Adobe Price Gouging
I have been using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Acrobat (Pro) for over 30 years in my profession as an academic scientist, dating back to my postdoctoral days in Stanford University. Having purchased these products several times using my UK and EU government and medical charity-derived funds over the years as they improved, I now feel deeply angry with Adobe's shift to a subscription-only model with very high annual fees. Many of the wonderful modern capacities of these programs are not required for my day-to-day work, but the basic functions are highly desirable. Having purchased the versions with the capabilities I need, and while I would be happy to pay an annual upgrade subscription of, say, US$10 per user to ensure continued compatibility with machine and OS upgrades, I feel that the 'academic' pricing currently offered for single machines or groups is price-gouging of an unacceptable kind. I am refusing to pay these subscriptions and instead struggling with alternative (and less good) software. It is time Adobe acknowledged its responsibility in global infrastructure and started making basic back-compatible versions of its products available for a sum that a retired lectuerer can afford from their own pocket.