As a working photographer, this whole thread is quite saddening. Adobe has emigrated over the years from the good guy to the paranoid guy (remind you of anyone?). But the understandable reason is that their valuable software is massively pirated, they reason that raising the price will compensate for losses. >From version 7 to 8, Photoshop became a overwrought, over-featured software, and hugely over-priced.
Thus, offering opportunity to pirating scam-artists. Enter the specialists one finds on eBay. In order to validate one's software, Adobe requires a registration number, the software calls home to the mothership, one cannot proceed without it; one cannot use the software without it. And, necessary updates are not available without it. The backdoor of "academic versions" was left open for those who qualify, such as children in school. Unfortunately, many who are not "academic" rushed to that door, the price was simply too attractive. Adobe was now looking at significant sales to the academic market. And became paranoid. They had placed an essential software out there, but open to piracy. On the ground, this means that honest people were faced with constant scrutiny from the mothership, and disabling features, should something not "appear" right. This year, I have had ordinary issues that became suddenly extraordinary, requiring uninstall and reinstall, lots of minutes in resolution, simply so that the mothership was content that I had not purchased pirated software. If you truly qualify for an academic discount, by all means, take the opportunity. If you don't, and you grab the candy, the rest of us pay for your indulgence. If one's child's teacher requires Photoshop for everyone, Adobe will offer a discount for your group; it's simple: call them, make it happen. A "vendor" offering a download without registration number and Adobe support is obviously in the camp of scam. Chad Evans Wyatt . ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs ************************************************************************ * ==> QUICK LIST-COMMAND REFERENCE - Put the following commands in <== * ==> the body of an email & send 'em to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <== * Join the list: SUBSCRIBE COMPUTERGUYS-L Your Name * Too much mail? Try Daily Digests command: SET COMPUTERGUYS-L DIGEST * Tired of the List? Unsubscribe command: SIGNOFF COMPUTERGUYS-L * New address? From OLD address send: CHANGE COMPUTERGUYS-L YourNewAddress * Need more help? Send mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ************************************************************************ * List archive at www.mail-archive.com/computerguys-l@listserv.aol.com/ * RSS at www.mail-archive.com/computerguys-l@listserv.aol.com/maillist.xml * Messages bearing the header "X-No-Archive: yes" will not be archived ************************************************************************