Leaving Adobe (a long time coming)

[@doctorstreamspunk9996]

Adobe sold itself as a tool for artists. Now it is selling itself as a replacement for us. We should all have seen this coming.

[@Savage_D_777]

They did it so slowly! But most people are stupid for jumping on Creative Cloud as soon as it came out!

[@MikeGastin]

I think you're right.

[@Brodda-Syd]

Dam Right. I fear for what this A.I. future holds for us humans

[@NelsonStJames]

Well, KZbin and Instagram started as platforms for independents and artists; but good luck on those fronts. Screw the whole AI angle, Adobe left me when they went subscription. I want to own my tools plain and simple. The life of an independent artist of any discipline is never guaranteed and I want to at least be able to continue to work if a month or two come along when I’m wondering if I can make rent. Artists who don’t make their living from their art did see this coming a long time ago, and it was the artists who were doing alright at the time telling us that 40 bucks a month was no big deal.and that we were complaining over nothing.

[@thisbridgehascables]

Sorry but all art software will eventually have AI. Affinity now owned by Canva which is now AI heavy will most likely implement AI in the Affinity software. AI is great as a tool but shouldn’t be used as replacement for one’s design knowledge and skill.

[@TheFrenchMonkey]

8:08 ‘’Adobe your products are like hammers, saws, tape measures and screw drivers to me, I don’t need them to be sentient, I don’t need them to be thinking, I am the creator, I am the person with the vision, I am the human being!’’ powerful quote!

[@bemboing4338]

Yeah, Adobe is just... inhumane.

[@MikeGastin]

🙏🏼

[@skulver]

It's part of ensuring lock in. They don't want you capable, they want you dependent.. Anyone still using any software that is using your input to train AI is basically the same as the people training their outsourced replacements back in the early 2000s. There's also the distasteful free labour element too. They want you to pay for the software but then they also want you to work for free in helping them improve it. If you're doing work for them they should be paying you, not the other way around.

[@mtallan]

That’s a great point. Should have a check box “allow us to use your data for training and get a 10% discount on your subscription”

[@koenignero]

True to a certain point! But with this thinking we would still ride horses.

[@brazwen]

Can you imagine a pencil factory reserving a proprietary right to your story just because you used their pencil. This is what Adobe is doing

[@MikeGastin]

100%!

[@kitchenfloorplans]

hear ye! hear ye!

[@pmb6667]

Ha! That is one of THE best analogies I've seen on the subject, and spot on too!

[@teresashinkansen9402]

And their stock skyrocketed by 20% in a month after that TOS update. So far from hitting a wall and learning a lesson, they learned they can just punch thorough the wall like a train would, just some scratches sure but in return they have all the juicy money.

[@renascence239]

@@teresashinkansen9402 Stock is irrelevant. Up today, down tomorrow. Everyone's stock is doing great until it doesn't

[@SirTools]

I switched to Davinci Resolve and bought the Affinity years ago and gave up Adobe. No regrets and I cannot imagine paying monthly.

[@MikeGastin]

Awesome!

[@jniernberger]

My stack as well, use these tools every day for a few years now couldn't be happier 🚀

[@SirTools]

@@jniernberger

[@roxics]

@@ELECTR0HERMIT Have you considered just using Handbrake?

[@wellheytherehihowyadoin]

Likewise! Also, Capture One. After Effects is still the hanger on though. Blender works as a stand-in to some degree.

[@HalkerVeil]

"We have searched your files and found you created a video against Adobe which breaks our terms of service with you. This action has canceled your subscription. You must now pay the cancellation fee of 50% of your remaining contract obligation." Literally what is happening next. It's not even about AI.

[@MikeGastin]

This.

[@slightrecoil9285]

Dystopian - but true.

[@c0ldc0ne]

Literally? Based on what?

[@RyoMassaki]

@@c0ldc0ne Knowledge of human nature and human history.

[@c0ldc0ne]

@@RyoMassaki Which is just about the most erratic and unreliable indicator of things to come.

[@chrisbeck7266]

I left Adobe when they went to a subscription service to be honest.

[@MikeGastin]

You were way ahead of the curve.

[@wandering3ngineer]

I switched to Linux when the subscription model went full swing. Opensource alternatives to adobe: GIMP, Inkscape, Krita - just donate to them instead

[@TheLDunn1]

Me too….and they did that shortly after I had purchased a rather expensive Creative Suite package too.

[@fenraven]

Same here. I hated the thought of renting software and not owning it, and the idea of interfacing with their computers bothered me even then. I stuck with CS6 until they invalidated the serial numbers. THAT really bothered me. I bought that software! I own it, and now I can't install it on my new laptop?? A terrible way to treat customers.

[@johnoneill5570]

We moved to Affinity Photo when that happened and I have never looked back.

[@HollywoodCameraWork]

Same here, went to Affinity and Resolve. I have 4 months left. I insisted on paying the cancellation fee. Then their retention dept. gave me two months free, promising that I can still cancel on August 11 on unchanged terms. Then I'll pay cancellation for the last 2 months, and it's over. Software is uninstalled already. I was also an Adobe customer since the early 90s.

[@MikeGastin]

Wow. You've been in a long time. Someone told me that you can keep cancelling and then getting the two-month free indefinitely. Lol. I'm not interested, as I just wanted out. However, would be funny if a lot of people did that. (I don't even know if that's true, tbh.) Anyway, all the best to you!

[@InfluHamster]

I payed the cancellation fee too, I also didn't want two months free. Also used adobe for 20 years. I use AI pretty much, but I value my privacy more

[@dharmaram7527]

Good luck, Affinity was bought out by Canva!

[@kgeo753]

Watch them like a hawk. I was told by Adobe on three separate occasions that my Adobe Stock account had been canceled only to be charged for it the very next month. I eventually had to block them from debuting my bank account.

[@ChantelleVenter]

Same here, canceled and was then told my account has been suspended as they couldn't get anh money from my account. I told them to remove my banking details and all personal details off their system. Moved to Affinity a few month back. So much happier

[@MichaelACoates]

"Nannification" - "Shitification" - I love it! This is probably the best videocast I've seen in ages - thank you!

