How much for CS3 Upgrade?

Question

I was trying to get upgrade information regarding Adobe's new
Creative
Suite bundles online, but all the relevant web pages appear
to be down.
I've struck out with technical support, too.
So, if any of you have already researched this, could you
suggest even a
rough estimate of what I might have to pay for Web Premium?
I have Photoshop CS Version 8 on my PC and recently purchased
Dreamweaver 8 for Mac. I want to upgrade to Web Premium for
Mac. At the
very least, it would be helpful to know what kind of upgrade
price
they're offering people who have Dreamweaver 8 only.
Thanks.
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Answer 1

> If Adobe wants to trade abroad, and therefore incurs
extra expenses why does
> it take out the extra expenses only on non-US buyers?
> So US designers should have to pay higher prices just to
make designers
> outside the US happy?
>>I did not ask Adobe to trade abroad or establish
offices abroad. None of us
did: we don't want these offices and we don't need them.
But maybe Adobe does. If it were necessary for them to
establish offices and they didn't, I'm fairly sure I'd be reading
posts like "Adobe is snubbing us."
>>Adobe wants these offices and needs them to make more
money.
So you're on Adobe's Board of Directors now? How do you know
their motivation? Also, you stated "why does it take out the extra
expenses only on non-US buyers?" thus implying that if there were
extra expenses involved for doing business worldwide, everyone
should bear the costs including US customers. Say I have 2 clients,
Bob and Mary, and I visit each one to do an in-person consultation.
Part of my rate structure is to charge for mileage for in-person
consultations. Bob lives next door, and Mary lives 50 miles away.
If I go to visit Mary, I don't charge Bob half the cost of when I
go to visit Mary.
>>I just want to be able to download the same software
as my American colleagues for the same money. But Adobe is trying
to force me to buy the same software for a lot more money, citing
localization costs...
Maybe that is one of the reasons, maybe not. Since I'm not on
the Adobe BoD, I'm not going to say "Well it's this reason, or that
reason." When people talk about capitalism, they are funny. First,
they want to charge people what they want for services they
perform, whether it's designing, or cooking, or whatever they do
for a living. However, they scream to high heaven when they
perceive another company to be overpricing their product. For
instance, I can make $25/hour working for a company, or I can
charge 4 times that amount for design work I do on my own. It's the
same work, but the amount paid me is significantly different. The
beauty of this is that if a potential client, or company, doesn't
to pay me that amount, they're free to go elsewhere. If I note a
drastic reduction in demand for my services, I have the choice of
reducing my rates. Who knows? Maybe Adobe will change their
policies if the market shows they're losing money. As I've said, if
you don't want to pay the price, don't buy the software.
>>while it does not even have the courtesey to address
me in my own language on the site I am forced to order from.
You seem to be doing fine with English :-) . Maybe it is a
lack of respect, as you've stated. However:
A) Most web designers can read and write English.
B) Adobe is shooting themselves in the foot by shutting out
the few designers who can't read English, so hopefully that lets
you sleep a bit better at night.
>> So what I'll get for the fortune Adobe wants, is:
American software, with an American interface (no Dutch version
avaiable, not that I would want a Dutch version),
> I fail to see a problem here. You're not getting
something you don't want.
>>Come on: I am paying almost double the price than
Americans pay for exactly the same thing. You don't see a problem?
You are not being serious.
You COMPLEEEEETELY missed the point. You stated that you
don't want a Dutch interface. Adobe doesn't supply one. No problem.
That's like being allergic to seafood and complaining that a
restaurant doesn't serve salmon.
> My anger is growing, and so is my resolve not to
upgrade.
> So don't. It's not like DW is the only web design
program out there. In
> fact, you can probably find an open source program for
free if you really
> look, or just stick with your current version.
>>That is irrelevant and quite a lame argument. I want
to upgrade, and why should I not be able to upgrade at the same
price as my American colleagues?
Why should I be paying for Adobe wanting to branch out?
It is neither irrelevant, NOR is it a lame argument. I don't
want to pay taxes, but I deal with it. Also, as mentioned
previously, I had purchased an education version of Director when I
was a student a long time ago and wanted to upgrade to the
non-educational version. However, Macromedia's policy was I would
have to pay the full price, not just the difference. Guess what? I
didn't buy the full version. I wasn't happy about it, but I dealt
with it. Is someone forcing you to go with Dreamweaver? Is someone
holding a gun to your head? If you want the Spry network, download
it from Adobe's site for free. From everything I've read, Spry
integration is about the only really major difference between CS3
and 8. There are plenty of other web editors out there. No one is
telling you you have to use DW. Also, do you have to upgrade right
now? As mentioned in another post, I haven't upgraded since MX2004.
If people in the EU and elsewhere don't upgrade due to the pricing,
Adobe will probably revisit their policy. Who knows what *all* of
the costs are for selling overseas? Do you?
> This whole issue makes me think of gas prices. It could
be one price at one
> station, but just a mile away (at a station for the same
gas company) it's
> 20%> higher, simply because it's in a different
neighborhood.
>>I fail to see what that has to do with it. Surely
people are not forced to fill
up at the one expensive station?
How did I know you would miss the point on this one also? The
point is that there are different operating costs in different
areas, so the prices fluctuate.
>>They drive a mile further and use the cheaper
station. But Adobe is stopping Europeans and Australians from
driving the extra mile to get cheaper gaz.
Adobe has only one station open to us, and that is the very
expensive one. That
is the problem.
But if it really IS more expensive to sell globally and (due
to factors which neither of us know about) they did need to open
international offices, why should Adobe be obligated to absorb
those costs? Again, if you don't want to pay the extra fees, don't.