So Long, Farewell, and Amen - to Photoshop

[Crater101 (Warren)]

Much has already been said about the recent policy changes and price rises of the Adobe Photoshop program that I won't go into again.
I've had an old version of CS6 - the last of the non-subscription versions - that I've hung on to, despite mostly moving my workflow to Affinity Photo.
Recently, I had to update my PC, and I re-installed CS6 on the new one just to ensure consistency on a few old things that I was working on. However...I had to set up an account with Adobe, and now whenever I start Photoshop CS6, I get a message I never got before, telling me that if I don't log on to the internet at least once every seven days, the program will cease to function.
I'm about to uninstall it, finally and forever. Goodbye Adobe Photoshop, I'm moving it all to Affinity Photo.

[kvmx (Nick)]

Sad to see that this is becoming more and more prevalent with each passing year. We're neck deep in scummy subscription models and full-priced software and hardware that manufacturers feel they have the right to sneakily change their TOS's or 'update pricing models', so they can rescind, restrict or remove entirely from you something that was paid for in full!


Not to mention products/services that require online connectivity, only to become defunct and useless when their servers get the plug pulled. Honestly feels like you rent products nowadays and you have to hunt for a good landlord that won't constantly change your rental agreement or evict you for the most arbitrary of reasons.

[leon]

I still do and have loaded CS3 on a new lappy running Win 11 and have it on two desktops as well.

It might not have all the new bells and whistles as a newer version, but t least it is mine and I don't get any messages from Adobe, and it works for me.

Leon

[alpal]

Hi Warren,
have you tried blocking PS in your firewall?

[Crater101 (Warren)]

Originally Posted by alpal

Hi Warren,
have you tried blocking PS in your firewall?

No I haven't, and to be honest the thought didn't occur to me. While Photoshop is still pretty much the industry standard, I'm pretty much over their practices, and in any case I've moved most of my workflow to Affinity Photo 2.

[Leo.G (Leo)]

If buying isn't owning piracy isn't stealing

While I don't personally endorse the practice I can see especially now why so many people do condone the practice of running cracked software.

[Renato1 (Renato)]

The trick with some Adobe programs is to turn off the internet before installing them, then use a firewall to block them connecting to the internet.

Which is easy enough to do if one has a security suite with a firewall in it. But if one gets many of the free firewalls available - they work - but the ads will drive you nuts.

I switched to Luminar Neo, which I found to be astounding in improving or fixing old photos.
Regards,
Renato

[Leo.G (Leo)]

I'm very fond of the Luminar software. It's not free, I got an earlier version through a Humble Bundles deal (they have some amazing fully licensed software bundles, books, educational packages (mostly IT related), games and other stuff), all legal and cheap.


https://www.humblebundle.com/


My son got Luminar Neo, I didn't, I run Windows 7 on my primary system and it requires Windows 10 minimum.


I also use a program called Aurora HDR, possibly in the same image processing bundle, it's very good too.

[Renato1 (Renato)]

Originally Posted by Leo.G

My son got Luminar Neo, I didn't, I run Windows 7 on my primary system and it requires Windows 10 minimum.

Most of the YouTube computer channels I've watched, which explain all sorts of Windows hacks, seem to be pretty adamant that security issues make using Windows 7 today way too risky.

That said, they have lots of hacks to make Windows10 and 11 look more like Windows 7, which they still like too.

There is the occasional channel saying that one can use Windows 7 somewhat safely, providing one does many things to ensure it..
Regards,
Renato

[Leo.G (Leo)]

Every time I turn my Windows 10 laptop on I have to get my son to help me.
I like my 7!


We have a rack mount server which doubles as a firewall, my system should be OK for now.

[OzEclipse (Joe Cali)]

Originally Posted by Crater101

Much has already been said about the recent policy changes and price rises of the Adobe Photoshop program that I won't go into again.
I've had an old version of CS6 - the last of the non-subscription versions - that I've hung on to, despite mostly moving my workflow to Affinity Photo.
Recently, I had to update my PC, and I re-installed CS6 on the new one just to ensure consistency on a few old things that I was working on. However...I had to set up an account with Adobe, and now whenever I start Photoshop CS6, I get a message I never got before, telling me that if I don't log on to the internet at least once every seven days, the program will cease to function.
I'm about to uninstall it, finally and forever. Goodbye Adobe Photoshop, I'm moving it all to Affinity Photo.