[@MikeGastin]

That's high praise. Thank you! 😉

[@slghtmedia]

for anyone who isnt familiar, check out the Enshittification idea from Cory Doctorow. it really perfectly encapsulates what we are all dealing with

[@thomasquigley7040]

Cory Doctorow's Enshitification of The Internet paper is gaining mindshare.

[@StartupCaptain]

After 40 years, it’s time to switch gear, Adobe’s gone, let’s give him a cheer! 🎉🚀

[@MikeGastin]

Haha! Exactly. 😉

[@cgriggsiv]

I agree with you completely Even knowing I don't drive (I lost that ability it was stolen ) from me from nearly over 40 years ago And with the AI being shoved down everyone's throat You can't no longer do your simple job However I do not own any businesses of any kind I do use the original old fashioned Adobe Yes I still have it from a DVD insulation on a separate computer that does not connect to anything It is the Adobe Lightroom classic 2021 and Photoshop 2022 for my photography edits that's all it's used for And since it was a one-time purchase which cost my ass a good amount of time and effort finding them So there is no subscription there is no other bull crap that comes in there is no AI crap that comes across my windows it is just used specifically and design only for my photography edits and I still struggle with it because I don't know all of it

[@cgriggsiv]

I could use your help Matter of fact any help would be a greatly appreciated I need a color preset to work with IR720 and IR 556 I have tried everything to create the preset in Adobe but me personally I cannot do that there's something I am missing and I've looked all over KZbin and everything else they show it but I just can't do it Any help would be greatly appreciated

[@MikeGastin]

Anyone here that can help? Please comment!

[@YoutubeBorkedMyOldHandle_why]

I totally agree. I switched to Affinity Photo and Davinci Resolve a couple of years ago. Why? Because adobe screwed me. I had a 'perpetual' license for photoshop and premiere, for which I paid a lot in upgrades over the years. Then, after a routine windows update, adobe decided my software needed to be 're-authenticated.' In the meantime however, without any notice, they had 'literally' removed the authentication servers for my versions, making this impossible. When I tracked down a service rep, he told me that my "Only Choice" was to subscribe. Meaning: Pay even more to license software which I had already paid for. They stole my software and denied me access to my own projects. I felt like I had been raped. Screw adobe. I'm out too. A major selling point for Affinity and Davinci, is that their software is not subscription based, and based on their very public comments, likely never will be. Beyond this however, both software packages are absolutely awesome ... far better than adobe anyway. Anyone still needing a reason to switch ... Affinity is currently offering their software for 50% off.

[@TAXie-ck7ed]

The fact that you HAD to click agree to this new change just to keep access to your work files... The opt out after the fact is nonsense. I don't need a corporation bullying me like this. To hell with Adobe.

[@MikeGastin]

Amen.

[@Snorlaxiian]

Consent is the way of civilization... and tyranny.

[@mtallan]

This is what made me a bit steamy too. I was about to start my design day working for my Church and I felt like I was held hostage by having to click accept or pack up and go home.

[@kgeo753]

And what happens if we say no? They penalize customers who cancel before the end of their agreement but I’m guessing they don’t let us off the hook when they’re the ones altering the agreement. I think Adobe just got flooded by unethical corporate a-holes as they grew over the past decade. I used to love Adobe and now I despise them.

[@BB-mt5sb]

100%

[@Zaxth]

Imagine having to pay a company for a product, only for them to take ownership of what you create, with the product you paid for. Business transactions have been turned upside down, what a world.

[@MikeGastin]

What a world, indeed.

[@kgeo753]

It feels like some form of modern sharecropping.

[@Mike-jv8bv]

in modern clownworld. This isn't suprising not one bit, they where pushing this ever since they got rid of and did away with physical hard copies and retail versions of the product.

[@designobservatory]

not only that, but a company that only exists thanks to creatives. However, this was always how Adobe behaves (and practically most too big int. corp.). In 2009 I and two colleagues founded FreeFreeHand and we gathered over 6000 designers to sue Adobe over its hostile takeover and burial of FreeHand. We just wanted to get it back. Adobe bought justice, we could not compare with their kind of money and reached only a lousy settlement.

[@RicardoDawkins]

Apple owns your iPhone and you Mac. you all don't complain just take it for granted.

[@dechangeman]

Exactly the same here. I worked with adobe software for 25 years. I've been working with Resolve for Color Grading since 10 years, but never left completely. This month I finally did it. Ended all subscriptions and getting deep into Resolve. Takes some time, but it is so worth it. Can't recommend it enough. Thanks for your perspective on this.

[@MikeGastin]

That's great! Glad to know that people like you have tried and tested the path. BTW, honored to have a YT hitter in the comments! Thanks. 😄

[@francoestrubia6503]

Adobe didn't have a color grading software 25 yeas ago. Just with the aquisition of speedgrade, and that's history. So, you weren't doing cc until resolve.

[@jimcoon]

I’m 70. Much of what you so masterfully stated can be said about many areas of my life. My neighbor drove past in his electric Porsche this morning. The car exhaust has a wonderful “GROWL” - except that it isn’t real. The sound is generated and, because there is no internal combustion engine, it’s fake. They say this is a safety issue. I say it’s because who is going to buy a Porsche that doesn’t growl when one steps on the “gas”. You state your case brilliantly. It was a pleasure listening to you. Thanks! Jim in Oregon

[@pixpusher]

Same here. I just quit. I will save a bundle moving to Affinity, Moho, and Motion. It wasn’t the AI it was the licensing section of the TOS.

[@MikeGastin]

Lots of folks angry about the new TOS. I don't like it. You're going to see similar language all over the place going forward. The industry (tech in general) have decided that Ai is the future and privacy is a joke.

[@jacobgaysawyer337]

just pirate its that easy lol

[@isukwithnames1811]

Same I’m currently learning Moho and leaving AE after 5 years (im a graphic designer who does animation). The only thing that worries me at many dedicated motion design agencies AE is still pretty much industry standard

[@PrograError]

@@isukwithnames1811 there's pretty much no good alternative as straight 1:1 replacements, even the replacements are either online crap, or another subscription with limited features compared to adobe.

[@rano12321]

@@isukwithnames1811 Fusion or Left angle autograph wipes the floor.

