Adobe needs more money and it will not have more from me! Since a couple of months, Adobe decided to switch their pricing plan from perpetual licence, at least for Lightroom — the software I use to “develop” my photos —, to an annual (or monthly) subscription. Counting exactly how many times I had bought an update, since the very first version of Lightroom, I calculate that this new plan will cost twice the money given since! And mainly for no more functionalities than before, obviously, and, if by chance, I decide to stop my subscription I will be not more in position to develop my old photos, only organize them (up to now as it may change in the future).
If I resume, I will then have to pay twice, to do exactly the same job as now, and if I stop to pay, no more development features. Nice, isn’t it?
So I decided to not switch from the actual 6.13 release, which fully support my digital camera but may be not my future smartphone — when I will buy a new one — I also used to make some pictures. So I will have a look on alternatives and I will try them with this new smartphone when I will have it in order to see if I can envisage a switch from Lightroom.
I fully understand why I need to pay a regular subscription for my internet provider, by example, but I think that for a software like Lightroom, even if it also embedded a “cloud” space for the photo — which I’m not confident in — it’s not justified!
Badly I think that it’s an actual mood in all software editors, as for example, Microsoft did the same for their Office pack, called Office 365. Their major argument is that this offer includes perpetual updates, at far as you’re paying them every year (or month)! An other argument they usually give is about the smallness of the regular subscription price, and it’s right, as far as you don’t add it to all other subscriptions you need to pay to do your jobs/hobbies!
1 De mirovinben -
Welcome to the Itouazbeteurbifor Club. . ;-)
2 De Biou -
What kind of alternative do you have? Aperture is dead. Dxo perhaps?
3 De Franck -
Yes DXO but not only, as Luminar 2018 seems to be able to do the job, and may be other? Will see…
4 De Franck -
Or even Capture One Pro (from Phase One)?
I don’t know yet and I think that it’s a little bit too soon to have a good idea about which one will be the replacement of Lightroom.
5 De Biou -
I don’t really recommend dark table if you were accustomed to Lightroom, there is some kind of uncanny valley between both of them…
6 De Franck -
And Luminar 2018 seems to be a little bit confusing too, but may be less than Darktable, I don’t know yet.
So, to be continued… :-)