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You can no longer reinstall CS 2 or 3 even if you have the original disks

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Re: You can no longer reinstall CS 2 or 3 even if you have the original disks

#261

Post by red_admiral »

I'm sure I've read an old Joel on Software post somewhere about how Adobe/Photoshop got big in the first place, but I can't seem to find it anymore.

The story as I remember it went like this: X had a practical monopoly on professional image editing and printing, everything else was for amateurs. (Was that Quark? not sure). Then X did something that pissed off a lot of their users, and within a few months everyone had pivoted to the newcomer, Adobe.

The moral here is that if you've got a monopoly or at least a comfortable majority in an area of software, you shouldn't just be worried about someone else making a better product - switching is effort and people don't like that - you should be very worried about doing something that annoys your existing customers enough that staying but adapting to the new UI / pricing model / etc. is perceived to be as much effort as switching.

(Whoever authorised the new UI for firefox on Android might want to think about this too.)

What I can find is Strategy Letter III, saying that in this situation the best thing for a challenger to do is make sure their product is "backwards" compatible: https://www.joelonsoftware.com/2000/06/03/strategy-letter-ii... Example: How Excel (that Joel was working on at the time) grabbed the market from Lotus 1-2-3.

When people like @prox below say things such as "I switched to Affinity completely, and I also slowly see some people in the industry change.", I'm starting to think that Adobe might be ready for its Lotus 1-2-3 moment. Not letting people install their old Adobe software they've paid for is the best incentive to try out something new that I could think of.

Re: You can no longer reinstall CS 2 or 3 even if you have the original disks

#262

Post by monkin »

garren wrote: post #161
monkin wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Significant portion of what kind of users exactly? Professionals upgrade their software and I could bet that 13 years old software is nowhere near of being significant. It’s the same kind of stupidity like shouting that Microsoft EOLed XP. ;-)

I’m no designer, but my previous workflows relied quite a bit on core functionality found in versions of CS going back to at least CS3. I’ve used CS3, CS4, CS6, and more recently CC. I only used CC because CS6 no longer worked on macOS, and I only used CS6 because I couldn’t get a legit older version (also student discount). I found it to be a treadmill - the prices went up until Adobe decided that you could no longe…

And I’m using Adobe software from Photoshop 6, and upgraded with each new version to gain features and performance that wasn’t available with previous releases. I wasn’t happy with cloud option, but it’s still cheaper than buying boxed versions of Adobe soft. And no, not even one professional will use CS for anything other, than amusement on old hardware.

> Today, I’d be hard pressed to choose CC over a pirated copy or other alternative, and I’ve known a few designers that stuck with cracked copies of CS.

He’s not a designer, his a pirate. If you do a professional work, you pay for tools you use. Simple as that. If you want to say, that they are pricy then use some free alternative (they existed, and are great), or cheaper pro software like from Serif.

Re: You can no longer reinstall CS 2 or 3 even if you have the original disks

#263

Post by OJFord »

laverya wrote: post #151
Lammy wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But are you sure that the replacement serial numbers are individualized? Just an assumption because I have two legit OS X CS3 Master Collection serials, got two different replacement offline serials for them, and those serials don't work for the Windows version just like the originals didn't v(._. )v

Well, that could easily still be the case if there was one code for Windows and one for OS X.

At least two for OS X, since GP had two.

Re: You can no longer reinstall CS 2 or 3 even if you have the original disks

#264

Post by qwerty456127 »

Lammy wrote: post #49

There are special no-activation-required versions of the entire CS2 and CS3 product line! Adobe killed the product activation servers for CS2 products in 2013, and for CS3 products in 2017. For CS2, they offered Activation-free replacement installers and generic serial numbers on their support page. This resulted in a bunch of press[0] about it being a /!\ omg completely free Creative Suite /!\, so for CS3's 2017 shu…

> For CS2, they offered Activation-free replacement installers and generic serial numbers on their support page.

This is the only reasonable way it should be done with old software.

> This resulted in a bunch of press about it being a omg completely free Creative Suite

Just write it in bold - something like "it's not free, you are only eligible if you have purchased a license". Whoever wants to pirate will pirate anyway

> they gave everything a shiny new Flash-based UI in CS

Flash?? Seriously?

