So how is that Subscription Service working out for Adobe?

[MarkH2]

Since providing this FY14 guidance on 12/12/13 Adobe stock is up 10.3%.

Since announcing the subscription model for Photoshop 5/6/13 the stock is up 28%.

Since announcing Creative Cloud 4/23/12 the stock is up 82%.

Estimates of 2014 earnings are -16%.  Estimates of 2015 earnings are +79%.

edit: chart courtesy of Worden Brothers, Inc.

[ButchM]

1)  Owning a stock in a company is optional - I think.

2)  Stocks rise and fall - the usefulness of a software doesn't seem to move in a parallel direction.

3)  I'm not presently using the subscription service, but from what I read (on half a dozen forums), it's working quite well.

All of which makes me wonder what the point in the OP was?

Glenn

Any system can work well ... the truest definition of success is how much money is in the bank at the end of the day. I think the OP was questioning if the CC model was generating the expected revenue.

[Glenn NK]

Any system can work well ... the truest definition of success is how much money is in the bank at the end of the day. I think the OP was questioning if the CC model was generating the expected revenue.

I looked at the performance curve - if I'd invested in Adobe five years ago I'd be happier than I am now with the ones I have.

Maybe somebody is hoping it will tumble out of the sky because they are still annoyed by the subscription service, but sour grapes won't make that happen.  As I noted, I'm not using the service so I don't have any emotional investment in this issue.

[Schewe]

I think the OP was questioning if the CC model was generating the expected revenue.

I think the OP (who hasn't been back since posting) was trying to imply that Adobe screwed the pooch with the CC subscription with the hope that people would line up and piss&moan™ about big, bad Adobe...

Course, that's just my observation...maybe the OP was a concerned Adobe stock holder concerned about his/her investment.

Full disclosure: Not only do I own Adobe stock, but I also subscribe to the full Creative Cloud. And I'm pretty satisfied by both (owning Adobe stock and using CC).

[Jeremy Roussak]

I think the OP (who hasn't been back since posting) was trying to imply that Adobe screwed the pooch with the CC subscription with the hope that people would line up and piss&moan™ about big, bad Adobe...

I'd perhaps have phrased it differently, Jeff, but I've not the slightest doubt that you're right. I suspect an element of schadenfreude at what he perceived to be a mistake on Adobe's part, too.

Jeremy

[Ellis Vener]

I think the OP (who hasn't been back since posting) was trying to imply that Adobe screwed the pooch with the CC subscription with the hope that people would line up and piss&moan™ about big, bad Adobe...

Course, that's just my observation...maybe the OP was a concerned Adobe stock holder concerned about his/her investment.

Full disclosure: Not only do I own Adobe stock, but I also subscribe to the full Creative Cloud. And I'm pretty satisfied by both (owning Adobe stock and using CC).

Jeff, your earlier comments about the OP not coming back to this discussion led me to looking his Lu-La information up. Reading his posts in other threads provides a pretty sharp picture of his views on the CC model.

[Alan Goldhammer]

Jeff, your earlier comments about the OP not coming back to this discussion led me to looking his Lu-La information up. Reading his posts in other threads provides a pretty sharp picture of his views on the CC model.

Maybe he is a short seller who has gotten burned quite dearly!

[Schewe]

Reading his posts in other threads provides a pretty sharp picture of his views on the CC model.

Yep, I did the same thing...I was actually understating the OP's position. He/she/it is obviously anti-Adobe :~)

[Simon Garrett]

Go for the argument, not the man.  It looks to me like you guys are looking for reasons that you can discount his views. 

I don't regard my self as anti-Adobe, and I haven't got burned short-selling Adobe stock.  And I've subscribed to CC.  But I don't like the rental model. 

Though I've found Adobe staff to be unfailingly courteous and helpful, I've found Adobe systems (the online systems supporting CC billing and program download) to be poor.  These systems are much more important for software rental, as failures can lead to paid-for software not working.  I would like to think that Adobe know that, and are doing something about it. 

[Ellis Vener]

Go for the argument, not the man.  It looks to me like you guys are looking for reasons that you can discount his views. 

I don't regard my self as anti-Adobe, and I haven't got burned short-selling Adobe stock.  And I've subscribed to CC.  But I don't like the rental model. 

Though I've found Adobe staff to be unfailingly courteous and helpful, I've found Adobe systems (the online systems supporting CC billing and program download) to be poor.  These systems are much more important for software rental, as failures can lead to paid-for software not working.  I would like to think that Adobe know that, and are doing something about it. 

Simon,
I agree with all of your points, especially the first one. However unlike him you are actually using CC rather than making up your mind without the facts, then selectively choosing "facts" that fit your already determined conclusion, and labeling it a failure.

That approach is a standard F.U.D. (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) tactic. 

[Glenn NK]

The opening line, "So how is that Subscription Service working out for Adobe?" is one of the classic openings line of the critic.

It screamed sarcasm - so I didn't find it hard to guess what was coming next.

[Ray]

Though I've found Adobe staff to be unfailingly courteous and helpful, I've found Adobe systems (the online systems supporting CC billing and program download) to be poor.  These systems are much more important for software rental, as failures can lead to paid-for software not working.  I would like to think that Adobe know that, and are doing something about it. 

