Reluctant CC subscriber very impressed ... so far so good

[l_d_allan]

I can be a cynical whiner:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=84749.0

Just for some balance, it seems fair to mention that I am so far Very Impressed with CC, especially ACR. Nice job, Eric C. and the rest of the team.

Actually, I wish I'd upgraded from CS5/LR4 sooner.

Note that I really haven't used CC-PS itself that much.  What little I've had to use so far ... like the Print dialog ... seems improved.

For me, I want to use ACR/LR more and more, and PS less and less. I really, really want to have DNG's as my "Master" and not have bloated .tif's hogging my SSD.

Eventually, I think LR with PV-20/20 will be sufficient for this non-pro hobby'ist, if and when I cancel my CC subscription.

Obviously, YMMV.

[LesPalenik]

For me, I want to use ACR/LR more and more, and PS less and less.

That sentiment is shared by many others, and there is a good prospect that LR will continue to develop at a faster pace than PS.
The best thing is that you can keep upgrading LR as a standalone package and retain the perpetual license.
 

[artobest]

there is a good prospect that LR will continue to develop at a faster pace than PS.
 

Perhaps because PS is a fully mature product and there's not a lot that can be done to improve it?

[BrianWJH]

The best thing is that you can keep upgrading LR as a standalone package and retain the perpetual license.

Except when LR is part off a CC subscription, according to Adobe customer sales support if you cancel your CC subscription you also lose the ability to update your current version of LR thereafter with any future update releases for that version.

Pretty strange I thought because the downloaded install executable package should be the same as a perpetual version or so I though, however they must have a special CC version of LR with code to check subscription validity from within LR.

Brian.

[PhotoEcosse]

Except when LR is part off a CC subscription, according to Adobe customer sales support if you cancel your CC subscription you also lose the ability to update your current version of LR thereafter with any future update releases for that version.

Pretty strange I thought because the downloaded install executable package should be the same as a perpetual version or so I though, however they must have a special CC version of LR with code to check subscription validity from within LR.

Brian.

My understanding (which may be imperfect as it is mainly gleaned from this chatroom), is that if you take out CC, the version of Lightroom you install will be pretty well identical to the latest perpetual version. But it will be activated with the CC registration key rather than the one you currently use.

If, at some future date, you decide to stop your CC subscription, your CC version of Lightroom will continue to work for a few weeks after your last payment but will then be disabled.

There should then be no reason why you cannot re-activate (re-installing if necessary) your old version of Lightroom with your original perpetual licence activation key. You should also, then, be able to upgrade it to the latest version at the normal perpetual version upgrade price.

The only word of caution is that Adobe (in common with some other software houses) may limit the number of version upgrades you can skip. Purely hypothetically, you may find that if your last perpetual version was LR4, then they may allow you to upgrade to LR6 at the upgrade price but, if by the time that you opt-out of CC we are up to, say, LR8, then you may have to buy at the full, rather than upgrade, price.

[LesPalenik]

My understanding (which may be imperfect as it is mainly gleaned from this chatroom), is that if you take out CC, the version of Lightroom you install will be pretty well identical to the latest perpetual version. But it will be activated with the CC registration key rather than the one you currently use.

I wonder, if the current CC subscription allows opting out from the LR CC, and update only the PS program to the CC model.

[Simon Garrett]

I wonder, if the current CC subscription allows opting out from the LR CC, and update only the PS program to the CC model.

Sure, there's a single-app plan that allows subscription to any single app such as Photoshop.  It costs $19.99 a month.

Or, you can stick to the special PS/LR plan at $9.99 a month.  So dropping LR saves you minus $10 a month.

[DeanChriss]

I wonder, if the current CC subscription allows opting out from the LR CC, and update only the PS program to the CC model.

The photography package includes the CC version of both LR and PS. I don't think you are required to install both so what you suggest can be done (install PS CC only), but the subscription cost won't decrease and there's nothing to "opt out" of. That's what I plan to do since I don't use LR.

[LesPalenik]

As long as the CC upgrade process doesn't invalidate indiscriminately the existing keys for both products, that would help.

[LesPalenik]

Quote from: LesPalenik on December 15, 2013, 10:53:44 PM
there is a good prospect that LR will continue to develop at a faster pace than PS.

Perhaps because PS is a fully mature product and there's not a lot that can be done to improve it?

Very true, I wonder what else can they add to it in addition to the new camera formats?

