Adobe has announced its UK pricing for CS4. And no surprises in the rate at which they are going to charge us for the pleasure of being able to use their exclusive software here in this United Kingdom. The difference between the Master collection States side and here, is an astounding £1000 pounds.
So... You can either buy it over here and allow yourself to be blatantly ripped off, online or offline - prices don’t change and humiliated in the knowledge that you allowed some corporation to just laugh in your face as you enter your credit card details. Or you can book a return flight to New York, stay over two nights, eat out, catch a show, buy CS4 there and then fly back for pretty much the same, if not slightly less, cost.
So Adobe has done us all a big favor - We all now have the justification for a weekend away shopping in New York! That’s one way to bring in money that the US banks threw away I suppose. Very public spirited!
Thanks Adobe! Really appreciate the thought that has gone into this and to helping poke us into getting out there and seeing a bit more of the world.
Very thoughtful of you!
Or of course, you can just live without the very few new bells, whistles and marketing hype that CS4 offers you in your day to day business and save yourself thousands of pounds.
Either choice seems to really highlight how much Adobe wants to ensure that they can help us as much as possible, whichever purchase route we choose...
Which in these uncertain economic times, where money is thin on the ground or simply being squandered away by the banks, waiting for us keep bailing them out shows that Adobe really does have national, international and even lowly us and our interests close to their hearts.
If you’d like to hear Adobe’s response to UK criticism over pricing, why not read their comment in this ZD-Net article.
I think my influence for the style and reality of this article may have indeed come from a similar source as to that which helped their PR team generate their statement.
If you are a member of the ‘said’ PR team that created that stunning statement in reply to ZD-Net’s questions. And, you didn’t quite get the incredibly subtle undertones and nuances I have used in my article - Which is fair enough, as I in turn, I most certainly had no idea where the hell your statement was coming from - I would like to clarify, for the record, that yes - I am simply taking the piss - just like you guys appear to be.
It makes me furious when firms just seem to plonk a pound sign in front of their already exorbitant dollar price. Apple can be guilty of this as well. I am currently a P/T student, and can get PS for about £150. It is actually cost effective to enrol on a P/T photography course in order to qualify for the education discount - even with course fees I am saving money. Grumble grumble
Posted by: WG | November 20, 2008 at 11:32 AM
Couldn't agree more - We are totally apple here and have experienced it many times - Although the difference changed before the pound fell against the dollar - Be interesting to see if it stays the same.
Adobe are the masters of it - Never mind trying to extract blood out of a stone - They just go one for the easy option and extract the urine out of the creatives;-)
Posted by: Ginkgo | November 20, 2008 at 03:21 PM