I recently subscribed in Australia to Photoshop CC for the bargain price of $9.99 per month for a year's contract. I'd heard there was an improvement in Smart Sharpen. It now has a noise-reduction slider.
However, I'm very puzzled that every time I open the program, I get a screen asking if I want to continue using the trial or 'License this Software'. Naturally, I click on 'License This Software' and am taken to a screen where I sign in with my Adobe ID, and I'm then asked to enter the license number.

Unfortunately, the number I was given over the phone when I bought the subscription does not appear to be a license number. It does not have the right number of digits. So I am stuck using a trial which now expires in 11 days.
Furthermore, the available RAM (under Edit/preferences/performance) is described as 3255 MB, despite my having 32 gigabyte of memory installed on my computer. 3.2 GB is very limiting nowadays.

Now this should be an easy problem to fix by contacting Adobe Customer Service. So I ring the same number I rang to purchase my subscription to PS CC in mid December, and I get a long spiel about Adobe having recently been under attack from hackers to get members' personal details, followed by details of the internet address to go to if this relates to my query, followed by lots of other options, press 1 for this, 2 for that, and so on, and so on, till finally I get to the option for technical support regarding Photoshop Creative Cloud. Phew!

Having pressed the right button, the phone switches to background music and I wait for some real person to answer my call. The music continues without interruption. There is no automated message along the lines, "Sorry! No-one is currently available to take your call. Please ring back later." So I wait, and I wait, then after half an hour, end the call, thinking this is a very unprofessional customer service.

I tried ringing the same number again, yesterday. This time I waited one hour and a half before ending the call. Again, no automated message apologizing that the staff were busy or unavailable. What the heck is going on?

This is the worst customer service I've ever encountered.

[Schewe]

I recently subscribed in Australia to Photoshop CC for the bargain price of $9.99 per month for a year's contract. I'd heard there was an improvement in Smart Sharpen. It now has a noise-reduction slider.
However, I'm very puzzled that every time I open the program, I get a screen asking if I want to continue using the trial or 'License this Software'. Naturally, I click on 'License This Software' and am taken to a screen where I sign in with my Adobe ID, and I'm then asked to enter the license number.

Uh...when you subscribe to Photoshop CC, you don't get a serial number...assuming you've downloaded Photoshop CC from within the Creative Cloud application manager, all you need to do is enter your user ID for CC. I suspect you've downloaded the trial? Then tried to apply your CC license? Sorry, that won't work. You should prolly un-install Photoshop CC, go to the CC app manager and download and install Photoshop CC. It then should not ask for anything other than your CC user ID. Once logged in, it should hold and not ask for a serial nor drop into a trial.

[Farmer]

You may also have installed a 32bit version, hence the lack of available RAM showing.  You need a 64bit version.

[stamper]

Are you seriously stating that Ray is capable of being less than "perfect"?

[Ray]

Uh...when you subscribe to Photoshop CC, you don't get a serial number...assuming you've downloaded Photoshop CC from within the Creative Cloud application manager, all you need to do is enter your user ID for CC. I suspect you've downloaded the trial? Then tried to apply your CC license? Sorry, that won't work. You should prolly un-install Photoshop CC, go to the CC app manager and download and install Photoshop CC. It then should not ask for anything other than your CC user ID. Once logged in, it should hold and not ask for a serial nor drop into a trial.

Thanks for responding, Jeff. It might logically appear that I've inadvertently downloaded the trial, and also in 32 bit. However, I never got a choice between a trial and the licensed version. I've attached an image of the Creative Cloud applications window, from which I downloaded both Photoshop and Lightroom 5.3, which were part of the package I bought for $9.99 per month.

You can see that each application has either 'try' or 'install' next to it. I'm quite certain that Photoshop, Bridge and Lightroom had 'install' next to the names, and that's definitely what I clicked on. There was no option between 'try' and 'install' for those programs.

I've downloaded both Lightroom and Photoshop twice, for two computers. I no longer have an option to install Photoshop or Lightroom again because one is allowed to use the programs on only 2 computers. But I do have the option to install other applications which I didn't know were included, but which I'm not particularly interested in at this stage.

When I open Lightroom, I get a window showing me the license number and an option to register the software, so there's no problem there.

[richardm33]

I think you should see the installed apps (Photoshop, Bridge, LR5) at the top of the list succeeded by 'Up to Date'.  If they are still listed lower down as Install or Try then try installing them again.

[Ray]

I think you should see the installed apps (Photoshop, Bridge, LR5) at the top of the list succeeded by 'Up to Date'.  If they are still listed lower down as Install or Try then try installing them again.

I do see them at the top of the list with a green tick next to 'Up to date', yet both copies that I've installed on the two computers appear to be trials that are soon to expire. They are not listed lower down as Install or Try, so I cannot install them again.

[john beardsworth]

Ray, it might be a better idea to start your own thread - this is supposed to be about Adobe's stock price and what it says about their switch to subscription-limited software.

[Ray]

Ray, it might be a better idea to start your own thread - this is supposed to be about Adobe's stock price and what it says about their switch to subscription-limited software.

Indeed it is, and my comment was merely to give the background to the miserably and mind-bogglingly poor customer service in Australia that Adobe appears to be offering.

If their stock price is high, it is perhaps partly due to their cutting costs to the extent that they are hardly offering any direct customer support where one can speak to someone or converse online.
Of course, I've tried searching Adobe forums for clarification, but confusion seems to reign so frequently. I'd rather speak to someone direct.