Buzz Out Loud Lounge: Adobe Software DRM Bites Me.
Adobe Software DRM Bites Me.
by kd9 - 1/21/08 8:35 PMI love my computers and I love the software I run on them. But I do not love Adobe Software. Every software product we have is paid for and licensed. We have been Adobe customers since Photoshop 0.9. I have used PageMaker at least that long (decades) and now InDesign. In the second to last major upgrade to Adobe software (CS2), they started actively checking online for a valid serial number. They allow two copies of the software to be run at once. Fine, but we have three houses and eight computers. Now when we moved from house to house we had to remember to DEACTIVATE one copy of the software in one house and ACTIVATE another copy in house #2 or house #3. Not a problem. A pain (especially when I forgot to do it), but not a real problem. I agree that software companies should be allowed to take steps to prevent software piracy. But today when I went to deactivate my copy of CS3 on my laptop and use it on my desktop I got the error message that Deactivation Failed. Their website was totally useless and gave no hint why deactivation would fail. So I had to call customer support, only to have them tell me that I had deactivated my software too often. WHAT?!?!?! This never, ever happened with CS2 in the hundreds of times that we activated and deactivated their software. They are now claiming that you can only run the software on two computers when you briefly TRANSFER a copy from one computer to a new computer. You are not allowed to run one copy of the software on multiple computers. WHY NOT? There is only one of me. I am not giving out copies to my friends. They can even CHECK to see that I am only running legally ACTIVATED software. I am running one paid for copy on one computer AT A TIME. To say I am angry is an understatement. In fact, I am ready to transfer all my Adobe files to other companies. Considering that we have spent thousands of dollars on Adobe software and now to have to deal with this is unconscionable. I strongly recommend that anyone contemplating buying ANY Adobe Software seriously rethink this decision.
Yeah
by Nicholas Buenk - 1/21/08 8:46 PM In reply to: Adobe Software DRM Bites Me. by kd9Probably aimed at small businesses and not individuals though.
Try switching Flash MX 2004 Educational version
by SilasC - 1/21/08 11:02 PM In reply to: Adobe Software DRM Bites Me. by kd9I got a Mac last year. On my PC, I had Macromedia Flash MX 2004. It was the educational version (same as Pro but cheaper because I'm a student). I tried to transfer. Usually it's as simple as transferring the serial number with a few mouth clicks. Not so with the Education version. I would have to "contact Macromedia" (of course, they were now Adobe) according to the help page. They told me to resend a bunch of stuff to confirm I was a student. The first phone number didn't work and I never go the same tech support number for transferring serial numbers. I gave up in the middle of the call.
I'm never buying Adobe ever again. Overpriced, bloated, restrictive. Sounds like crap to me.
This is not an Educational Version
by kd9 - 1/22/08 1:11 AM In reply to: Try switching Flash MX 2004 Educational version by SilasCIt's a full CS3 Pro Extended version upgraded from CS2 (which was upgraded from CS, which was upgraded from Photoshop/InDesign, you get the picture. Long, long time customer.)
treating your customers like pirates
by Papa Chango - 1/22/08 9:14 AM In reply to: This is not an Educational Version by kd9>In fact, I am ready to transfer all my Adobe files to other >companies.
??
Much harder to do when dealing with monopolies who have no competition and use proprietary formats.
I'm sure they get a big kick when people threathen to leave or never to use their product again.
Have you ever figured out how much you have spent on their products?
Write a letter to some higher up muckety-muck if you can find an email address. Write a blog posting, then pimp it on DIGG and hope it gets a few hits and it rallies the other saps... sorry, I meant valued paying customers, to your cause and hope to gather a critical mass.
I am positive you are NOT the only one who is in this situation.
I had a friend who was so sick and tired of the games needed for the Windows Genuine Advantage (wouldnt work with Firefox, then did, then didnt again) that he has paid Vista copies but prefers to use the one s that uses RemoveWGA. Like in all other similiar cases, pirating is a hell of a lot less annoying.
I dont really care what reasons companies give: make MY life harder when I legally buy YOUR product, make me waste precious time and you become the enemy. Period. And just because the companies say they are not using spyware, the actions are exactly the same (of course, people are always willing to give away their rights, privacy and such trivial matters so as to make life easier for multi-billion companies).
All Online DRM will Fail
by Renegade Knight - 1/25/08 11:52 AM In reply to: Adobe Software DRM Bites Me. by kd9It's only a matter of how much it's going to inconvenice you when it does.
It's ironic that now to get the use of what you have paid for, you are better off pirating a cracked version and leaving the paid version on the shelf as nothing more than a Liscence.
Sorry but...
by surfpark - 1/25/08 3:17 PM In reply to: Adobe Software DRM Bites Me. by kd9Since Adobe has rolled out CS3 upgrades there have been issues with this. Adobe is only battling the small office piracy that is the biggest offender. What I would suggest is uninstalling all the software and calling Adobe to work this out. Their numbers are located here:
http://www.adobe.com/support/phonenumbers/
"You are not allowed to run one copy of the software on multiple computers. WHY NOT?"
They are going to tell you that you're only allowed to run ONE version of the software on ONE computer. Not network, but computer. They do this so that someone with a small business or home office will not pass around the software to everyone they work with. If you want only one disc that can run on 2+ computers, you'll need to get a volume license or purchase another version of the software. In theory you could also activate/deactivate the serial between your desktop and laptop when needed.
Sorry, but there isn't a better "legal" solution right now. I do have a mega list of FREE open-source Adobe alternatives though:
GIMP (Photoshop): http://www.gimp.org
Inkscape (Illustrator): http://www.inkscape.org
Scribus (InDesign): http://www.scribus.net/
Nvu (Dreamweaver): http://www.nvu.com/
Synfig (Flash): http://www.synfig.com/
Audacity (Soundbooth): http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Jahshaka (After Effects): http://www.jahshaka.org/
Avidemux (Premiere): http://avidemux.sourceforge.net/
DVD Flick (Encore): http://www.dvdflick.net/
PrimoPDF (Acrobat): http://www.primopdf.com/
Foxit PDF Reader (Reader): http://www.foxitsoftware.com/
| Forum legend: | |
 |
Locked thread |
 |
Moderator |
 |
CNET staff |
 |
Samsung staff |
 |
Norton Authorized Support team |
 |
AVG staff |
 |
Windows Outreach team |
 |
Dell staff |
 |
Intel staff |
