The only big change in terms of most users is the 1 version back upgrade policy. I understand it...I don't disagree with it because I use PS professionally and will automatically upgrade at the earliest availability to maximize my ROI (note, I keep the previous version also installed in the event a new upgrade barfs–which is permitted in the EULA). I'm much more careful when it comes to OS's though...
It was either CS or CS2 where Adobe changed the previous upgrade policy....before then ANY previous version of Photoshop–even a 1.0 serial number–could be upgraded. There wasn't really a strong protest at that time. While the 1 version back policy will bite recreational users, it really doesn't impact pro users and make no mistake, Photoshop is designed and intended to be a pro application. Yes, Adobe gets a side benny for selling Photoshop to a lot of non-pros...but that is not the core market nor driving force.
Jeff,
Many pro users hardly use any new capability.
Their decision to upgrade PS is mostly not about supposed additional value, it is about being able to keep using a piece of software they bought a perpetual license for (the EULA you mentioned).
Indeed, the truth is that most pro users are forced to upgrade because their hardware dies, leading them to buy a new machine with a new OS installed, which typically forces them to upgrade PS as well (which is mostly Apple and MS's fault).
There are many cases where this newest version of PS is more than one version newer than the one you already own. There are much fewer cases where it is more than 2 versions newer.
With the new policy this means that you will have to buy from scratch. Or you could also decided to upgrade every version, mostly with no value, just to be able to cope with such cases.
That is PRO users I am talking about here. They are the ones who need to work on a maintained software stack.
Make no mistake, this modification of the upgrade policy is nothing but an increase of the actual price of the software that will impact pro users most.
The fact that is a Pro tool changes nothing here, we did buy the software based on a set of reasonnable expactations about the ROI, and Adobe is changing the equation here.
Cheers,
Bernard