In response to the "Quark is Dead" post, Karen makes this comment:
"I'm always amazed that the same people who have referred to Microsoft as the evil empire for years have no problem with Adobe becoming the monopoly for design software. I hope Quark survives - competition is good for everybody."
Absolutely. While I like InDesign, I've never converted over to the rest of the Adobe pack (Photoshop, et al) although it wasn't necessarily motivated by a wish to prevent an Adobe takeover of my desktop. So, what are the options if you're wanting to avoid putting all your design eggs in one basket?
I addressed that, in part, in Mix 'n Match Desktop Publishing Software to Meet Your Needs. It approaches software selection from a price and features point of view primarily. Dan Fink's guest article on Open Source Desktop Publishing also offers a way to escape both Adobe and Microsoft. What Desktop Publishing / Graphics Software Do You Use and why? Do you see Adobe as putting a stranglehold on serious design software choices; or, do you not concern yourself with the politics of design? Sound off!
I think Adobe is becoming an evil empire. I know people who think if you don’t use Adobe products, you can’t design. And that’s not true. If you can do it in an Adobe product, you can do it in any equivalent software.
Adobe seems to have become the defacto industry standard for multimedia and design software. Every job posting I read the employer wants people who know how to use the latest versions their software only to an expert level. I must say that I like Adobe software. I also like Corel software, and some of the freeware design software as well. But Adobe software is ridiculously expensive, and with new versions released every year, how can people aford to keep up to date?
I am a non pro but do a lot of photo editing.
Have Adobe and a couple of other photo editing softwares.
My choice by far is a Canadian software ACDSEE photo editor.
Way simpler to use than Adobe etc and every bit as good.
Adobe has gotten a free ride for months producing poorly written software rife with security risks and they fail to support 64 bit browsers natively. If the justice department should investigate anyone it is adobe. They also produce education software, software, that an education I will never force my students to buy and never use in the course of educating my students. The justice department needs to take a hard look at ADOBE, because ADOBE sucks, badly.
Adobe is rife with internal power struggles.
The technical staff is run by the same people that made the mess that is flash, so it can never be fixed.
The Photoshop and Premiere groups are ignored as Shantanu rips the company up, destroying products to move them to India. It is a racist company now, not even resembling what it once was.
Good for Karen! I’ve thought Adobe was shaping up nicely as an evil empire for some time. Their products are super expensive and all the special editions and various upgrades are irksome, to say the least.