I just don't buy it. What happened to the "single code base" argument that is given as one of the prime motivations for the change?bakubo wrote:Adobe publicly confirms stand-alone future for Lightroom
http://www.dpreview.com/news/2013/05/15 ... le-hangout
LR was my big concern since I have already spent a year importing 56k photos, adding keywords, star ratings, and thousands of them also have been edited in LR using the non-destructive editor. All that info is in the LR catalog which is useless if LR is disabled because you no longer have the subscription service or don't have internet for an extended period or some other reason. The statement by Adobe, of course, is not ironclad that they will never change LR to the subscription (rental) model, but it is pretty good. I understand that no company or person would leave themselves no wiggle room at all since things change, but I am reasonably satisfied that at least for a long time LR will be okay. I was starting to think I might not upgrade to LR 5 and should once again start investigating alternatives. For now though I feel somewhat relieved.Adobe Product Manager Tom Hogarty stressed that Adobe has, 'no plans to make Lightroom subscription-only at any point in the future.' The statement, made in light of the overwhelming response to Adobe's Creative Cloud announcement last week, was made during a Google+ Hangout today in which both Hogarty and Lightroom PM Sharad Mangalick responded to audience questions.
Personally the change in PS doesn't affect me. I have PSE 9, PS CS2, PSP X, and PWP 3.5. Later versions of PSE for the foreseeable future will probably not be the subscription model either so, if necessary, I can get them. I don't need anything in PS that isn't in LR + PSE so I am okay.
My prediction is that in a few years, they will split LR CC and LR CS. They may honour their statement for a few more years after that by providing updates for new cameras in LR CS, but LR CC will start getting features that LR CS doesn't. They may also improve workflow / communication between PS CC and LR CC which LR CS won't get. It will become increasingly difficult to resist LR CC, and once the LR CS sales drop off, they will can it.
I also foresee a scaled-back development schedule for the desktop CC suite. With no real competition, and everyone locked into paying a license, why worry about huge earth-shattering upgrades anymore? Instead, their focus will shift to developing software for non-desktop systems, i.e. phones and tablets.
I think we just saw this with Google buying Nik, slashing the price, and selling the software without a serial number. Despite what Nik says, don't look for updates to their desktop software soon. Focus has shifted to mobile devices and software for the masses, so that everyone'c cell phone and tablet can take better photos, or at least so that their software can improve the quality.
It's a changing world, and we are being swept up in the changes.