Software prices

[YoshiEgg25]

You'll probably see more SaaS (Software as a Service) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_as_a_service in the future. This is where the company hosts the servers and the software and let you use it for a service fee. This could be a monthly/yearly cost or per-use. But I don't know if Photoshop would ever come down enough to the $1/$10 level.

This is what EA has been doing with Madden for years.

[RCBH928]

1) This post is not about finding me software that is low cost. Software examples I put up there, are just examples. I live in a 3rd world country, I can buy pirated software from stores.

2) I understand the prices on sophisticated software that must have a huge team behind it, stuff like Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, and other high end software. My only problem is , do they really expect us to pay just as much as multi-million corporations are willing to pay?

3)I think people here just hate Apple for existing. I heard people bashing Apple for their high prices, and over paying all my life. Now when the app store is out, people are saying that Apple's pricing model is killing the business? Isn't that contradicting ?I am confused….

In business we learned something
that at some price point ,few people are going to buy your product
for example
say you sell your product for $200
then only 50 people are willing to pay

50 x $200 = $10, 000

but if you lower your price to $100 , 300 people are willing to buy
300 x $100= $30,000

This is the point I am trying to make, lowering your price doesn't mean losing sales at all! Maybe you will get rewarded much more!

The whole point of this post is I am trying to say "Help me help you!" to the developer. They create all this great software that I am happy to use, but I just can't pay for. If they lower their prices maybe then I can pay you. I also believe many others do feel the same way.

When I said that the App Store has apps for $.99 , I of course didn't expect to pay $1 for photoshop or any other pc software. I just used it as an example for lower prices encourages you to pay. High prices makes it impossible.

In the end, the developer can price his product at whatever price he wants because I am going to use the software either ways. Its just a matter that he keeps his price high and I will not pay, or he can put a reasonable price and i am going to pay.

Adobe can list Photoshop CS5 at $500 as much as they want, I don't care.

When I start a business and the software is going to generate me money, then the price is justifiable and I will pay, but for now. Don't blame me for not paying, its simply not fair the way I see it.


Jeffro11,

I do respect your point of view, but I am sorry iPad software is NOT shovelware. I have seen many good applications and games I highly enjoyed and thought they are worth more than the price tag.

I do agree that shovelware exists on the iPad, and a lot of it, but what system out there has no shovelware? Is there no shovelware for the psx? or the 360? or the NES?
Sure it exist, but the good stuff exists too.

**********************

Since everyone here is defending software prices.,
Do you feel software price in general is fair enough?
Is it fair that all games are listed for $60 on consoles?
Is photoshop's price fair?
Software in general for all computers?

[Hobie-wan]

2) I understand the prices on sophisticated software that must have a huge team behind it, stuff like Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, and other high end software. My only problem is , do they really expect us to pay just as much as multi-million corporations are willing to pay?

Photoshop isn't aimed at the the average user. It has tons of features that normal people will never use and don't need. There at least used to be a cut down version called Photoshop Elements that was for the masses. There are other cheaper alternatives like Paint Shop Pro as well.

[fastbilly1]

Is photoshop's price fair?

Now I dont know enough about other programs, but I know alittle something about this. Photoshop, like said earlier, is a professional product. It is not made for lowend users, like you (and me most of the time). How often when you are working on images do you need to change the CMYK settings or blend layers to create shadows? Professionals need that kind of control, 90% of the world does not. Because of this there is a lesser version of Photoshop called Elements that does what the rest of the world needs it to and cost about $60 - which it is worth every penny. My little brother is a professional photographer and knows how to work magic in Photoshop. I mean he worked 12+ hours a day for the past 7 years. He went to a seminar for it a couple months ago and filled a legal pad with info on things he had no idea how to do. It is said that Photoshop is so complicated that no one person could ever learn how to use it all - though in fairness any highend editing software that could be said about.

All that said, I use Gimp over Photoshop since I can run it on all the computers I use daily. I just dont like how it is three frames and not one.

As for Final Cut. Like Photoshop, most people do not need an professional NLE system for their films. iMovie, Vegas home, and the like are more than capable for even most independent films. Unlike Photoshop alternatives, video codec incompatibilitys get to be a pain. Case in point, Preimer CS4 does not let you edit MXF files, you have to upgrade to CS5.

My view has always been, if you make money off of it, you better have paid for it.

Edit:
Also, if you use the professional products, you know professionally, they will pay for themselves quickly. I made a alot of money making videos a long time ago. It was not uncommon that my cut of the profits was around a grand. For a grand I can buy a professional editing system - before I made my Avid I used the $50 Vegas Video 1.

[ZeroAX]

No dude, software piracy is not ok. If you think the professional software is too expensive, use something else.

If you had a store, and someone came in and told you that you make a 20€ profit from item X but if you sold it for only 5€ profit you might sell triple times the items would you do it?

The app store just proves that devaluing the software will kill the market. You can't develop an expensive app for the iphone, because you will either make a fortune, or most likely barely sell anything and your app will be lost in the depths of the app store.

[Ivo]

Instead of Photoshop (which I think I never used) I sometimes used Gimp, but I never really liked the complication. I recently found a freeware program that is usefully simple but still has some important features over the likes of MS Paint.

The freeware program is called Paint.net, google it if you want it I guess. I'm happy with it.

Ivo.

[RCBH928]

I do agree that in 2010 , a lot of free alternatives exist
and high end software has features that I might never use in my life

but free software and non-professional software always have some simple feature that has been taken out of it to irritate you.

For example, lately in iMovie '08 I couldn't do frame by frame editing, which is NOT supposed to be advanced feature , what gets on my nerves is that earlier versions in 2005 or 2004, it had this feature they took it out.

I stand next to my opinion, I still see pc software expensive, although stuff like app store and steam are good signs of what we will get in the future.

--

I will say this for probably the 3rd time,
I understand why advanced software is expensive
and my view too is if you make money off it, you better pay for it

its just that.....
You need to buy the software first, learn how to use it, then maybe you can start making a business out of it.

[ZeroAX]

its just that.....
You need to buy the software first, learn how to use it, then maybe you can start making a business out of it.

That's what trials are for.

Plus if you are thinking of starting a business, and your biggest dilemma is if it's worth spending 1000-3000$ on software you'll/you might need then that business will probably fail, cause of lack of vision and a thought out business plan.

[RCBH928]

personally I am all for the module that will watermark your product or limit it as far as learning the software goes.

I can accept a full Photoshop for free but when i save an image i will have big Adobe watermarks on it. Now I can. learn the software but not benefit from it, since I didn't pay for it. Fair enough

[Hobie-wan]

personally I am all for the module that will watermark your product or limit it as far as learning the software goes.

I can accept a full Photoshop for free but when i save an image i will have big Adobe watermarks on it. Now I can. learn the software but not benefit from it, since I didn't pay for it. Fair enough

I know that Maya (3D modeling animation software) used to have a student learning version for free that did this on all rendered output.