[@Ihavegumption]

The thing is the lost trust. Once it is lost . . .

[@MikeGastin]

Good point. Once that's gone it's hard to get it back-especially when dealing with a giant corp.

[@portersblackboard]

When a company takes away my ability to turn off auto renew, I know they are not looking out for the customer.

[@huymaivan8671]

@@MikeGastin Base on how they can legit change the ToS on the fly, it just a sign that they're already done training their AI on user data and ready to bring it to the market. The change in ToS is just a final step for them to make it legally. Keep in mind that they have plan and work and invest on it for year. Do you think they would throw away year of training AI just because of a few word on the term of user?? Not in million years. As long as Creative Cloud and their Ethical AI project still exist, they wont give up their dream about user's data.

[@huymaivan8671]

@@portersblackboard Share holder is their true customer now, and users are just production for them to sell off among AI company

[@E_Proxy]

Why are talking about my sentimental relationship while talking about Adobe? 😢

[@dragon3dnet]

In my initial career I was a graphic artist for a television station where I used, Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects on a regular basis. Over the years I would at least get every other update to Photoshop from 4.0 to CS4. When I learned they were turning to the subscription model, I bought one of the last versions of Photoshop I found which I could own and I haven't sent any more money to Adobe since.

[@MikeGastin]

Smart move!

[@cgriggsiv]

I did the same I have Photoshop 2022 and LRC 2021 On a PC with out the Internet

[@samiiromaar]

I'm african. I've never paid 😂

[@sloppynyuszi]

I never thought Adobe going subscription was as egregious as other companies. If you regularly upgraded the packages the subscription actually turned out cheaper. The biggest problem with subscription model Adobe did was get other companies to normalise this. Clip studio was the worst. It’s a sub $200 app that now has the most convoluted payment tiers I’m off them. I regularly use Final Cut on my Mac, sticking to Luma fusion on my iPad.

[@kilozulu9990]

What will you do when you upgrade your computer or your hard dive fails, you need to reinstall, and activation servers are shut down?

[@KH-mq4rg]

Adobe feels like a software platform stuck in the 90’s, ugly layouts, clunky design choices, and constant glitches.

[@my2cents198]

Finally someone understands 🙌

[@MikeGastin]

It does.

[@Dave102693]

That's basically Microsoft, and their attempts in catch ups have been pretty bad since the release of the ipod by Apple.

[@AlexKidd4Fun]

​@@Dave102693Zune 4 Ever!!1! 😅

[@stackhom656]

I'd take a 90s software, at least I can own them.

[@ArleyMcBlain]

this is resonating pretty hard. i installed Gimp last year for someone, they didn’t even want my email, i clicked Download and just instantly had the software. pretty wild in 2024

[@MikeGastin]

Used Gimp many years ago and it was fine. Kinda clunky and unrefined. But I'm not power user, so my opinion is dated and likely irrelevant when it comes to Gimp. Never even thought to give a look this time around. Maybe I should!

[@PaulG.x]

@@MikeGastin GIMP is vastly improved ,but like any software you have to learn it and people would rather pay money than learn anything. I have a friend that insist on pirated Photoshop when I install Linux OSs for him. He never uses pirated PS for anything but the most basic editing but he won't learn how to do the same edits in GIMP

[@xzenor]

GIMP makes me suicidal. The UI/UX is excruciating. Been using Affinity for a couple of years but that's paid software (one time though. No subscription) so they do need your email address..

[@miriades]

@@xzenoris Affinity available on Linux desktop?

[@tlilmiztli]

@@xzenor Hahaha same here man. I gave it a chance couple of times but there is no way I could work on that. I would rather use Photopea in browser haha. Same here, Affinity is just wonderful for me. Reminds me time when I was opening Photoshop with pleasure and will to work. Long time ago. Now its Affinity Photo/Designer.

[@eddyb2001]

The moment at 16 minutes and 38 seconds encapsulates a pervasive issue that extends beyond Adobe. It underscores the lack of freedom to be valued as individuals rather than objects for-profit and emphasizes the crucial need for privacy. He touches upon the same subjects, and the only way to make changes is to get together and make it happen. Humans demand and deserve respect, not to be reduced to mere numbers. Check out the latest Adobe rants from Louis Rossman. He touches upon the same subjects, and the only way to make changes is to get together and make it happen.

[@MikeGastin]

Thank you. Yes, the issue is much bigger and way deeper than Adobe. This is at its root about what it means to be human and what the forces around us are doing to strip us of our humanity. I’m convinced we’re going to have to fight hard if we want to retain our ability to live our lives on our own terms.

[@1q2w3e4r5t6zism]

@@MikeGastin The underlying force is called psychopathy.

[@Tigerhearty]

Yeap, this is pure late stage corporation nihilism, and we unfortunately have masters that thinks China is the best model to slowly sneak and spread everywhere.

[@wolfgang4468]

@@1q2w3e4r5t6zism Or just endless greed paired with short-sightedness?

[@dafyddthomas7299]

Yep that's danger of Technology, AI and many say greed of lot of US, UK Corporations, cut / automated services, get rid of humans - Adobe case & other Creative studies get rid of the Content Creators for AI Generators, Offshore cheaper Online CC, e.g., China, India, etc compared to expensive CC in US, UK and Europe.. But can bite them in the Ar$en - like B oeing QC issues happen and Panic Panic measures measures when they hit a banger; eg. 737 Max Incidents, Door bolt

[@bbellefson]

Went thru all versions of Adobe software from 1990 until retirement in 2017. Still doing a few projects, but with the Affinity suite. It was surprisingly easy to migrate and way, way WAY cheaper!

[@davepastern]

does Affinity have AI masking like Photoshop? I use this for my birding photography. Was looking at Affinity and darklabs for RAW processing, but from what I have been able to see, neither supports AI masking, which is important to my workflow...