A while ago, Jeff Schewe teased us with the idea "What if Thomas Knoll decided to write a new Photoshop version?"
If that ever happens, that option could be more enticing.
 

[Simon Garrett]

As long as the CC upgrade process doesn't invalidate indiscriminately the existing keys for both products, that would help.

When you get the CC package, you still have any previous perpetual licences.  So, for example, you can continue to use your perpetual licence for LR if you have one, but obviously it won't upgrade (beyond LR5) unless you pay to upgrade.  The CC version presumably will provide ugrades as and when they occur. 

Or you can use your existing LR licence on 2 other machines. 

[richardm33]

...  The CC version presumably will provide ugrades as and when they occur. 

Yes, I've already received one update -- bug fixes for Photoshop and Lightroom 5.3 (from 5.2)

[Simon Garrett]

Yes, I've already received one update -- bug fixes for Photoshop and Lightroom 5.3 (from 5.2)

What I meant was: if you have LR as part of a CC bundle, then you'll not only get release 5.n, but 6.n, 7.n etc.
With a perpetual LR licence for LR5, you'll get LR5.n updates, but you'll have to pay to upgrade to LR6 when it appears, albeit at a fairly low price, going on recent LR upgrade prices. 

[richardm33]

What I meant was: if you have LR as part of a CC bundle, then you'll not only get release 5.n, but 6.n, 7.n etc.
With a perpetual LR licence for LR5, you'll get LR5.n updates, but you'll have to pay to upgrade to LR6 when it appears, albeit at a fairly low price, going on recent LR upgrade prices. 

I see.  It's a interesting consideration.  I am expecting that I will receive all product updates including new versions as long as I am a subscriber. Since the Cloud program has not been around too long (2 yrs?) I guess we'll have to wait to know for sure.  Perhaps Adobe will just convert LR to LR CC at some point.

[kers]

...Just for some balance, it seems fair to mention that I am so far Very Impressed with CC, especially ACR. Nice job, Eric C. and the rest of the team.

Actually, I wish I'd upgraded from CS5/LR4 sooner.

I agree that ACR has much improved since CS5...
I am a CS6 user and found ACR 2012 a lot better than before.. but can anyone tell me if ACR 2013 is a lot better than ACR 2012?
(especially for me as a nikon d800e user)

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

I agree that ACR has much improved since CS5...
I am a CS6 user and found ACR 2012 a lot better than before.. but can anyone tell me if ACR 2013 is a lot better than ACR 2012?
(especially for me as a nikon d800e user)

Hi Pieter,

I thought that PV2012 is the current/latest version at this moment? So yes, the change from CS5 to CS6 was worthwhile, but I'm not sure that CC is that much of an improvement.

Cheers,
Bart

[chez]

Hi Pieter,

I thought that PV2012 is the current/latest version at this moment? So yes, the change from CS5 to CS6 was worthwhile, but I'm not sure that CC is that much of an improvement.

Cheers,
Bart

Everyone talks about CC as if it is a static release, but in fact it is a continuous release of functionality so  you can only compare CC as it stands today...tomorrow it will be improved upon...

[Simon Garrett]

Everyone talks about CC as if it is a static release, but in fact it is a continuous release of functionality so  you can only compare CC as it stands today...tomorrow it will be improved upon...

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace...

You may be right, but so far I've had no upgrades for CC except the changes in ACR (as in Lightroom). 

Are you aware of any incremental enhancements to Photoshop CC since its launch, except for those that came with ACR?

[Isaac]

Since June 17: real-time asset generation, whatever that is.

[john beardsworth]

real-time asset generation -- Whatever that is.

Imagine you're creating an iPad app and you need buttons and other images with dimensions or bit depth etc that are suitable for both Retina and non-Retina displays, and Android, and.... Some graphic designers try to maintain files for each combination of requirements, then spend endless hours cascading new branding or other changes into each file, then save out the pngs or other files. So this Generator lets them keep it all in one file, and then outputs all the images they need. It's probably way over the head of most graphic designers and assumes a level of organisation that's not in their nature, but it's not a bad idea.

This feature isn't something a lot of photographers would use, but there are always new things you would use if you look for them. But not everyone looks, and that's no different now to before. If you have a problem with the subscription-limited model, fine, just don't say it's because there's nothing new. That may develop over time, as Adobe grows to depend on subscription revenue...