Curiously, I am still paying the same $9.99/mo that I have for the past 8 years since I upgraded to the subscription model. Looks like I've been forgotten

If it increases, I'll jump to the annual sub which knocks the overall price down.

Joe

[Renato1 (Renato)]

Originally Posted by Leo.G

Every time I turn my Windows 10 laptop on I have to get my son to help me.
I like my 7!


We have a rack mount server which doubles as a firewall, my system should be OK for now.

Hi Leo,
I remember a friend of mine some years back saying how he hated Windows 10 - which he had had use at work for a year, instead of his beloved Windows 7.

I asked what was wrong with it?
He said he couldn't do things on it that he could do with Windows 7.
I asked him to explain, as I couldn't tell much difference between them.
So he did.

To which I replied that all those features he was missing, could be found by right-clicking the little Windows tab on the bottom LHS.

He was surprised no one else in teh office had known that either, but then found he had no problem with using Windows 10.

That said, I'm not fond of Windows 11.

Also, I occasionally watch The Privacy Guy, who keeps pointing out how vulnerable PCs are to being attacked (in sharp contrast to Android phones and other Linux devices) - and that relates to using the latest supported Windows operating systems. I had been using Windows 7 on two little Netbooks when we went on vacation, as they were very handy (I don't like tablets). I had to retire them as it was just too dangerous according to that chap and others.
Cheers,
Renato

[skysurfer]

I quit Adobe two years ago. I had a CC subsription, but paying $140 a year was not worth it. Affinity Photo (only $65 one time) replaced it, beside darktable and GIMP.
I have a Mac, but I also noticed that Adobe was spying and years ago I already blocked internet access with the Lulu firewall app.

[Leo.G (Leo)]

To which I replied that all those features he was missing, could be found by right-clicking the little Windows tab on the bottom LHS.

You may have heard this before Renato, it's a P.I.C.N.I.C error, this is what I used to tell people myself. I have qualifications in IT and been building and repairing them (at a component level when I could still see the electronic components) for well over 30 years.


Problem in chair not in computer.
I have big books on Windows, I used to buy them with every new version but they got expensive and I stopped. I used to read them cover to cover. Now I can't remember why I got up 5 minutes ago and walked away from my computer. It must have been to do something. Thing's I'm familiar with doing I'm fine, things like Win 10, I don't want to know.

[Renato1 (Renato)]

Originally Posted by Leo.G

You may have heard this before Renato, it's a P.I.C.N.I.C error, this is what I used to tell people myself. I have qualifications in IT and been building and repairing them (at a component level when I could still see the electronic components) for well over 30 years.


Problem in chair not in computer.
I have big books on Windows, I used to buy them with every new version but they got expensive and I stopped. I used to read them cover to cover. Now I can't remember why I got up 5 minutes ago and walked away from my computer. It must have been to do something. Thing's I'm familiar with doing I'm fine, things like Win 10, I don't want to know.

Sorry- I don't understand.
After clicking that little Windows box and being able to access items previously in plain sight, I can't think of anything different I do in Windows 10 from I did with Windows 7. Or Windows XP for that matter.

Those OSs all work the same way.It's not like going to Linux or Apple.
Regards,
Renato

[JeniSkunk (Jenifur)]

Originally Posted by Renato1

I had been using Windows 7 on two little Netbooks when we went on vacation, as they were very handy (I don't like tablets). I had to retire them as it was just too dangerous according to that chap and others.

The issue with a lot of netbooks is they only have a 32bit CPU, so you cannot install a 64bit OS on them, such as Windows 10, or current versions of Linux.
This is compounded by software now only being written for 64bit Windows or Linux.
So even if you can find a 32bit OS for a netbook, finding current, secure, software for it, is diminishing.

[Leo.G (Leo)]

After clicking that little Windows box and being able to access items previously in plain sight,

Well it's my brain because I can not find a thing on Win 10.
I suffer from chronic migraines on a daily basis and have done so for over 50 years, my eyes are not good and I find familiarity makes some tasks easier when I struggle to even have a coherent thought with the pain.