[@MikeGastin]

Nice! And, congrats on retirement. Hope it's a blast. ;)

[@n9o]

@@davepastern It does have some kind of smart masking that allows for getting very accurate selections fairly quickly, but you can not just click an object only once. So a rough selection is quicker in PS, but an accurate one in Affinity to me personally (but i am quite inexperienced with PS). Affintiy Photo is able to manage RAW images, but it does not have a library option and cant easily copy settings from one image to another. So for a RAW editor for many files I dont think it is a great option. For that I did get myself ON1, which is fine, but not perfect, yet you can get a perpetual license for about 100€. Problem there is that they only bring out free updates for a year and keep bigger ones behind a paywall (existing customers get a discount), while Affinity has only made users pay for a new update once in 7 years.

[@brunovincent1969]

You have so much wisdom, this is refreshing in a world of youtubers that just want to sell you stuff. You are spot on about the struggle, I play classical guitar, and push myself daily to higher levels of difficulty, same with the gym , indeed, I keep increasing the weights. Going forward is what matters most.

[@MikeGastin]

Thanks, Bruno. 🙏🏼

[@JorgePerezOrozco]

I think this video expresses what many of us think, I'm jumping the ship at the end of the year.

[@MikeGastin]

All the best!

[@maddiemaddocks2482]

I'm on my last year. Byeeeeeeee!!!!!

[@RPGElite]

This was a refreshing video. I don't use Adobe and haven't used Adobe in quite a long time. I saw the writing on the wall when it went subscription based. I have used Affinity and DaVinci Resolve for years and I won't look back. Kudos to you, my man. Keep on keeping on. 👊🏿

[@MikeGastin]

Thank you!

[@nathans.509]

I moved to Affinity products three years ago, and never looked back! Adobe’s business model goes against my philosophy!

[@MikeGastin]

I wish I knew about Affinity earlier. Sounds like you don't regret the move.

[@NuriaSaladrigasLarroy]

I’m also happy. I’ve been using the suite for many years.

[@luisjordan8760]

Nice! Do you know a software like After Effects?

[@NuriaSaladrigasLarroy]

I’m not sure. As far as I checked: fx mhome hit film pro, Blackmagic design fusion studio, Blender, Filmora or Foundry Nuke Studio.

[@pdfcreatives]

@@luisjordan8760 It depends on what specialty of After Effects you want to replace. If its vfx, Blackmagic Fusion, Blender, etc. if its motion graphics, Cinema4d. Many motion artists who discovered c4d never came back to Ae. Just look at what you use Ae for and search for the alternative for the specialization.

[@Nefville]

About a year ago I was sitting in traffic at a red light when I looked in the rear view mirror and saw a huge Lexus SUV barreling towards me with a driver who had her eyes glued to her phone. I thought* _oh shit, this is it_ and all of the sudden I heard screeching and the thing stopped a few inches from my bumper. No one was more surprised than the lady who was 'driving' the car. While I don't need nannies in my car or on my software to tell me what to do, I am only here to type this because someone else did. Adobe has lost me with farming my data for their AI but when it comes to cars, the more nannies, the better.

[@MikeGastin]

Fair enough.

[@MarquesaBarbula]

Adobe lost all my love when they killed Freehand

[@RamsesTheFourth]

It depends if the nanies in the cars make it better or worse. Would the women behave like that if she would knew that her car wont do that if she doesnt pay attention? It kind of leads only towars total self-driving cars where people will have no controll, because they cant even put damn phone away for 5 minutes. People like that should not be driving at all, no matter how advanced and smart their cars are.

[@ricnyc2759]

Linux + Gimp + Inkscape + Krita + Openshot (for video editing). 20 years paying nothing to create my designs. The only thing that I bought was Xara Designer that I managed to run on Linux.

[@MikeGastin]

I may end up there ... on a homemade PC ... some day. I'm on Apple's platform right now but see the writing on the wall.

[@bitterseeds]

@@MikeGastin I've noticed that quite a few of the forums, news sites and other parts of the Linux eco-system I'm apart of has seen a marked increase in "newbs" the last 6 months. It seems folks have had enough ice water thrown on them that they are awake and looking around. KDE and Gnome have improved by leaps and bounds. Divinci runs on Linux really well. :) It feels good to own the computers I have and do with them what I want done, not what a megacorp wants done with them. Sure, it's a bit more work but once you have things setup, it's easy to backup configs and then let things settle and just use the damn computer. :)

[@answeris4217]

​@@MikeGastinApple is starting to do the same kind of thing to their creators. I'm sure some other company will take the void. I remember other huge companies like Corel going the way of the Dodo... it's going to happen to Adobe too. That's one of the certainties in life everything dies.

[@MikeGastin]

I am thinking about setting up a parallel Linux system sooner than later to start testing the waters.

[@jktolford8272]

@@MikeGastin Try looking at Gimp + Inkscape + Krita now on your *current* OS while using Affinity. They're free & could expand your tool box in the time it takes to learn them. It will also give you an idea if & *how* you would want to migrate to Linux. Having apps you already use will make switching OS much easier.

[@Dave102693]

I hope that people leaves Microsoft too if possible.

[@ekids.bassment]

-> Linux

[@MikeGastin]

100%.

[@sfoldy]

If Serif Affinity could be the first to bring the products to Linux, I think that would pull a lot more people away from both Adobe and Microsoft.

[@bitterseeds]

I did that back in 1998. I've been 80% Linux (desktop) and 20% Apple (laptop) since then. I learned then that Microsoft couldn't be trusted.

[@buda3d2007]

getting super creepy vibes of MS since Billy Gates got complicated.

[@ElMacho0423]

It feels nice listening to someone speak common sense!

[@MikeGastin]

Thank you.

[@davidherber4233]

I purchased Photoshop Creative Suite 3 in 2008. It was costly, but I owned the physical copy. I found it after all these years and tried to register it on my PC. Nothing was available as an option, phone number didn’t go thru, online registration didn’t go through, etc. Now, I have 29-days to use my “trial” version and it will go dead. Don’t have any idea on options available at this point. Not happy

[@MikeGastin]

Like you, I owned all kinds of Adobe products-outright. Until they introduced the SaaS model. We had to upgrade at the time because I was running an agency and we needed the latest versions in order to send files to printers, etc. Glad those days are behind me and that I don't need to be in thrall to Adobe anymore.

