Does CC subscription increase or decrease motivation for innovation by Adobe?

[Fine_Art]

I don't agree.  Adobe's new incentive under the CC model is to keep users subscribed (as opposed to purchasing upgrades).  These sound related but they're a bit different.  Keeping users subscribed is best done by keeping users happy, which means listening to the users and working on the features that will really make a difference in their day-to-day use of the product (i.e., identifying and fixing common pain points, improving rendering performance, refining existing tools -- not just building brand new tools, polishing things, etc.).  This is a rather different view of improving the product, compared to developing whizzy "headline" features that are intended to drive upgrades. 

Btw, Thomas elaborates on this distinction in the video interview that Michael recently posted. 

As an example, Camera Raw 8.2 (scheduled for release any day now) will have some minor refinements compared to Camera Raw 8.1, all of which originated as feature requests from users in this forum and elsewhere: a feather control to soften the blending for the spot tool, improved low-frequency noise reduction (color blobs), improved auto exposure, an improved white balance tool, the ability to create presets for batch-saving images, and a couple of other things.  None of these items are great innovations, nor would they make a top-ten list of features for driving an upgrade.  But they are (I contend) useful little features that do make a difference in the day-to-day use of ACR by photographers. 

This is the sort of stuff that I feel we (engineers on the ACR team) have an incentive to deliver on an ongoing basis. 

To my view that is real progress. I have come to hate software that has lots of shiny promises on the box that never really work. Then people try to get the next version hoping things are finally fixed. No, just more half finished features are added.

If this is the new direction, it is a big jump in value in my opinion.

[Oldfox]

Maybe you could open up the list? 2014? 2015?

I'm not exactly sure what you mean here ... but my interpretation is, "How long would it take you / your team to finish the list?"  

I as a customer would like know what's on your list (and what's not). That perhaps would help me deciding whether go for CC or not.

[madmanchan]

I as a customer would like know what's on your list (and what's not). That perhaps would help me deciding whether go for CC or not.

Unfortunately that's not a list that I can post publicly.  However, based on the Camera Raw 8.2 examples given above, you can see the types of things we're currently working on (and will continue to work on).  Of course, there are also major features under development, but naturally they will take more time to flesh out and deliver (i.e., not something that can be delivered every dot release).

[Vladimirovich]

Unfortunately that's not a list that I can post publicly.  However, based on the Camera Raw 8.2 examples given above, you can see the types of things we're currently working on (and will continue to work on).  Of course, there are also major features under development, but naturally they will take more time to flesh out and deliver (i.e., not something that can be delivered every dot release).

can we have a white balance tool w/ user controllable area size (used for evaluation, rectangle or circle) in acr please

[Schewe]

can we have a white balance tool w/ user controllable area size (used for evaluation, rectangle or circle) in acr please

Is there a reason you posted using a 6pt yellow text?

For those who want to know what Vladimirovich asked, here it is in normal text:

"can we have a white balance tool w/ user controllable area size (used for evaluation, rectangle or circle) in acr please"

[yaredna]

But you're assuming that the only reason to be in business is to generate revenue.

Revenue is a necessary result of operation, not the sole reason to exist. Companies exist because the founders/investors want to achieve something.

I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell, Peter...

Businesses are meant to create shareholders value. Value could be beyond cash, but as soon as you go public, cash is king. You don't own your business anymore. Millions of shareholders, from institutional to hedge funds to a grand-mother's retirement account, they all demand returns (dividends and/or stock valuation).

In that world, a CEO is forced on a daily basis to make choices that are not necessarily his favorites.

Let me make a statement that may shock you: if the revenue stream is not dependent on R&D investment, R&D investment goes down to zero. And Eric Chan and many other skilled researchers, engineers and developers at Adobe will fire up their resumes and seek jobs with Google (Nik) or somewhere else.

That is, IF (capital IF) revenue is independent from R&D investment.

It isn't so.

However, no one could argue that the revenue stream in a forced rental model is as dependent on new releases as a purchase/upgrade model. Therefore, there is a reason why Adobe needed that: if they can't grow the topline fast, may be they can shrink the expense line, and therefore grow their profit line (bottom line) faster.

The bridge in Brooklyn is for sale, you know... (Just teasing, don't take it too seriously)