I was going to do freelance work (after school), I'd make sure I had a fully operational and professional set of tools to use for the next couple of years. For me, that would be the CS6 suite not the cloud.

If planning to work for someone, perhaps it's not so important.

However, if you're going to be in school for a couple of years, you might want to get your student version of CS up to version 6.

[Noel Carboni]

And just for reference, if you have the funds (and some students do), nothing stops you from having a cloud subscription AND a perpetual license for Photoshop CS6.

-Noel

[Phillip_M_Jones]

There is no choice now CS6 is no longer available in a box from Adobe. I believe you can get a downloadable version. But you have to have an excellent Cable Internet connection. anything less you going to spend hours or days downloading it.

And its all or nothing. no longer is Web Premium or Design Premium available. Its one big enchilada.

And the price on the open market Amazon, others has jumped an additional $200-400 dollars. I checked one place and they were selling it for $2300.00 Should sell at the most $1400.00 tops since its last years version will be supersceded with CS7 within next few weeks to next few months.  If anything companies should be droping prices to unload old inventory.

If you purchase The Lease for life deal its $49 rate (possibly a teaser rate)

[John T Smith]

>will be supersceded with CS7 within next few weeks to next few months

There is a LONG message thread at http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1205851 which says there will NOT be a standalone version at all... only the Cloud

For standalone, it looks like CS6 is the last version... unless Adobe goes back to selling a disc/download version that does not require a Cloud subscription... and based on the link above, that is not going to happen

I don't think this link mentions an Education version, but you are right... it is now download only

Also... it is NOT just the Master Collection... click the link and see for yourself

http://www.adobe.com/products/catalog/cs6._sl_id-contentfilter_sl_catalog_sl_software_sl_creativesui...

For an upgrade version, click the BUY link and change from Full to Upgrade

[Phillip_M_Jones]

I didn't say a stand alone version of  Web/design premium would be available. The next version equivalent to CS7 would be avaialable on on Creative cloud, only.

[WBoswell]

I can't understand why anybody would pay more at Amazon or anywhere else when they can get CS6 at Adobe as long as it's still available.  Now if Adobe decides to pull the plug on CS6 apps, I'm sure we'll see a lot of resellers ripping people off with outrageous prices.  Resellers doing it now makes no sense and as you mentioned you'd think they'd want to unload their inventory and sell it cheaper or at the same price.

To the OP, I would say get it now in case it's no longer available at Adobe.  You don't want to pay more later if you buy it in a store.

[Guest]

Adobe says CS6 will be available into the foreseable future.  No one knows when that will be but would guess at least a year, or until the CC model fails.

[professional_pirate]

Curt Y wrote:

No one knows when that will be but would guess at least a year, or until the CC model fails.

Well then it won't be long because CC model WILL fail.  Look at Microsoft.  It has brought down the price of Student Version of Office to £94 in UK.  This is just a start.  I have also been offered a free download of one copy for my personal use but the catch here is that it will only be valid for one machine only and the license is not transferable to another replacement machine should the current one dies.

But the subscription model won't work and they will just re-invent the wheel and we'll be back to square one buying the CDs and DVDs in the usual way and writing about activation and how terrible it is etc etc.  They might start charging for upgrades by issuing new versions every 12 months without giving any updates to the software.