Adobe to Launch Subscription Model for Its Design Software

Starting next month, Adobe will be trying something that seems both a long time coming and might serve as a smart move for the company. This week, they’ve announced a new release of their Creative Suite line of products, which includes Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects and others, used widely by designers. They’ve not moved on yet to CS6, as this latest will be just half, at 5.5, but beyond the usual improvements in the software, they’ve also introduced a new pricing plan. Instead of shelling out the hundreds or thousands of dollars for each new release, 5.5 and presumably all releases thereafter assuming this is successful, their customers will have the option to subscribe to their software. Don’t have the $2599 you’ll need to buy their everything-included Master Collection? You can rent it for either $129 per month (once you sign up for a full year), or $195/per, if you decide to just go month-to-month. Bloomberg reports that the move is designed to remove the initial cost barrier for users while allowing others to try out a product and then hopefully purchase it once they’re hooked. It’s an interesting idea and one we’re not surprised by at all that they’re trying out. We’d love to hear your thoughts about the move in the comments, so fire away.

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