No, the problem isn't the Cloud per se. You download local copes of the software and nothing is stopping you from saving your files locally as you always have. The real problem is Adobe's proprietary file formats. InDesign is notoriously backwards-incompatible. An InDesign 5.5 file won't even open in InDesign 5.0. Some aspects of newer Photoshop documents can't be read by older versions, and so they open as flattened images, which makes them far less valuable.
So how do you think it will be before all usable Adobe files will only be readable to current Adobe subscribers? And if that happens, you may as well not own your own work, because you can't see it without paying your rent to Adobe - on an annual lease, no less. If Autodesk is any indication, it will likely be a rapidly increasing rent as well.
As a 20-year veteran Photoshop user, I'm looking for options. The open source alternatives are in progress but still lacking. I'm an avid Blender user so that's not a dig on FOSS, but the assessment of someone who uses these tools for a living. GIMP still, after many, many years, doesn't allow CMYK or Lab color space, for example.
My advice to anyone who values their work: unless Adobe opens up their file formats or reverses course on the Creative Cloud - STAY AWAY.
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No, the problem isn't the Cloud per se. You download local copes of the software and nothing is stopping you from saving your files locally as you always have. The real problem is Adobe's proprietary file formats. InDesign is notoriously backwards-incompatible. An InDesign 5.5 file won't even open in InDesign 5.0. Some aspects of newer Photoshop documents can't be read by older versions, and so they open as flattened images, which makes them far less valuable. So how do you think it will be before all usable Adobe files will only be readable to current Adobe subscribers? And if that happens, you may as well not own your own work, because you can't see it without paying your rent to Adobe - on an annual lease, no less. If Autodesk is any indication, it will likely be a rapidly increasing rent as well. As a 20-year veteran Photoshop user, I'm looking for options. The open source alternatives are in progress but still lacking. I'm an avid Blender user so that's not a dig on FOSS, but the assessment of someone who uses these tools for a living. GIMP still, after many, many years, doesn't allow CMYK or Lab color space, for example. My advice to anyone who values their work: unless Adobe opens up their file formats or reverses course on the Creative Cloud - STAY AWAY.