Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2017/10/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Unfortunately, it looks like subscription is the way the software industry is heading.? Legally, the vendors can do it, because they never actually sold us their software.? We buy a license to use it. Up until recently, we could use any software we "bought" in perpetuity.? But that is changing.? Like the late Tom Petty sang, "the boys upstairs want to see, how much you'll pay for what you used to get for free."? Or in this case, how much more you will pay for what you thought you already paid for. Much software already does what most people need.? There is less and less reason to upgrade these days.? So how do the companies continue to make money?? Subscription is a way to force the customer to continue to pay.? Like Ric, I oppose this on principle. It is indeed much like ransomware.? But some customers may indeed continue to pay. Especially if the program is a corporate or industry "standard" or a monopoly, if the data files are in a proprietary format, or if one must share files with others. Adobe's behavior is not unique. The music notation software I've used for years (Sibelius) has also gone to a subscription model. And they don't even fix their bugs.? As of last year, new users must rent the software forever. If they stop paying, the software loses the ability to save files.? So they can't make any changes to their files.? The company is literally holding their work hostage. Long-time users such as myself were "grandfathered."? If we paid an $89 fee and upgraded to the current version, we could use it in perpetuity.? But we still lose support or the ability to upgrade further if we don't pay the fee again every year.? I paid the upgrade fee--once, for "insurance"--and I am looking at another program. I am far from alone. My Raw processor is Capture One.? It came with my M8, and I've always liked it.? So I stayed with it, upgrading regularly, but occasionally skipping a major version.? A couple of years ago they started offering a subscription as well as the "purchase" model. Just last week I received an email from them. It stated that I needed to either upgrade from v. 8 to v. 10 soon or go on a subscription model. Otherwise I would lose the right to upgrade further or get support.? I don't like where that may be leading. But for now, I still find it a more reasonable alternative to the "Adobe Tax." A possibility for Ric is to use the perpetually licensed version of Lightroom, and don't buy any new cameras it doesn't support.? :-) Or switch to a free raw program, use it to do just basic white balance, then develop your files to 16-bit TIFFs that retain all the information you need.? Then process further in a regular photo editor.? I use Picture Window Pro as my general image editor.? PWP is no longer being developed, and it's now freeware.? It does everything I need that Capture One doesn't do. I use an open source "office" suite (Libre Office, which can read MS Office files), email (Thunderbird), Zip program (7Zip), and a very inexpensive text editor (TextPad).? But in the more specialized fields I play in, the open source programs like Gimp (Photoshop substitute) or MuseScore (music notation) have limitations and inconveniences I'm not willing to live with.? So I'm stuck.? I very much like the open source model in general.? By its very nature, such software won't attempt to corner the market and then hold us and our work hostage to their rent-seeking.? Let's hope that better open-source alternatives emerge for our more specialized needs. They may.? Remember the early 1980s?? A basic text-mode word processor, spreadsheet or database each cost $500 or more (over $1,000 in today's dollars).? That's why freeware and shareware emerged in the first place. --Peter Matter of opinion.... I am using 2010 versions of Office... saving me $100 (?) per year... It is only a good comparison if / when you update your SW with perpetual licenses.... Frank Filippone Red735i at verizon.net -----Original Message----- From: Jayanand Govindaraj <jayanand at gmail.com> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> Sent: Wed, 18 Oct 2017 20:03 Subject: Re: [Leica] Fwd: lightroom Adobe's perpetual licenses required upgrades every two years which cost way more than what I pay over two years with the Cloud Subscription. Ditto for Microsoft Office. Economically, the CC is the way to go! Cheers Jayanand On Thu, Oct 19, 2017 at 11:29 AM, Frank Filippone <red735i at verizon.net> wrote: > > > >/The standalone version of LR Will not be supported after Dec 31. No more/ >/revisions, enhancements, added cameras, etc after that date./ >/Adobe is making so much money from the subscription service, the/ >/additional income from the perpetual versions are no longer worth it. Or >so/ >/it appears./ >/They now own us. You either pay your monthly fee or your images are/ >/basically as you took them. Your enhancements, crops, etc are no longer of/ >/any use. You would need to do them over again with some other SW./ >/If you have not figured it out yet, do not trust any promises from Adobe./ > >/Frank Filippone/ >/Red735i at verizon.net/ > >