Illustrator CS2 Academic v. Retail 2

[1LUV1T]

This may be off topic here, or not, but I have to purchase a few CS2 licenses for a company. They'd prefer not to shell out $599+ per copy and inquired about Academic version. They have designers who are in school so technically they can purchase it. Are there any differences OR alternatives to the outrageously expensive licenses?

 

[jmgalvin]

In other words, some company doesn't want to pay for necessary tools and wnats to cheat the outfit that makes the tools.

I asume that his company also jumps with glee if somebody wants to steal their work, Right?

They can buy another vector app if they don't want to pay. Maybe they can even find some freeware on the web.

And yeah, it is illegal to use the academic version in a pro setting.



Using OSX 10.3.9 on a G4

 

[jimoblak]

Educational licenses can be used commercially. You can read the EULA on adobe.com. The only requirement is that the purchaser must have academic status at the time of purchase. There is no difference in the applications function.

You are living vicariously if you ask your own employees to buy your software with their discount. An employer should have enough business sense that the price of software is insignificant. If the business is not taking in enough money to pay for such software, there is no reason to believe that the business will survive.

Consultants should know this basic business concept.

A professional designer can use Inkscape, Sodipodi, Scribus and GIMP for free.

 

[1LUV1T]

The problem is, this particular software is needed ONLY to view .psd or illustrator files. Not edit, retouch, or convert but just to view. I think that is insane price to pay just to view. Yes, I know you're going to recommend an image viewer like InfranView but for one reason or another it cannot open every file, i'm not sure what the reason for that is nor am I willing to research it because time is money as well.

 

[jimoblak]

It is insane to think you can only use these apps to view PSD and AI files. Why waste money, even as educational licenses. Likewise, it is insane to think IrfanView is your only option.

i'm not sure what the reason for that is nor am I willing to research it because time is money as well.

You should hire a consultant to assess your particular situation then.

 

[1LUV1T]

Guy, as a consultant I am in the business of giving recommendations based on my best judgment. If a small company has part time intern(s)/part time student(s), working for them and ONLY needs Adobe products to VIEW images, I would tell them to save their money and purchase Adobe products for $150 instead of $599. Otherwise, I'm no different then an Adobe salesman.

 

[jimoblak]

The comment about hiring a consultant was to imply that you are not suited to consult if your recommended business plan cannot afford commercial licenses. If the employee leaves, the license goes with them. Having employees buy licenses is an infinitely dumb idea - - especially when an informed consultant can easily find much cheaper software that can read/view PSD and AI files. There is no shame in a consultant hiring a consultant.

If you really want details about software to read/view PSD and AI files, you should provide a complete description of the needs and workflow here. Why would anyone just need to look at a PSD/AI file without editing? Without this info, this discussion can be nothing more than a string of insults about your judgment and qualifications as a consultant.

 

[1LUV1T]

You don't need to know the business or workflow. This thread is about COMMON SENSE.

I was asked to get Illustrator/Photoshop for an individual. I came back with a price and they signed off on it. Asking the actual user why PS was needed, they said they need to open and print PSD files --- and that's it. Hearing this, I came back to the company and told them buying it is not necessary. Besides suggesting various open-source, freeware or cheaper alternatives, I also listed a price for the Academic version and then posed the question here for my own curiousity what the difference is between retail and academic. The answer is nothing, they are the same. Therefore it does not make SENSE to purchase $599 product when you can get it for $150. That is my opinion and has nothing to do with anything else.

 

[jimoblak]

You're a regular laugh riot. Someone using common sense would not have started this thread.

If the employee buys the software (either with their own money or with money given by employer), that employee owns the license. The employer owns nothing even if they paid for the software. If the employee leaves (turnover seems very likely with part-time students) and the employer is still using the software, the employer is violating the license. The employer might as well be using free pirated software. With pirated software, $150 would be a waste of money.

For this reason, you would be an idiot to recommend educational licensing. There is no point in paying for any license if it will be abused like a free pirated copy.

If I had educational status and was asked by my employer to use that to buy discount software, I would question the employer's common sense and start looking for another job.

The reason why I asked about workflow is because Photoshop and Illustrator users with 'common sense' are not dishing out PSD and AI files to folks that need to print them. There are inherent problems with printing these native files, even with the applications that created them. This is why you need to hire a competent consultant, versed in the graphics industry. What is wrong with printing PDF from the free Adobe Reader?

The money that this company spent on incompetent consultation could have gone to a legal, commercial copy of Illustrator and Photoshop.