Adobe Advice and the Canadian Dollar

[Drak]

Just looking for some financial opinions on Adobe products.

Adobe is currently offering all their products (Photoshop, Premiere, etc.) for $39.99 USD for a year contract. But the sale ends today, April 3rd.

Our CND dollar is quite low right now, but it could get worse in light of what's happening. Or it could get better, I dunno.

I have the option of paying month-to-month or paying all at once. If I pay all at once I'm locking into the current rates, but then I don't have to worry. If I go month-to-month it could go well or very bad if the dollar doesn't pick up and totally tanks.

What would you do?

[CaptainCrunch]

look at open source free options?

[DownhillGoat]

Whoof that's getting pricey. I think I'm still on the 14.99 plan (for PS/LR).

It's a crap shoot but personally I'd lock in. Best case scenario I don't see the dollar getting any better any time soon - and this time next year I'll be amazed if we're not down to 50-60c.

[Drak]

Originally Posted by DownhillGoat

Whoof that's getting pricey. I think I'm still on the 14.99 plan (for PS/LR).

It's a crap shoot but personally I'd lock in. Best case scenario I don't see the dollar getting any better any time soon - and this time next year I'll be amazed if we're not down to 50-60c.

Yah it is pricey. But I need Premiere and Photoshop at least for my current project files. If I lease those two things separately it's even more. I saw some speculation in the news that the dollar would strengthen by summer but I don't see how.

Edit: Although it looks like I can can get PS/LR package for $9.99 and Premiere for $20.99 which would save me $10USD per month. I could use AE still but not totally necessary.

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Drak

Yah it is pricey.

I also forgot the package with Premiere is way more. I wanted Illustrator and that was too much for me.

I dunno, I think "strengthen" might be a couple cents. No way we're getting close to par again anytime soon. I'd still lock in myself. I'd rather spend a few extra bucks knowingly than potentially lose way more but that's a personal choice.

[Mass_nerder]

I pay $20/month as a student, so yeah, that's a good deal. I use illustrator and InDesign almost every day though, so it's a necessary evil.

[Buff]

I thought you meant the sale was $39.99 for the entire year. I would have told you to start the car!

Adobe is over expensive. We're trying to get our users to try cheaper alternatives but they're scared of being outcast by their colleagues for not using the industry standard.

Adobe doesn't have a monopoly, but it basically does.

[Drak]

Originally Posted by Buff

I thought you meant the sale was $39.99 for the entire year. I would have told you to start the car!

Adobe is over expensive. We're trying to get our users to try cheaper alternatives but they're scared of being outcast by their colleagues for not using the industry standard.

Adobe doesn't have a monopoly, but it basically does.

Yah no kidding eh? I'd be all over that if so.

Could you list some of your preferred alternatives? And would they be compatible with Premiere and PS files?

[Fuzz]

I'm pretty happy the versions of CS5 we bought a decade ago still work just fine. I think to the amount of money we would have spent on subscriptions over those years, and it's kinda mind-boggling.

[Mass_nerder]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I'm pretty happy the versions of CS5 we bought a decade ago still work just fine. I think to the amount of money we would have spent on subscriptions over those years, and it's kinda mind-boggling.

Yep, spending upfront for CS a few years ago would have been so much better than constantly paying for the subscription.

[Mass_nerder]

Originally Posted by Drak

Yah no kidding eh? I'd be all over that if so.

Could you list some of your preferred alternatives? And would they be compatible with Premiere and PS files?

I used to use GIMP in place of Photoshop. It was pretty decent.
I guess it depends on what you're using PS for though, as I'm sure there are lots of features that PS has that GIMP doesn't.
I also used to use Inkscape in place of Illustrator, but I don't remember how good it was, as this was probably 5-6 years ago now.
Scribulus was a decent Indesign substitute.

[DownInFlames]

I paid for Adobe until this year. I just don't use it enough to justify the price.

I find Affinity Photo does pretty much everything I need to do. It's probably good enough unless you're a pro.

[Inferno]

I subscribed to the Photography plan at the end of January because I needed Photoshop for the freelance work I'm doing for a video game.

I decided to go with monthly because I didn't know if I would keep doing freelance after my contract ended and there was no discount for doing yearly but had I known what impact Corona would have on the dollar I probably would have went with yearly.

[dino7c]

Adobe software used to cost hundreds of dollars...kids these days

pay the $40

wait that is per month?

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Drak

Yah no kidding eh? I'd be all over that if so.

Could you list some of your preferred alternatives? And would they be compatible with Premiere and PS files?

I don't know what is good or very compatible. The guy making the recommendation talks about Corel as his wife uses Corel.