[@PeteOliva]

COMPLETELY agree with all of the philosophical perspectives you describe. And yes, I drive a 2024 Subaru Outback and am livid that I have to turn off that "tool" that literally turns off my car at every stoplight. I had been a Subaru customer for literally decades since first getting an Impreza WRX in 2004 and I couldn't believe that I am unable to turn this feature off every time and have to do it EVERY time I get in my car. I actually gave up on the Adobe Creative Suite a few years ago and adopted a workflow of using Da Vinci Resolve, Photopea, Audacity, and Canva. I have been hearing great things about Affinity, mainly because I was looking for an Indesign alternative. I will definitely look into it!

[@MikeGastin]

Affinity is a great suite of apps, as long as you're not some power PS user. I'm happy with it!

[@patricksullivan3628]

All I've ever wanted is for my software to get out of my way and let me do what I need to do. Half the time I spend in Microsoft Word is fighting the autocorrects and autoformats and removing the squiggly red lines and getting it to stop making bulleted lists, etc etc etc. I don't need my hand held I need my tools to stop badgering me.

[@MikeGastin]

I only use MS Office products when my clients require it. All my writing is done in a clean markdown editor (iAWriter, Ulysses, and Obsidian) and then ported over to whatever app needed for the final deliverable. Love writing in a clean environment. MS Word is a bloated trainwreck.

[@pmb6667]

Ugh, Microsoft's defaults. I also hate that default setting where when you try to select a word, line of text, or a paragraph, but it also grabs an extra word I didn't want selected, and even the _'hard return'/paragraph character at the end of that line too. I always had to go and turn that OFF. Trying to make a selection shouldn't have to be a pain in the arse.

[@davef5916]

fun fact If you go through to the very last screen on the cancellation process for your adobe plan, they offer you 2 months free. You can redo, to my knowledge, unlimited times.

[@MikeGastin]

I SAW THAT! When that popped up I wondered if one could do that over and over. Haha! Thanks for sharing. Maybe someone here will give that a try. ;)

[@bluedeskfan2754]

Yeap, been doing that for many years. Loyalty is not rewarded!

[@space.tel-e-grams]

Careful with that, they might consider that 2 months as a renewal of contract, read carefully. Not saying Adobe is doing that, but I have seen other companies do it before.

[@tangente00]

this is so true. last time i cancelled a subscription because a employee left, they offered me 3 months free if i do not cancel it plus 6 months of adobe stock for all employees. 3 different guys from adobe called to me.

[@voenixrising]

You can also CHANGE your plan to something else, resetting the clock. Then cancel your new plan in the 30 day window (I did it the same day) and there's no fee!

[@alanwilson1982]

I only used Ps for my photographic needs, but 6 months ago I ditched it for free Raw photo editing. Big learning curve but like you say, what's wrong with a bit of gym time?

[@MikeGastin]

Amen! Feel those gains! ;)

[@onelightpw9992]

From a fellow creative AND boomer - love the honesty and sincerity here and your willingness to open the conversation. This is an issure I've seen and also felt for a while. I'm all into the alternatives and willing to learn anew as long as I'm not having to relearn (aka version creep) every 6 months. I'll be following the comments - thanks again, Mike!

[@MikeGastin]

Thank you! And, it's a pleasure. (BTW, I'm actually Gen X, but to the kids anyone with grey is a Boomer. Lol.) 👊🏼

[@preadford]

Totally understandable. I can relate to your frustration - that annoying bar ALWAYS gets in my way. Photoshop has become so clunky that I can't use it for what it was actually originally designed for anymore.

[@MikeGastin]

I wondered if I was the only one. Seems like a lot of us hate what PShop has become.

[@mr_mr]

Agreed. Software should speak when spoken to. They shouldn't be trusted. Figma is another one that is killing Adobe

[@MikeGastin]

Yes! Adobe tried to acquire Figma a couple years ago, but the EU put a stop to it. I think Adobe ended up having to pay Figma $1B for pulling out of the deal! Ouch.

[@dafyddthomas7299]

@@MikeGastin I like it - good on EU and many say great that Greedy Adobe had to pay $1bn

[@chandrajahnke9540]

I need to Google Affinity. I'm a photographer. I was contemplating gimp, or maybe paintshop pro. Does Affinity support photographers, or is it just digital art and video?

[@MikeGastin]

Affinity Suite: raster, vector, and design/layout. DaVinci Resolve for video. I don't think Affinity does video.

[@larryfarr]

Just found your channel. I haven't listened to everything yet but you are REFRESHING!! Very engaging and informative. Thank you!

[@MikeGastin]

Wow, that's kind. Thank you, and welcome!

[@dafyddthomas7299]

Ditto

[@66TooManyDreams99]

I thought the same. Refreshing and honest.

[@pixpusher]

I thought I would miss Audition but I spent last weekend learning Logic Pro. Yes, a bit of a struggle but now I love it.

[@ian_the_demon4713]

Would you say you got everything you need, that you would find in audition?

[@moxom3854]

I use Cockos Reaper for audio production. I can use a ton of VSTs in it before buffering issues. Way more VSTs than with Ableton. The price is good and customizability is amazing. Just my 2cents.

[@MikeGastin]

A lot of Adobe's success, beside being the industry standard, is the "cost" of learning a new platform. It's a pain, especially if you're a professional making your living using their products.

[@st.mahsse3233]

The fairlight page in DaVinci Resolve solves most of my post production needs. But I have Logic Pro for some production work too.

[@n9o]

@@MikeGastin in sociology it is called "path dependency" when the cost of change seemingly outweights the benefits. For the same reason the keyboards that we all use for typing are far from the perfect layout for quick typing, but it is too late to change now. Interesting video btw, you are doing me a great favor - I have so far only used Affinity and Resolve and have the slight hope that enough ppl make the switch so that i never have to learn adobe. Apart from it being "industry standard", all the comparison videos pointed out very few benefits of that ecosystem.

[@AllanSanches]

I've migrated to Krita and Davinci Resolve a few years ago when adobe forced the subscription model on us, it was a pain at first, but now Im much better off

[@MikeGastin]

Awesome!

[@DutchDiederik]

Davinci Resolve is amazing.

