Over the last few days there’s been some unconfirmed chatter via several blogs about the discontinuation of boxed versions of Adobe’s Creative Suite Software. This morning, with very little fanfare, a new entry was added to Adobe’s Creative Suite FAQ:
Why is Adobe discontinuing boxed copies of Creative Suite?
As Adobe continues to focus on delivering world-class innovation through Creative Cloud and digital fulfillment, we will be phasing out shrink-wrapped, boxed versions of Creative Suite. Electronic downloads for Creative Suite products will continue to be available – as they are today – from both Adobe.com, as well as reseller and retail partners.
What it means
As far as I’m concerned, nothing. Most software today is delivered electronically via download, anyway. In short, unless you’re on dial-up, there’s really no reason to buy software in a box, though I continue to recommend making a backup copy of the downloaded installer. I do hope, and I do think, that Adobe will continue to make back up copies available for a small shipping and handling fee to those unable to download their software.
What it doesn’t mean
It does not mean the end of perpetual licenses. While I continue to believe that will happen eventually (as I mentioned in now infamous, “What Will it Take to Move Everyone to Creative Cloud?” post) it’s not happening, yet. In fact, I believe this decision will have more impact on FedEx and UPS than it will on Adobe or its customers.
In my country we stop using disks since 2007. The reason: each DVD cost $100 to the final client. :O
Bob,
That quiet announcement of the end of boxed, shrink-wrapped versions of Creative Suite did hide a very important nuance. It is that nuance that two months later has caused the masses to storm the castle.
I remember reading the message and talking with a friend who is a brilliant insider of Adobe software.
He indicated that while the boxed version would be discontinued, the most current version of the software (which I took to be called CS7) would be available for digital delivery.
That’s why many people are upset that only CS6 can still be bought with a perpetual license. Of course, this assumes that they understand that there is a perpetual license. I’ve seen threads demanding that Adobe Bring back the Perpetual License. I can only assume that they don’t understand or know about the perpetual license for Creative Suite 6.
The most current version technically was and still is CS6.
Worse than dial-up, our Macs aren’t on the internet here at work.
We dont have to have a boxed product — we could download software on another machine — but we just can’t run the software if it can’t check back to big brother Adobe once a month.
And as Sandee says, we also like, and need a perpetual licence.
Dont know what we’re going to do.