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It is cheaper to fly to US than buy Adobe software in Australia

news.com.au

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Re: It is cheaper to fly to US than buy Adobe software in Australia

#31

Post by kerno »

mattvot wrote: post #2

Can someone explain why tech stuff in general is quite a bit more expensive in Australia comparatively?

This is probably not something you'll hear the companies say themselves, but frequently the exchange rate between the US and other countries is set on a yearly or even long-term historical basis and not modified.

With the long term historical average of AUD-USD at around 65 cents, this can make software look outrageously overpriced. Given the relative size of the Australian market (2-4% sometimes) there is little incentive to change this methodology.

Re: It is cheaper to fly to US than buy Adobe software in Australia

#32

Post by jzwinck »

punkbit wrote: post #27

Looking for a Photoshop alternative ? Please take a look into Gimp, I'm using it for a long time now. If the money you pay for licensing Photoshop was put in new creative ideas in Gimp, I'm pretty sure it would look as awesome, as Photoshop! Take a look please :)

The Gimp is a good alternative to pirating Photoshop, but people who pay $4k for Photoshop will not use the Gimp for free. Not now and probably not ever. It's just not at all comparable for professional use. Just like OpenOffice Calc vs. Excel.

Re: It is cheaper to fly to US than buy Adobe software in Australia

#33

Post by stevoski »

relix wrote: post #6

These articles take the wrong perspective - it's not that Australia is much more expensive in tech matters, it's that the US is much more cheap. I don't know where the recent Australia-specific articles are coming from, but it's been like this since as long as I can remember - that the US is much more cheap than any other country I'm familiar with for tech stuff, including Australia, but also almost every other count…

X > Y.

Whether you interpret it as X being expensive or Y being cheap, it is still the same: X is greater than Y.

Re: It is cheaper to fly to US than buy Adobe software in Australia

#34

Post by [deleted] »

jonob7 wrote: post #10

Its not only Aus. Example: price of Creative Suite® 6 Design Standard is USD1,299 versus GBP1,227, despite the fact that the exchange rate is around 1.55. For some stupid unknown reason, Adobe will usually charge the same unit price in GBP as they do in USD. They will quote "cost of operating" is higher in the UK, but 55% higher? Bullshit.

[deleted]

Re: It is cheaper to fly to US than buy Adobe software in Australia

#35

Post by stevoski »

gregsq wrote: post #28
Drakim wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've heard that setting up shop is quite expensive in Australia due to a number of factors, and that the online prices is matched up to the retail price to avoid hurting profits.

Starting a business in Australia is ridiculously expensive. In the UK it's £20 ( last time I looked ). In Australia it was $900 or so when I looked. Lots of regulations on this and that. My pet theory is that it started out militaristically and has stayed that way ever since.

I think this is wrong. Australia ranks as the 2nd easiest country to start business, according to this site: http://www.doingbusiness.org/rankings

It is $900 or more to incorporate a company. Starting a business can be much less, and can be done in a day.

In any case, this does not explain Adobe charging Australians $1000+ more on every sale of a certain package.

Re: It is cheaper to fly to US than buy Adobe software in Australia

#37

Post by icebraining »

Wingman4l7 wrote: post #5

There is no excuse why downloadable content should cost more -- economies of scale, shipping costs, and differences in taxes and exchange rates are all irrelevant. Even in the case of physical goods, the disparity is often drastically more than can be accounted for by the above reasons. This comment sums it up quite well: http://news.cnet.com/8618-1001_3-57568633.html?assetTypeId=1... There is a parliamentary committ…

Why would they need an "excuse"? Pricing is only indirectly related to costs; doubly so with software, where gross profit margins are often higher than 90%. Why is this particular arbitrary price bad, while other arbitrary prices aren't? Sure they'd still make money if they charged the same, but so what?

Re: It is cheaper to fly to US than buy Adobe software in Australia

#38

Post by DrJokepu »

SeanDav wrote: post #7

The same thing happens in the UK. Napster for example charges more than 50% more for a download service in the UK, than in the USA. Completely ridiculous for an internet based download service. I was going to subscribe until I learned this. Can't support business's gouging their clients.

Is it possible that the royalties Napster has to pay in the UK to PRS, PPL, etc. are higher then what they have to pay in the US to ASCAP, BMI, etc.?

Re: It is cheaper to fly to US than buy Adobe software in Australia

#39

Post by richardwhiuk »

rimantas wrote: post #26
robertlaing wrote: post #9

Voila, monopoly in action. I have both a grudging respect and an intense dislike of Adobe for their complete ownership of the creative software space. It's kind of amazing, and it's the clearest example of a monopoly that I experience in my everyday life. Well done, I guess?

> Adobe for their complete ownership of the creative > software space How is that their fault? What should they do, develop an alternative to Photoshop themselves?

They probably shouldn't have been allowed to buy Macromedia.

Re: It is cheaper to fly to US than buy Adobe software in Australia

#40

Post by WhaleBiologist »

relix wrote: post #6

These articles take the wrong perspective - it's not that Australia is much more expensive in tech matters, it's that the US is much more cheap. I don't know where the recent Australia-specific articles are coming from, but it's been like this since as long as I can remember - that the US is much more cheap than any other country I'm familiar with for tech stuff, including Australia, but also almost every other count…

Once upon a time, the Australian dollar was worth about 50 US cents, so things in Australia cost about double what it cost in the US. Then the Australian economy started booming, and now the AUD is stronger than the USD. But everyone who sells stuff in Australia thought "wait a minute, these guys are used to paying double, so what incentive do we have to change?".

So now you have retarded pricing, like some places expecting you to pay $110 US dollars for a single video game. Don't even get me started on the price of food. Unless Australian retailers change their tactics, they will slowly go out of business, because an entire generation of computer literate people realize you can get 2-3x more out of your money just by buying from online stores.

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