I just want to keep CSx updated and continue to use it like I have been.

Question

I'm an individual.. One computer!, no team or bank of computers... Just me..
I don't need a cloud! I don't want a cloud!
I just want to keep CSx updated. and continue to use it like I have been.
Cost me about $600 every other year to keep this updated.
I can afford $600/every other year.
What do I need to do to keep using The Design Premium CSx ??

Answer 1

Short answer:   You are [or eventually will be] outdated and out of luck.
I've been a master collection user since it's been availaboe, but I've been struggling with this and other questions, and have come to the conclusion that I need to be proactive in looking for alternatives, so when the day comes that CS6 stops working on new hardware, I'll have options.
My biggest concern is that with the current CC model, if a user decides to stop, or can't afford, their subscription fee, thirty days later they loose access to ALL THEIR CREATIVE WORK-- without monthly activation,  all the CC software STOPS WORKING!
Moreover, after everyone is on the CC hook, what is to stop Adobe from charging $100 per month, or $300....  As a huge company driven by investors and quarterly profits they will charge whatever the market will bear.  Many will be held hostage to the subscription fee, no matter how high it goes, because they won't be able to afford to loose access their creative work.  So... going forward the market will probably bear a lot more than $49 per month.
Then, if this wasn't enough risk, there is also the dependence on the web and Adobe's IT infrastructure to keep the software "activated".  I know it is probably extremely unlikely, but what if they suffer a cyber-attack like many other large and theoretically "secure" companies?  What kind of havoc could an attacker wreak with the creative community if suddenly all our software stopped working?  You may laugh, but I just read an article today on cNet Security about how Twitter's domain registration was hacked by SEA-- at least for a brief time, SEA was the admin for the Twitter domain records.
Since hearing Adobe's plans, I realised that over the years, with the exception of 3D, I've gravitated to Adobe for all my creative work-- they really do make great software.  Even though this represents a huge investment in time and "learning curve", I've started to seriously evaluate alternatives.  When the day comes that CS6 is no longer working on new hardware, I hopefully will already be using other brands.
My current thinking:  If Apple makes FCP 11 a professional tool again, that would be my first choice for video.  If they don't, I've been taking a hard look at Sony Vegas-- or there is always Avid.  For compositing, while I really know and love After Effects, I have a copy of Eyeon's Digital Fusion that came free with Lightwave3D that I've never even installed.  It is now out of the closet and sitting on my desk, waiting until I have a few minutes to install it to give it a try.  For photo editing and vector graphics, I've been looking at the Corel suite-- I haven't used Corel in years, as it always seemed "clunky" compared to Illustrator,  but it is a viable alternative, and used and loved by many.  Photoshop is an industry standard and I've used it for fifteen years, but I also have both Gimp and Cinepaint on Mac, and use them frequently already.  They aren't as capable or as slick as Photoshop, but they do everything I need, so photo editing is covered.  As far as web tools, Dreamweaver is nice, but web development can be done with any editor.  Flash (and all browser plugin technology) is being supplanted by HTML5 and Javascript, so loosing Flash, going forward, is no great loss.  I haven't used it in over a year anyway, but f I really need 2D animation there is always (gasp) Silverlight, and maybe also other tools that I'm currently unaware of.  InDesign isn't a concern for me as I almost never do print.
So bottom line for me:   If Adobe works out a compromise where the software keeps working even if the subscription lapses, then it would be a different ballgame for me. I'd even be willing to agree to pay two or three year contract before the perpetual license kicked in.  However, as it stands, the CC subscription (and potentially vanishing software) represents a level of trust in Adobe that I'm not prepared to give.