Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1179544
54 has become fairly standard, GPU acceleration remains a gray area where only some companies have disclosed the extent to which it has been integrated into their software. Therefore, Adobe's total support for it comes as an unqualified pro over its competitors. At this time, Adobe offers their products in two distinct sub- scription-based distribution packages. The first is a "Single App" access package in which users pay $20.99 per month in exchange for unlimited access, upgrades, and support to just one piece of Adobe software of their choice. The second and more popular plan—"The All Apps Plan"—includes all products applications, both for desktop computers and mobile devices, for $52.99 per month. Users who are inter- ested can further pair either of these subscription plans with an Adobe Stock subscription in order to download photos and videos from the company's stock media library. That being said, Adobe is not without its drawbacks for users. The company's 2012 decision to switch from sell- ing one-time purchase licenses to requiring a permanent subscription remains a controversial choice with users. While this business model may remain profitable for the company itself, it has inarguably limited customers in some ways. While a relatively low ongoing cost may have opened access to the software for some users, the ongoing nature of a subscription inevitably priced out others. Under the old model, perspective buyers were able to analyze the upcom- ing features and products in new Creative Suite releases and determine whether or not they merited spending the money to upgrade. For many, the list of improvements from gen- eration to generation was of little consequence and there was no need to upgrade. Under the current Creative Cloud model, these users have no choice but to continue paying Adobe in perpetuity or lose access to their software, their projects, and potentially their livelihoods. Moreover, certain events have left Adobe customers concerned as to whether or not the software they rely upon will remain on the market or accessible. In May of 2014, there was a twenty-four-hour Creative Cloud service outage, rendering millions of creative professionals worldwide unable to access the Adobe products already installed on their own machines. When service was restored, Adobe did not offer compensation to customers for loss of paid service time, loss of productivity, or loss of revenue. This has been followed by periodic decisions to discontinue certain pieces of software. Since Creative Cloud's launched Adobe SpeedGrade (a color-grading software for professional video users), Adobe Story (a collaborative script development and screenwriting tool with non- linear editing integration) and Adobe Muse (a website building application for non-code-based developers) have both been discontinued—sparking outrage from customers and businesses that had worked to integrate these applications into their workflows. Furthermore, Adobe did initially make all software versions of their products from 2014 onward available to Creative Cloud users to download, meaning that customers would not be forced to upgrade against their will. This policy was reversed in May of 2019; however, when Adobe removed all pre-2018 software from the Creative Cloud downloader and sent emails to customers stating that pre-2018 software licenses had been revoked. Users were required to upgrade or face possible legal actions. At the risk of editorializing, I feel it is worth pointing out the obvious. Threatening your customers for using soft- ware that you licensed them is bad business. W hile Adobe has emerged at or near the forefront of the creative software development world, their business practices do invite a degree of risk for their customers. For users who are concerned by these issues, there are alternatives. Avid Technology, Apple Inc., and Blackmagic Design have all developed competing products that cur- rently see wide use within the industry. In the coming issues of Production Sound & Video, we will provide spotlights on these products as well so that members can make the most informed decisions when determining which non-linear editing family is the best investment for them.