> But public perception of Adobe has dipped in recent years.
I agree with the quoted tweet (or Threads post, whatever) that Adobe is a brand many or most creative professionals spit on, even if we have no choice but to use their software. They've lost so much good will that if there was literally any other comparable tool suite out there, Adobe would be out of business faster than it takes to boot up their horrible software. I do my best to avoid them, but sometimes even I have to put a clothespin on my nose and do certain tasks in Illustrator or Photoshop.
I have been hearing this exact line for the last 15 years, and yet the company continues to be the industry standard and increases revenues year after year. I don't see that changing any time soon.
I can't speak for pros but as a hobbiest IMO Lightroom has improved more in the last 5 years than in the 5 before that. Some of that is the industry as a whole (HDR displays, for instance, allowing Lightroom letting me process old raw files in HDR). Some of it is their new AI based stuff (the new noise reduction is a particularly dramatic jump over the old one). Apple's tools certainly aren't close (currently).
15 years ago I've tried PaintshopPro before settling with Photoshop for image editing. And my impression about it was that it was good enough. I switched to Photoshop because there were more learning resources for it.
It's sad it lags so much behind now, as I hate paying for Adobe's subscription.
My question is, all these people who spit on Adobe. What is Apple doing differently that would make it a good option? Apple is even more rent-seeking than Adobe. The fact that their software only runs on exorbitantly expensive hardware being the least of those methods.
> When Apple shuttered development of Aperture, there were rumors it did so because it entered into a gentleman’s agreement with Adobe to give Lightroom the space it needed to take over the photography software industry. That worked, and Adobe applications ran great on Apple computers.
I’d not heard this theory (though the only pro-space app I care about is Logic for audio). I’d love if Apple started smashing the funding button for their pro apps again, but they’ve already caused a lot of distrust when they killed Aperture.
Not to mention other products that don’t get ongoing updates (HomePod, Mac Pro for about a century, Xserve line that was killed, and other more recent items that aren’t top of mind atm). Justifying the risk of conversion will be an uphill battle.
It's too late for this former user of Apple's productivity software. Killing Aperture and nerfing the iWork suite destroyed any willingness I could have ever had to go back.
I like their OS, but it would be a hard sell for me to ever choose to migrate to their productivity software again.
I wonder how much would Adobe benefit from porting its suite to Linux for example. Do a Steam move and pick a fave distro, use some translation layer and bam. I vote for the unholy matrimony of Adobe+Steam to break the stronghold of MS+Apple.
That is pretty much the chicken and egg problem of Linux in regards to Apps and Games.
Many years I asked a very wise person: "what would happen if adobe port photoshop to Linux?"
The answer was "nothing". I asked why; the answers was: "no Photoshop user will migrate for Linux because of it, no gimp user will migrate to Photoshop".
Also, I've read in HN once: that are more people using Linux on the desktop than there are Photoshop users. People overestimate photoshop as a killer app.
I get why subscriptions are a thing but it's insane how much Lightroom costs if you're just a casual photographer. Especially the blatant push for yearly commitments and hoop jumping to cancel the trial.
I guess Adobe only wants professionals and very serious amateurs to use their products these days.
I've used Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects constantly for 15 years. There have been no significant improvements and no meaningful competitors. The AI stuff is junky. The movement to expensive subscription plans sucks for artists. Shocked no one has moved into this space.
Procreate has been an amazing and affordable alternative to drawing in photoshop/illustrator, and Figma filled a space that Adobe ignored, and Blender can do some amazing video editing things. But with PS, AI, and AE there is so much opportunity for competition.
If all of this speculation is true, I wonder what they'll do to compete with Lightroom? - either bring back Aperture, or something similar but completely new
Not quite. Photomator + Photos is sort of a Lightroom alternative but it’s not a fully integrated photo management system to the level of aperture or Lightroom.
There’s a lot of organizational workflows that neither photos nor Photomator even attempt to include today. Ratings, multiple tags, quick selects, rapid export presets, multiple version handling etc
Unless Apple is planning to release any of the said software for Windows as well then I don't see Adobe being cornered. Apple wants to sell hardware so its unlikely to port to Windows. Creatives are no longer exclusive to Apple hardware as it used to be 15 years ago.
Exactly, macOS is ~20% market share vs Windows worldwide. It's not a competition if you're only competing for a small slice of the pie on your own platform. I don't see this driving further adoption of macOS much, but even if it did, it would only be making up ground lost due to the Final Cut X shmozzle.
Aperture to me was the perfect photography software and was sad to see it discontinued. It did seem a bit niche in a competitive area that may not have justified porting to Apple Silicon and supporting.
Now the play seems to be for Apple to dominate all creative professional software and make Windows+Creative/Pro software as much an oxymoron as Mac+Games.
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I agree with the quoted tweet (or Threads post, whatever) that Adobe is a brand many or most creative professionals spit on, even if we have no choice but to use their software. They've lost so much good will that if there was literally any other comparable tool suite out there, Adobe would be out of business faster than it takes to boot up their horrible software. I do my best to avoid them, but sometimes even I have to put a clothespin on my nose and do certain tasks in Illustrator or Photoshop.
It's sad it lags so much behind now, as I hate paying for Adobe's subscription.
The efficiency of these tools is not measured by the capabilities, but by the effort it takes from the user to get the expected end result.
Dead Comment
It's an open source near perfect clone of photoshop
It's even kind of a good deal if you compare it to equivalent Wintel-ware / Android (if you can even a true equivalent).
This also depends on where in the world you live.
Adobe won't even sell me a non-subscription copy of Photoshop anymore.
I’d not heard this theory (though the only pro-space app I care about is Logic for audio). I’d love if Apple started smashing the funding button for their pro apps again, but they’ve already caused a lot of distrust when they killed Aperture.
Not to mention other products that don’t get ongoing updates (HomePod, Mac Pro for about a century, Xserve line that was killed, and other more recent items that aren’t top of mind atm). Justifying the risk of conversion will be an uphill battle.
Pixelmator is also a one time purchase.
I bought Pixelmator Pro for $60 when it came out.
I like their OS, but it would be a hard sell for me to ever choose to migrate to their productivity software again.
That is pretty much the chicken and egg problem of Linux in regards to Apps and Games.
The answer was "nothing". I asked why; the answers was: "no Photoshop user will migrate for Linux because of it, no gimp user will migrate to Photoshop".
Also, I've read in HN once: that are more people using Linux on the desktop than there are Photoshop users. People overestimate photoshop as a killer app.
It’s hard to feel sympathetic towards Adobe with their expensive subscription model.
I guess Adobe only wants professionals and very serious amateurs to use their products these days.
Dead Comment
Procreate has been an amazing and affordable alternative to drawing in photoshop/illustrator, and Figma filled a space that Adobe ignored, and Blender can do some amazing video editing things. But with PS, AI, and AE there is so much opportunity for competition.
https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/
There’s a lot of organizational workflows that neither photos nor Photomator even attempt to include today. Ratings, multiple tags, quick selects, rapid export presets, multiple version handling etc
Now the play seems to be for Apple to dominate all creative professional software and make Windows+Creative/Pro software as much an oxymoron as Mac+Games.