BREAKING NEWS — This just out from Adobe:

The 2014 release of Creative Cloud is coming: Watch the keynote live online.

On June 18th at 1pm ET, see the next evolution of Creative Cloud. All-new desktop and mobile apps, new creative hardware, hundreds of new features and other surprises – all designed to accelerate your creativity and make everything you do every day easier and faster.

Watch the free keynote live on June 18th:  Catch the replay.

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When comparing Creative Cloud to the older Creative Suite model, one of the promises of CC is an ongoing stream of product updates that comes included with every membership. Paying extra for upgrades is a thing of the past because your tools are always up to date with the latest-and-greatest versions – instantly as soon as the download is available, or whenever you want it to happen…

So, after a long history of monolithic 18-24 month product cycles, how is the company now adapt­ing and delivering on this new rapid refresh model in this time of fast-paced techno­logical changes?

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[UPDATE (Jan. 2017) – Adobe just stopped selling CS6 entirely – here’s why.]

When Creative Suite 6 arrived in 2012, there came with it a new way to buy Adobe software that the world had not seen before: the Creative Cloud.  Traditionally, most Adobe products had only been sold with “perpetual” licensing that doesn’t expire. The flip side is that these best-in-class tools often come with a steep price tag that is out of reach for many folks – though there have always been substantial discounts when upgrading from recent older releases, plus much lower pricing for some market segments like students and teachers…

When Creative Cloud first entered the scene, there was (and still is) some uncertainty about what it meant and where it was going… But despite that skepticism, the Cloud has since gained strong adoption to become the company’s dominant product line with most customers choosing it over CS6, which Adobe still continues to sell for people who want it.  With Creative Cloud you receive the newer “CC” release that succeeds CS6 as the latest and greatest toolset, and generally gets high ratings from users.

Related: Compare Features – What’s New in Adobe CC vs. CS6?

Adobe CC is available only via a subscription model which, yes, is cloud-based in some ways – but the name has been called confusing and misconceptions abound because in fact the major applications are not online or web-based, but still run locally on your computer as before.  What’s more, the company has been clear that powerful tools like Photoshop may add some online capabilities but will never run completely in the cloud.

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Charting strong growth since its initial release and receiving near-five-star ratings from customers, Adobe’s new all-in-one Creative Cloud offering has also been benefiting from high renewal rates from current and returning customers, the company divulged during a recent business presentation…

This is the first time that Adobe has publicly disclosed this information.  In response to the audience question, “What statistics can you share with us on Creative Cloud renewal trends?” CFO Mark Garrett said:

So back in 2011 when we announced this transition, we had modeled 80% retention – which we thought was conservative – and that’s planning out to be true, meaning our retention is better than 80%. We haven’t disclosed exact numbers yet, but the reten­tion is well within the constraints of the model that we set and the guidance that we set. So we’re really pleased with that.

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[UPDATE (July 2015) – These still work to download updates for the older CC 2013 release… However we also now have direct links for the new CC 2015 product updates.]

One of the great benefits of the Adobe CC release is receiving an ongoing stream of product updates at no extra cost… No longer do we have to wait 1-2 years for our tools to innovate and keep pace with evolving technologies; instead we get the latest & greatest features and improvements as soon as they are ready.

Since the initial launch of CC in June, Adobe has issued new upgrades for each individual app about once every 3-4 months, bringing new power and capabilities to all subscribers.

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[UPDATE (July 2015) – These still work to download updates for the older CC 2013 release… However we also now have direct links for the new CC 2015 product updates.]

One of the great benefits of the Adobe CC release is receiving an ongoing stream of product updates at no extra cost… No longer do we have to wait 1-2 years for our tools to innovate and keep pace with evolving technologies; instead we get the latest & greatest features and improvements as soon as they are ready.

Since the initial launch of CC in June, Adobe has issued new upgrades for each individual app about once every 3-4 months, bringing new power and capabilities to all subscribers.

Read more…

Both Microsoft Windows 8.1 and Apple Mac OS X “Mavericks” (10.9) have been announced and are available immediately to all customers, and naturally our readers’ questions turn to: Are Adobe applications like Creative Cloud and Creative Suite 6 compatible with these new operating systems? Should you upgrade your computers, and will this Adobe software continue to run if you do? Will the programs work properly on a new machine with one of these platforms?

Good news: the answer in most cases is generally yes, yes, yes, and yes. This goes for both the full releases as well as the trial versions of CC and CS6.  Read on for more details…

Install now: Get all new Creative Cloud 2020 direct download links and free trials.

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Adobe has been hinting at introducing a new “photographer’s offering” in Creative Cloud since the launch of the all-new CC release in May:

“Photographers and photo-enthusiasts are looking for a more tailored Creative Cloud offering that focuses on their particular needs… We are looking at potential CC bundles to recognize this.”

So now, an incredible new package called the Photoshop Photography Program was just announced by Adobe at the Photoshop World conference today:

Since introducing Photoshop CC we’ve listened to feedback from a spectrum of our customers, from advanced pros to casual enthusiasts. One common request was a solution specifically tailored for photographers. We listened and are announcing a special offer for our loyal Photoshop customers. Beginning today, all customers who own Photoshop CS3 or higher are eligible for a special Creative Cloud membership offer that includes all of the following for just $9.99/month (available worldwide; pricing varies outside the US):

• New Photoshop CC with Bridge CC and Adobe Camera Raw (ACR)
• New Lightroom 5 for desktop plus Lightroom Mobile for iPad & iPhone
• 20 GB of online storage
• Behance ProSite for building a beautiful online portfolio site (normally $100/year)
• Access to over 200 exclusive online video tutorials in Creative Cloud Learn
• Continuing upgrades & updates for all included applications and services

This is the ongoing price for anyone who signs up by June 30, 2014. So if you sign up now, then when you renew next year, the price will still be $9.99 per month. We do not currently have any intention of raising this price.

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[UPDATE (Nov. 2019) – The all-new Adobe CC 2020 release has launched and is now available! See what’s new in features and all the differences compared to older versions and CS6.]

Six weeks after its official introduction, Adobe today has rolled out the the new “CC” release, with hundreds of new features and improvements across the product line centering on productivity, performance, and connectivity – see our guide to what’s new in CC…

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[UPDATE (April 2015) – The new Adobe Lightroom 6/CC release is now shipping! Download a free trial instantly or check out what’s new in Lightroom 6 vs. 5.]

Yes – the final Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 is just out and now shipping! Pretty much on the time­frame we forecast, you can download a free trial today… And the new product will work side-by-side with any previous releases of Lightroom you may own. If you have an earlier version installed on your system(s), Lightroom 5 will ask if you’d like to upgrade your catalog and copy everything over.

After a 50% price drop for LR4, the price for Lightroom 5 standalone continues to be US$149 for the full version, and $79 to upgrade from any previous release (LR1, LR2, LR3, or LR4)… Students and teachers can get the full education edition for $79.

If you’ve joined the Creative Cloud, then the full release of Lightroom 5 is already available for you to download and use now as part of your membership – it comes automatically and at no additional cost.

Install now: Get all new Creative Cloud 2020 direct download links and free trials.

Also, if you happened to purchase Lightroom 4 within the past 30 days, then if you like you can return it under Adobe’s Refund Policy and order Lightroom 5 instead. It’s not an official “grace period,” but it works.

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