Savageduck
On 2013-11-16 14:26:30 +0000, Robert Coe <bob@1776.COM>said:

Robert Coe
On Fri, 15 Nov 2013 19:16:47 -0800, Savageduck <savageduck1@{REMOVESPAM}me.com>wrote: : On 2013-11-16 02:32:19 +0000, Eric Stevens <eric.stevens@sum.co.nz>said: : : >On Fri, 15 Nov 2013 16:34:42 -0800, Savageduck : ><savageduck1@{REMOVESPAM}me.com>wrote: : > : >>On 2013-11-15 23:33:21 +0000, Eric Stevens <eric.stevens@sum.co.nz>said: : >> : >>>A few weeks ago I had an interesting discussion with a guy whose : >>>background was in marketing and who had recently retired from an : >>>advertising firm. : >>> : >>>He pointed out that Adobe have two classes of customers for their : >>>graphics products. There are the ordinary mortals like most of us who : >>>use Paintshop etc because we want to. Call these group 1. And then : >>>there are the people who earn their money in the field and for whom, : >>>for various reasons, there is no real alternative. Call them group 2. : >>>He said that for practical purposes this second group are locked in. : >>> : >>>He then made the point that although if Adobe raised their prices they : >>>caused a number of group 1 to drop out, virtually all of group 2 had : >>>to stay in. Basically Adobe were happy as long as the gains from group : >>>2 exceeded the losses from group 1. : >> : >>They already do, and that is globally. There are Creative Cloud : >>graphics & design professionals everywhere and they use all parts of : >>the suite. Photography, both amateur & professional is but a small part : >>of the total Adobe market. : >> : >>>Neither of us knew whether or not Adobe had effectively raised their : >>>prices but my friend suspects that the prices will be effectively : >>>higher once the introductory discount period is over. : >> : >>The introductory price of $10 US/month is for current owners of : >>CS3-CS6. Newcomers to Photoshop CC (single module) are looking at : >>$20/month right now. : > : >And in a year's time? : : There is no indication that the standard pricing is going to change : after 12 months. There is still a fair amount of ambiguity over what is : going to happen for those CS3-CS6 owners who buy the special $10/month : - 12 month offer (the one which closes at the end of the year). The : wording could lead the buyer to believe that if they fulfill the 12 : month contract they would be eligible to renew at their current rate. : Those folks would hope that would be the $10/month. However, the : wording is ambiguous enough that to make that assumption would be shear : conjecture. That bargain deal buyer could just as easily find his : subscription doubled on renewal. So there is no telling whether Adobe : is saying they would be able to continue at the $10/month of is they : will join all others at the going rate of $20/month.

Is there any concept of buying a longer-term prepaid subscription to lock in the lower price? It might be un-Adobic thing to offer, but it would resolve the ambiguity.

Bob

Savageduck
Unfortunately no. I would love to have a lifetime $10/month subscription, but right now the one this which is no ambiguous is the 12 month term of the rental contract and the offer for renewal at the "current rate" what is ambiguous for the purchasers of the promotion deal for CS3-CS6 owners is just what the term "current rate" implies, the "current promotional rate" or the "current standard rate".

This gives this qualifying group a great 12 month promotional deal with the question of a possible doubling of their subscription at renewal, or the reward for loyal customers continuing. Personally the deal for 12 months is too good for any Photoshop/Lightroom user to turn down. Whatever happens they will still have their older copy of CS which qualifies them for the deal. If they are rewarded for their loyalty with a $10/month renewal it becomes a win-win situation for both parties as emotionally Adobe had lost them as customers, and the promotion would have brought them back into the tent.

Remember this promotion targets that group of Photoshop users who have vowed that they prefer to own rather than rent, and they have bought their last Photoshop update, I was one of them. PeteN was one, he has been looking for something to replace Photoshop, Alan Browne has declared that he has bought his las Photoshop upgrade. When I bought my CS6 upgrade I did so believing that would be the end of the Photoshop upgrade path for me. Each of my upgrades CS3-CS4-CS5-CS6 cost me $200 and I was not going to spend that ever again. With this promotion they have me back on the hook for $120 for at least another 12 months, for a taste of PS CC, a perpetual upgrade. My typical upgrade spending was a $200 upgrade every 18-30 months, so $120/year would be well within that.

I bought the $10/month 12 month promotion last week and so far I am very happy. If they allow me to renew next year at $10 they have me hooked. If not I still have CS6 and I will probably buy the LR5 upgrade to my LR4. I really like LR5 and all it has to offer.