[@AllanSanches]

@@DutchDiederik Yes!! There's a learning curve but I'm glad I made this transition, I work a lot with ilustration and Krita is way better than PS in my opinion, specially after you learn its brush engine, now the next logical step for me is to learn Linux and finally get rid of Microsoft and bill gates for good

[@DutchDiederik]

@@AllanSanches One of my favorite things about DaVinci is that it doesn't crash all the time. Moving away from Windows is a step too far for me. I've been using it for 30 years at this point. Linux is great for servers but I just can't bring myself to use it as a desktop OS. Too many important programs I use daily are missing on the platform.

[@AllanSanches]

@@DutchDiederik I've been using windows for 25 years and completely understand, there has been a lot of progress as far as software compatibility with linux goes, and it is much more user friendly these days if you want to use it as a regular desktop... I still use a couple programs for daily work that won't run on linux, but that's something I'll have to figure ou in the near future... ever since windows 11 did that thing where you need a specific hardware to run I'm getting fed up with all this BS.... Im not buying a new pc just to run windows 11, and now, with the recent windows integration with A.I monitoring us, and other privacy concerns, I'm not taking this anymore.... I think its time to say good bye... I survived saying goodbye to adobe and a lot other programs I thought I couldn't survive without..... Coincidently I just saw some news today with statistics showing a huge increase in interest in Linux for desktop, probably due to the same reasons I'm concerned with, so maybe more programs will have better support for linux in the near future, i hope.

[@Devbep]

Love your tone of speaking and down to earth mentality keeping an open minded approach I can tell you thought this out well before jumping to pushing content out just quality wisdom and knowledge. I appreciate you and hope to see much more content from you with this layout and format. Personally lately I have been growing to love Open Source software more and more due to the issue of income not always being consistent and if it takes me a bit more time or effort to learn and save my money and possible debt or getting trapped into these ecosystems that they put more effort into making them so hard to get away from them and that's only a small part of it.

[@MikeGastin]

Thank you-very kind to speak so positively about my content here. 🙏🏼

[@micbab-vg2mu]

I ended 5 yeas reltionship with Adobe - and took me 1 day to switch into Affinity:)

[@MikeGastin]

Congrats and all the best on your new journey!

[@MattStevens9824]

I could feel the pain in your tone. I'm so sorry. .Friends reflecting on Adobe since last week had a similar tone. Just a couple of days ago, I snapped up an Affinity license. Totally with you on not wanting our tools to be sentient coz we are the creator--- we don't want to be turned into a "tool" of our toolset.

[@MikeGastin]

Yes! Don't want to be the tool. (Excellent point.) Of course, I've been accused of being a big tool, but that's different. ;)

[@roninatlanta]

When I worked in corporate (Fortune 100) I learned that "Big Tech" assumes legal ownership or at least co-ownership. The licensing of software as opposed to selling software opens the door to this murky situation. The legal agreements are mind blowing... even for lawyers. Now the AI thing will add several more layers to the complexity and murkiness.

[@MikeGastin]

Yeah, good point. It's only going to get worse for consumers and users at this point. We can't just let it happen, though.

[@PrograError]

I think the legislations need to put a firestop to these things, but too many governments are too into the AI craze. Most don't consider the implications of those usages in their communications, especially legally...

[@roninatlanta]

@@PrograError My major concern is replacing human consideration and decision making with AI/ML. Do you really want AI determining if you can have a... credit card, buy a home, buy a car etc etc etc. Do you want AI determining if you can attend college or serve in the military, Do you want AI making the decision if you get hired for a job. Do you want AI grading your job performance determining your pay raise or bonus. The people supporting AI believe they're shielded from this but think it okay for everyone else. So yes, there needs to be discussion and legislation to constrain the use of AI/ML.

[@PrograError]

@@roninatlanta TBH even before the current wave, pretty sure there are already software doing those stuff...

[@dafyddthomas7299]

@@roninatlanta AI / software tools program are already in is used to screen CV/s, Resumes (taking out the HR teams) for candidates of Job XYZ. If you like me disabled - autism in my case; you, or an older in his 50's you can kiss that job I going for good bye

[@BarbBarb108]

I am still using Adobe, but I also dislike the open window that always appears in the middle whenever I open Illustrator. It's bothersome to move it aside every time to avoid disrupting my workflow. Additionally, I am not fond of having to pay a monthly fee. I will consider the options you are using right now.

[@MikeGastin]

That’s what I’m talking about.

[@PeterHallen]

The nanification of our productivity and creativity is so true! Well done, Mike!! I recently got my wife a new vehicle, and the adaptive cruise control makes it self-evident that I'm not really doing the driving. I need to pick up an 88 Jeep with a carburetor to feel sane.

[@MikeGastin]

Yeah man! Makes me think about Rush's "Red Barchetta".

[@dafyddthomas7299]

Good / not so funny when Automated tools (cars) fail without warning or can't deal with say weather events like Frost, Ice, flooding and Snow, plus when parts fail in these electronized cars they cost a f%^^%%^ $$ to repair

[@kottik1]

The ai bar is so annoying, trying to always stick to the picture, I agree. It adds weight to the bottom of the picture and interferes with the composition of a photo I’m working on. All valid points on other things as well. I wish it was as easy to opt out of them as it is from using Adobe.

[@MikeGastin]

Good luck. You'll find a way, eventually.

[@emteepeeess]

I am in my 70s and have been using Adobe from decades ago. But only ever for personal or voluntary/community stuff. I have CC, but Adobe has made using Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere and, above all, Acrobat, a nightmare - and I do want to cancel and save a chunk of my pension. Like you, I don't need AI - if I did want it, I'd go elsewhere - I don't want it integrated into anything (although that's getting tough). But I have so much source material that relies on Adobe, I'm struggling to find a way out. I've already moved across to DaVinci Resolve, and am trying to get away from Audition (although it is good at some things that other software isn't). Just really want to go back to earlier no-subscription PhotoShop, InDesign and Illustrator, and I have concerns (a) only can find suspicious copies and (b) worry about file incompatibility. Shame you had to spoil a really good chat with climate denier stuff.

[@MikeGastin]

Thanks for the comment. Good luck to you as you try to figure it all out. As to spoiling the chat, you're old enough (and mature enough) to handle it. As the proverb says, for lack of an ox the stable is clean. 😉

[@FranzDiwischek]

"Nannyfication" is spot on. What do you do with older projects? How do you open them without a Adobe subscription?