Re: You can no longer reinstall CS 2 or 3 even if you have the original disks

#265

Post by TeMPOraL »

noobermin wrote: post #231

I want to say there has to be a better way but given half of HN now is devoted to selling *AAS'es they will be strongly motivated to not see this as a problem.

You can say it for the other half. Some of us really hate the as-a-Service model :).

Re: You can no longer reinstall CS 2 or 3 even if you have the original disks

#266

Post by TeMPOraL »

tonyedgecombe wrote: post #245
savant_penguin wrote: post #54

Just swap "Adobe cs2" for a car so it gets a lot funnier >>Sir, you are no longer allowed to use your car >But I paid for it! It's my car! >>Our aging servers had to be retired >Can't you just turn off the checking so it won't cost you anything and I can keep using my car? >>No sir, without the checking people would start pirating the car > But you don't even sell this car anymore! So much so you don't even want to k…

The car manufacturers do it by stopping selling parts. That's OK when it's easy for a 3rd party to fill in the gaps but I do wonder how this will pan out with modern EV's.

Given the strength of the second-hand car market and aftermarket repairs, this will most likely turn into a prolonged legal war. Not sure which side will win, but I'm hoping it won't be the car manufacturers.

Re: You can no longer reinstall CS 2 or 3 even if you have the original disks

#267

Post by benjojo12 »

qwerty456127 wrote: post #264
Lammy wrote: post #49

There are special no-activation-required versions of the entire CS2 and CS3 product line! Adobe killed the product activation servers for CS2 products in 2013, and for CS3 products in 2017. For CS2, they offered Activation-free replacement installers and generic serial numbers on their support page. This resulted in a bunch of press[0] about it being a /!\ omg completely free Creative Suite /!\, so for CS3's 2017 shu…

> For CS2, they offered Activation-free replacement installers and generic serial numbers on their support page. This is the only reasonable way it should be done with old software. > This resulted in a bunch of press about it being a omg completely free Creative Suite Just write it in bold - something like "it's not free, you are only eligible if you have purchased a license". Whoever wants to pirate will pirate any…

Flash is still used in animation and other bits, despite its web presence disappearing

Re: You can no longer reinstall CS 2 or 3 even if you have the original disks

#268

Post by f311a »

tomduncalf wrote: post #219
Cullinet wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh dear, thank you so very much genuinely for your excellent history. Unfortunately I think this is going to leave me with the loss, since I last backed up my design workstation to tape conveniently the just far enough distant past and (dealing with long-term injury that I am only recently overcome sufficiently for picking up my WACOM pen again) only the last month or so have been planning on restoring. Completely se…

I’ve noticed a few companies seemingly pricing things higher than you’d think was sensible (the one that struck me recently is Contentful, who’s pricing tiers quickly jump up to “far too expensive for a small company”)... my assumption is they’ve made a decision that they are better served going after the customers who can pay more and leaving the rest to the competitors. I guess maybe this is based on projections ab…

Affinity Designer is my best purchase this year. I don't need to use my graphics editor every single week or month, and it does not make any sense to pay Adobe on a subscription basis.

Re: You can no longer reinstall CS 2 or 3 even if you have the original disks

#269

Post by thinkingemote »

ed25519FUUU wrote: post #195
skohan wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have tried to use GIMP, but in my experience the UI is just so unintuitive and hard to use.

I tried to use gimp and I really wanted to like it, but I can’t. It’s clumsy and looks like death. I’d rather pay for something more polished.

Most Mac users just want something that works, open source.and freedom is not important

Re: You can no longer reinstall CS 2 or 3 even if you have the original disks

#270

Post by laurentb »

porker wrote: post #254
prox wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I switched to Affinity completely, and I also slowly see some people in the industry change. And for video, DaVinci Resolve. There might be cases were you’re tied to CS, but the bulk of the work can be done in these apps.

What about a replacement for Adobe Acrobat Pro on (Windows)? That is the one app that keeps me having a Creative Cloud subscription. In a business setting I find it essential.

have you looked at foxitPDF ? this is a comparison table from Foxit's site against Acrobat Pro: https://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf-editor/adobe-acrobat-alter...

(not associated with Foxit in any way shape or form nor a user)

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