In the middle of my last push to finish my PhD coursework, this charming inanity today from the fine people at Adobe. The chat speaks for itself – published here in its entirety:
info: One moment please while we route your chat to a representative.
info: Thank you for contacting Adobe Sales. My name is Sandra. How may I help you today?
Sandra: Hi, may I have your first name please?
you: Hi. I’m a graduate student and I want to buy adobe acrobat for students so I can highlight and mark up pdfs
Sandra: let me help you with the information.
Sandra: let me help you with the information.
Sandra: I will be happy to help you the right option that’s going to suits your need best.
Sandra: We do have several options for you.
Sandra: Let me ask you a few questions first to make sure we get you the best value for your purchase.
Sandra: Could you please tell me how you want to use the software on your project?
you: I’d like to be able to highlight text so I can refer to it quickly – I download a lot of pdf files. Also, I want to be able to search a pdf by word or phrase
Sandra: Alright, along with that do you also want to edit images, create graphics, print designs?
you: I don’t need any graphics applications
Sandra: That’s okay.
Sandra: Let me explain your option.
you: It would be good if I could easily convert a word file with comments into a pdf format too
Sandra: I do have an amazing option for you.
Sandra: We have Creative Cloud that includes Acrobat XI Pro by which you can create pdf, convert pdf to excel, combine pdf, edit pdf, comment into pdf.
Sandra: Creative Cloud is the most complete creative environment ever.
you: Is there something simpler and cheaper?
Sandra: This is cost efficient only.
you: There isn’t anything cheaper? I don’t need graphics, as I said. I really just want to be able to highlight a pdf and search it – those are the most important functions I want
Sandra: That’s okay.
you: I don’t know what you are suggesting other than the cloud option – is there nothing else?
Sandra: The apps don’t run from the cloud–they’re downloaded and installed on your computer just like always.
you: Like I said – looking for a cheaper option. Are you saying that creative cloud student and teacher is the only one, or is it the only one you can tell me about?
Sandra: You can also get Acrobat XI Pro education version.
Sandra: It will cost you $119
you: That sounds great. Because 240 US a year is pretty steep – I saw an adobe product through the australian site that was $89 and wondered if that might work for me? If not, then the $119 version sounds like a plan
Sandra: Well You can get Creative Cloud at just $199
Sandra: It will not cost you $240
you: I’m going by what I see on the site now – it looks like that $119 is per month? That’s not an option then. And it says creative cloud is 19.99 US a month – so that’s how I got $240. No?
Sandra: $119 is a one time purchase.
you: oh good – there’s a typo on the website
Sandra: You can pay upfront Creative Cloud for 12 month and it will cost you $199
Sandra: If you purchase the software you need to pay for the upgrade every time when the new version is released.
you: I’ll go with acrobat pro for 119 – thanks for your help.
Sandra: The amazing feature of Creative Cloud is you need not pay for any future upgrade since the latest version will be automatically updated
you: so it’s a one time purchase too?
Sandra: If you purchase Acrobat you need to pay for the upgrade every time when the new version is released.
Sandra: The amazing feature of Creative Cloud is you need not pay for any future upgrade since the latest version will be automatically updated
Sandra: Creative Cloud will cost you $199/annual.
you: And the other one would be 119 a year?
Sandra: $119 is a one time purchase.
you: So the upgrades are cheaper that than the full original purchase price? One more question – I assume I can use it on my iMac as well as an iPad without paying twice?
Sandra: Upgrades cost $199
Sandra: ‘There is no education price on upgrade so it cost more.
Sandra: With Creative Cloud the requirement of upgrading every year to the next version is not needed, every time there is an upgrade or an update for our software it will be instantly available for you to install it free of charge.
you: Now I’m confused – so I buy pro for 119 dollars for a year, then an upgrade comes out next year, and I pay another 199 to renew, then keep paying 199 everytime there’s an upgrade?
Sandra: That’s right.
Sandra: However with Creative Cloud upgrades and update will be free.
you: That’s crazy. And really confusing. So basically, the cheapest option is cloud for 199 a year
Sandra: That’s exactly right.
you: Okay. So, if I get acrobat pro – will it continue to work if I don’t opt for an upgrade?
Sandra: Well, it will not.
you: I have a friend who has pro version 10 from about 2 years ago – it was a one time purchase and she paid a few hundred dollars for it and still gets patches for updates and she doesn’t pay for those
you: I’m not clear on your last answer – it will work? Or it won’t work well?
Sandra: Well, the trend is changed and Going forward customers using Adobe products have to upgrade every year, this will soon become mandatory. This runs up to the same price as to the Cloud membership. Its the smartest decision to invest in Creative Cloud in the longer run.
you: But will pro continue to work if I buy it today and try to use it on April 14 of next year – or will it not let me access it anymore
Sandra: In that case it will work until the next version comes out.
you: And,if I buy cloud, am I locked in at 199 for upgrades a year or can adobe increase the charge for updates?
Sandra: The pricing will definitely not change for the current subscribed year. Looking at the market strategies there might be a change in price later though. We don’t have that information at the moment.
Sandra: Are we connected?
Sandra: I’m sorry, we have not heard from you. We’re happy to help. However, if you do not respond soon, this chat session gets terminated automatically.
you: Thanks – never mind