[@MikeGastin]

Affinity will import in PShop and Illustrator. Even if it didn't, I would have made the move.

[@FranzDiwischek]

@@MikeGastin I guess, I will have to stick to Premiere and After Effects. I've spent years to learn those tools and I have tons of old projects in my archive. But in some areas DaVinci Resolve really seems superior... colour correction etc.

[@MikeGastin]

Resolve is so much better than Premier. Keep a copy of Premier if you must, but get on Resolve as soon as you can. You'll love it. BTW, I now use Reaper (kinda ugly interface but killer, solid app) for my audio work. Peace.

[@zaungaestin]

I get quitting adobe, but midjourney steals the work of other too. dont see how this is better.

[@MikeGastin]

Making changes in stages, plus, I get the issues with Midjourney. To that end, I am not convinced I'll keep using it. It's been an experiment. Even so, I wanted to be honest in the vid. Did't want to act like I was pure when in fact I'm screwing around with some AI. Thanks.

[@artmaltman]

What camera do you use for this video? The quality is unusually high!

[@MikeGastin]

Thanks! I am shooting with a Black Magic Design Pocket Cinema 6K G2. (That's how I got my copy of Resolve Studio, btw. Came with the cam.) I shoot in Black Magic Raw, edit in Resolve, and then output to YT in 4K.

[@toastedtarantula1701]

Mike, I just recently turned off KZbin notifications because it was starting to overwhelm and interrupt my workflow and free time. After watching your video from today I was reminded I enjoyed the opportunity to catch your channel during a Live view which was spontaneous. Therefore I conclude I must re-enable KZbin notifications again so that I do not miss your next Live Event. Hey, the sacrifices one must make for social enrichment and to learn from others within your special KZbin community 😊. Mike, I really appreciate your style, fluidity, personal approach and desire to promote a shared exchange. I like that you open the subject areas very broadly. Perhaps your background of marketing allows for the anchor or pivot which touches the entire society.

[@MikeGastin]

Wow, thank you. Your comments are really encouraging. At times I wonder if I am just some old guy rambling on YT (I am!) but you have reminded me that there is room on YT for all kinds of approaches-even mine.

[@chandrajahnke9540]

You can turn off notifications individually. I turned off almost all the notifications except this channel and a select few others.

[@SalsaBailaProductions]

What do you guys use to replace lightroom to do bulk tasks

[@MikeGastin]

Anyone?

[@LVC85costa]

Mozilla Firefox allows you to open and edit PDFs.

[@MikeGastin]

Oh! Another plus for Firefox. Thank you.

[@PaulG.x]

@@MikeGastin Yes , I use FF for all the interactive pdf forms I use. It is a very good viewer and you can have multiple tabs open. For annotating pdfs I use Xournal++ and for reading large pdf manuals I use Sioyek

[@ozymet]

@@MikeGastin People who used FF moved on too. Be Brave!

[@adirnoyman2231]

The major problem with AI is that it’s not really creative. All it knows to do is try to guess what the user wants. I think that the more humans will use AI, the less creative their work will be and because AI is training all the time on its own garbage, things will just keep on deteriorating

[@MikeGastin]

I've thought the same thing. It's really just a clever algo and the more it feeds off its own output the more it will become trash.

[@dafyddthomas7299]

Spot on - taking jobs and $$/ ££ revenue away from Content Creators

[@gdutfulkbhh7537]

It'll fossilize: the more images it has access to, the more it'll copy those... and more and more of those images will be the product of AI. Pretty soon, the only way to look fresh and interesting will be to use MS Paint.

[@Flysonfame]

Bro, first time here on your channel and man I'm loving your points, you are on point!!! you are refreshing.

[@MikeGastin]

Thanks, man! And, welcome. I hope you'll stick around.

[@fabienb]

We have similar background and age and I too have spent a life with Adobe software in my arsenal, particularly after the end of Macromedia. I was ready to sever my ties with them and was looking at the more recent improvements of Affinity (I had their initial releases but then was too embedded in the Adobe ecosystem to actually use half-baked tools)… But when they announced the Canva acquisition I was left disheartened, because all companies start behaving the same when they become large enough. I worry that when their aggressive marketing taking advantage of the Adobe backlash ends, we will face other issues with them too. They could even make the purchased software disappear, forcing us into a Canva subscription and starting all over again. And where this will leave us?

[@KratostheThird]

Corporate America just doesn't care anymore. Perhaps it never did, but I remember when software was something that nerds, geeks and tech people mostly did because it was something they loved. Then the tech world became bigger, more people joined up, and eventually became mainstream, resulting in the hordes moving in. This, in turn, made the companies start monetizing and cashing in on the influx of people. Adobe behaves just like all the other Big Tech companies in California. It became too big and bloated for its own good. When I saw I was paying them a hefty subscription fee and saw their software become more bloated, I backed out permanently.

[@MikeGastin]

Nice channel! (I just took a quick look.) It's hard to find the right alternative and the Canva issue is real. At some point it's going to be a problem. For now, I'm just glad to be out of Adobe's world.

[@YouAreSoMadRN]

I don’t understand any of you. Have you been paying for Adobe all this time? Hello from pirate land.

[@MikeGastin]

Lol

[@CrushedAsian255]

Yaaarr 🏴‍☠️

[@Maisonier]

Imagine if we put in half the effort we spend working with Adobe into creating and developing tools for open-source software, like Blender did. Improving existing ones like Krita or GIMP, or even creating forks... How different would things be today if, in the past five years, most people had contributed a bit to open-source software?

[@MikeGastin]

Depressing, tbh. Glad we can move on now, at least. But you are right!

[@diegoalpizar5639]

I think we should @maisonier. I'll look into contributing for GIMP for this very same reason.

Windows is getting crazy because of Recall also. So everybody should switch to Linux.

[@bmodoryx]

Yes a hundred times. We have a bright future ahead, let's go and make things good! Ton, Linus, Jean-Baptiste and so many more have shown it's possible to make good software.

