Adobe buys out Macromedia (no joke!)

[Antmeister]

For those of graphic designers, web developers, motion graphics pros and amateurs alike, this is unbelievable news. I have mixed feeling about this, because I am not sure what the implications may be.

http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200504/041805AdobeAcquiresMacromedia.html


In one respect it would be so nice to have to work seamlessly for each other, but what will this mean if there is no less competition. Will the cost of the software skyrocket and bundle packages be ridiculous.

[JonInMiddleGA]

No idea what this will mean, but when Adobe acquired the company that made Cool Edit / CE Pro (name escapes me), IIRC the price actually came down a little when it was repackaged as Adobe Audition. (and I kinda like Audition a little better too).

[kcchief19]

Hmmmm ... same thoughts here. There are some definite possibilities here. My biggest concern is the impact on Photoshop and Fireworks. Photoshop is terrific for high-resolution graphics, and Fireworks is terrific for Web graffics. If they go for full integration and only release one graphics product. I hope they don't discontinue Fireworks without folding some of its key functionality into Photoshop.

I just hope that if they do fold products into one another, they do it the right way. I think Dreamweaver is suprerior than Go Live! I'm assuming that if they are going to the trouble of buying Macromedia, there is an interest in the products and they are not just trying to scuttle the ship.

The cost could be a concern, but I think there is still enough competition to keep it competitive. The only drawback would be the continually move toward bundling and driving up prices by getting you to buy things you don't need or want.

[sterlingice]

I guess they're just trying to buy out the competiton. Not as if they were giving away Dreamweaver or the Macromedia Suite as it was at something like $300 and $500 so I doubt prices will go up. I hope Adobe doesn't monkey with Dreamweaver too much as it's one of the best software programs/franchises of any ever created. It'll be interesting to see Photoshop integrated with Dreamweaver but Fireworks was a nice product for what it was used for and I'm guessing it's going to get squeezed out. In the end, I dunno, tho- this looks like a "we're buying out the competition" and that usually slows innovation.

SI

[Antmeister]

...The cost could be a concern, but I think there is still enough competition to keep it competitive. The only drawback would be the continually move toward bundling and driving up prices by getting you to buy things you don't need or want.

That is one of my major concerns and that is regards to bundling. They have done this already with a number of Adobe Products and while the bundle knocks down the price of the individual software, it is usually bundled with software you don't need or want. Now that Dreamweaver, Flash, Go Live and Authorware has entered the picture, what kind of bundles are they going to offer.

[Antmeister]

No idea what this will mean, but when Adobe acquired the company that made Cool Edit / CE Pro (name escapes me), IIRC the price actually came down a little when it was repackaged as Adobe Audition. (and I kinda like Audition a little better too).

I do admit that I like Audition. It is better than I thought it was going to be when I got the Video Collection.

[Franklinnoble]

All this means is a bunch of developers are about to get laid off.

[Zippo]

wow, flash integration with photoshop and illustrator would be a dream for many people.

[HomerJSimpson]

wow, flash integration with photoshop and illustrator would be a dream for many people.


Really? That looks nothing like my dreams (which generally involve sports loving super models that really like fat, bald geeks).

[Zippo]

Really? That looks nothing like my dreams (which generally involve sports loving super models that really like fat, bald geeks).
for many "other" people. :)

[MacroGuru]

Um....This sucks ass for a lot of people, mainly friends.

I was employeed with Macromedia back in 99 to 01, greatest Job I could ever and probably will ever have. The only other one that came close, was the 1 yr gig I did for Corel.

This benefits the round trip solution Macromedia has been trying to achieve between graphics and development, and we might see the best of both worlds combine, but I truly fear that we might be seeing a decline now in the development aspect of Macromedia's tools. Flash was made more powerful with it's scripting language, Dreamweavers support was built to handle dynamic development, and Macromedia was the leader in e-learning.

Well, only thing on this, time will tell.....

[Antmeister]

wow, flash integration with photoshop and illustrator would be a dream for many people.

Especially Illustrator to Flash. I am very curious to see what the future holds.