Adobe worldwide price policy (or lack of it)

[MichaelMartin]

I do see your point and sadly have to agree to a certain extent. However I spelt it out in a previous answer - enough is enough; Adobe's hiding it's head in the sand thinking that because it's always been that way that most people in Europe are going to pay up whatever amount they choose to invent instead of just asking "a friend" for a copy and thus stick two fingers up at "l'ami Américain" and his stupid ideas of scaring them into paying up or else.

[Frederick_Rider]

Bad news. I saw a press release this morning that Adobe is in the process of purchasing Macromedia. Now I am depressed.

[Nikolay_Abadjiev]

[ QUOTE ]
Their reasoning (and this goes for most software makers as well) is that you pay more for language localization and native-language support.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry to dissapoint you, but there is no real localization for most of the European languages and no tech support /at all/ in majority of countries. So it appears that we're paying more for a piece of software that does not support cyrillic languages and has no tech support available.

The truth, plain and simple is "They charge us more, only because they decided to do so."

[Neil_Snape]

I want to change to a legal English version from my legal French version. You'd think that should be easy but man, there is no one at Adobe that wants to tell you if it's possible or not, easy or any place to actually ask. I'm a little shocked at this American idea of we'll sock it to 'em cuz they are obliged. Same goes for Apple and the idea that a Euro is a dollar. Hmmm wonder if they ever realise that sales would go up if parity were in place?

[Bill_Jurasz]

> Aside from trying to get through to Adobe on this and failing, to add insult to injury
> I see they've persisted in their discrimi-"nation" tactics with CS2, even with the full
> price: $599 on the one hand and $1350 (inc. VAT) or thereabouts on the other.

'Cuse me for being a stupid 'merkin, but how much of the price delta is due to taxation policies of France and Europe? While I'm sure that it doesn't constitute the entire difference, tax policies and exchange rates will have SOMETHING to do with it. Does anyone know how much?

> The truth, plain and simple is "They charge us more, only because they decided to do so."

No. They do so because people pay the price, no matter how much they grumble about doing so.

[Neil_Snape]

[ QUOTE ]
> Aside from trying to get through to Adobe on this and failing, to add insult to injury
> I see they've persisted in their discrimi-"nation" tactics with CS2, even with the full
> price: $599 on the one hand and $1350 (inc. VAT) or thereabouts on the other.

'Cuse me for being a stupid 'merkin, but how much of the price delta is due to taxation policies of France and Europe? While I'm sure that it doesn't constitute the entire difference, tax policies and exchange rates will have SOMETHING to do with it. Does anyone know how much?
The taxes are different in each EEC country. In France for most photographers prices are quoted without taxes which are the same base as prices shown or listed in the States. France has a VAT of 19.6% but it is fully deductible if the purchaser has a tax number.
Exchange rate in reality would be in favour of lower prices for Europe which is not the case.
I use this converter: http://fxtop.com/en/cnvhisto.php3 which today gives these rates; 1 USD=0.771188 EUR
I do agree that for localisations there has to be a charge, but to broadly push parity without cause is too much to take ignorantly or not. Yet as Adobe is going to monopolise the graphics applications market, and there are no other choice for platforms marketed outside of the States is there a choice?

[Bill_Jurasz]

If its not the taxation policy causing the price increase in Europe, then with my limited knowledge of Adobe, it would appear the reason they charge more is because they can. I could be wrong about the pricing of Photoshop, but ultimately pricing of goods comes down to what the market will bear. Talk about cost structures and all is fine. I can justify all I want about how this 8x10 photograph I want to sell costs me $30, when all my expenses are factored in. But if its a picture at a Motocross race where people are only will to shell out $20 for that photo, I won't get $30. On the other hand, if a magazine wants it for a cover I might charge a few hundred, even though it still only cost me $30 to make it.

Apparantly the market in Europe is willing to charge what Adobe is asking.