[@twocatsyelling723]

I stopped using Adobe as soon as they switched to the subscription model, and suddenly the serial number for the perpetual license on a previous version wss no longer valid. I moved to Corel Draw for my vector work, and GIMP for my bitmap/raster based work. Each has allowed me to do anything Ive needed to. Since I've moved to Linux, thanks to M$ pulling the same BS, acting like they own our computers, I've started using Inkscape for my vector work, and it's been fine. The move to everything being cloud and subscription based was just the setup for what they're doing now. Taking complete control over how - and even whether - we use their product.

[@MikeGastin]

I'm getting so weary of the cloud evangelists.

[@BaamGames]

Just cancelled my subscription to their Photography bundle. Cost me £19 to cancel early, but it is done. Now looking at DXO or Affinity Photo 2 as replacements for my photo RAW workflow.

[@MikeGastin]

All the best!

[@bluedeskfan2754]

It's gonna be hard to ever get fully away from Adobe in my line of work currently. But for personal stuff I'm going to make the effort. Resolve is great software. Gonna give Affinity a try.

[@MikeGastin]

Good luck with the break. Not sure if Affinity will do the trick for you. So far, so good for me, but my needs are pretty straight forward.

[@JH-pe3ro]

Adobe, like the other application software monopolies(MS Office, Autodesk) was really built on making themselves the "industry standard". But almost all of the benefit was realized nearly at the beginning. With these apps, it's nice to be able to edit things with selections and layers and undo, to edit video non-linearly and tween your animations instead of keyframing. If you shot film and drew artwork like you were living in 1980, but you added a robust, high-performance version of those basic features, you'd be close to even with anyone in 2024. Everything after the basics became more questionable: there were countless design fads based around features introduced in these apps over the years, but it was a kind of circuitous phenomenon, a way of demonstrating that you had the latest version, not that your craft was getting better. This goes hand-in-hand with how much we've professionalized software development, in fact. It's not that these things are so hard to program that only these corporations can make them - the inner core that drives the app is always done by a few really brilliant people, not some accumulation of industrial manpower - it's that the public has been shepherded along to avoid developing a taste for software literacy and instead stay in a dependent "app for that" role by increasing the level of bullshit throughout the entire platform, from locked-down hardware upwards. The brilliant parts are held hostage by the layers separating them from the user. The AI features just happen to be the most "app for that" thing we could ever hope to come up with, and it's really become a watershed moment for refusal and opt-out.

[@MikeGastin]

Very well said. Yes and amen.

[@philosuileabhain861]

Great comment! I left Autodesk when they bought up and killed off Softimage which was better than any other 3D package in their arsenal of products at the time. I went OSS with Blender 3D and although it was hard at first it has paid (and is paying) infinite dividends since both in monetary terms and as an artist. Use GIMP (I hate the name) and also have Affinity Photo licence and they handle everything I need between them. Inkscape does me for any vector work. Plasticity 3D for CAD/NURBS work. I only use Autodesk or Adobe when working on site for a client at their insistence which is a bind TBH! I also use the Mk1 eyeball and pencil/ball point pen with a scanner when I feel dangerous!

[@AntonBrandillustrations]

I would love to leave, but it is the industry standard and a lot of my clients want native adobe illustrator files when I supply the final designs

[@MikeGastin]

I understand 100%. I'm fortunate to be in a place where I can leave. Ten years ago I was running a design and branding shop. There would have been no way-in fact, I would not even have considered it at the time. Adobe is the standard and if you're a pro you gotta use them.

[@robainscough]

Don’t know what industry or country you’re in, but Adobe is definitely NOT industry standard. If you have a client suggesting Adobe only then just don’t tell the client what you use. But I’ve never seen a client tell me I have to use Adobe products, ever, (20+ years). Why do you think Adobe have the prompt for “Maximum compatibility” when saving files … it’s because they ARE NOT the Industry standard. Try Affinity Photo 2 … it can do everything Adobe and more and fully compatible with file Imports/Exports.

[@xir1111011]

The day Wine or Proton or any of the other compatibility layers are figured out 100%, I'm off of Windows for good. Until then, I mean... I game a lot, and I can't even get Sky to work right v_v. Even on Proton, it just doesn't run. I think I tried Linux Mint. And I understand the argument: well, learn more about Linux and keep tinkering, you can get it working if you keep working at it. Or try a different distro. This is probably true! I could probably find the thing that's wrong and fix it given enough time and effort. But... on Windows, it already works. And that school of thought isn't going to win people over who don't have the desire to open the terminal, you know? I think that's what's holding back more massive adoption.

[@tangente00]

@@robainscough You saying Illustrator and Indesign are not industry standard? What? Or are you referring to Photoshop only?

[@robainscough]

@@tangente00 Affinity Designer 2 and Affinity Photo 2 are better replacements for Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. And I know what I said, Photoshop and Illustrator have lost massive market share because there are so many other products that can do vector graphics and raster graphics at much lower cost (or even free). But if you don't believe me, Adobe Stock is down 22% YTD for 2024 to quote ""This is creating concerns on the health of Creative Cloud and the pace of AI monetization," Jefferies analyst Brent Thill said in a client note" ... in addition, Adobe missed their financial projections ... they're in trouble, big trouble.

[@sylvialoomis7185]

Today was the first time I heard you and it was about stopping to use Adobe software. Very interesting. Then I wondered, I recently learned to used the mixer brushes and now I paint my subjects (usually puffins now) stroke by stroke and I like the additional painterly effect, the added texture and just plain how much it looks more like a painting than a.photograph. I think that adds value. Any comments on how to replicate the effect the mixer brushes produce?

[@MikeGastin]

Sorry, can't help there. ;(

[@jessykaiser6373]

Amen! Gen-Xer here. The intrusions should be registered as criminal. Half the time Adobe was “verifying” the software, I wasn’t even using it! I would be watching a flick online. … So were they hacking in and snooping around? … I think so. I terminated Adobe software on my pc as soon as that happened.

[@MikeGastin]

Gen-X, too! 👊🏼 Yeah, when you do the install they set up all the background actions, but never really tell you what they are doing. Not cool. There's a lot of that. A lot!

[@sat0sh139]

I hope all of Adobe users and potential users see this video. This was very professional, but didn't express the amount of anger I am feeling toward Adobe. F Adobe and their BS! If a company does not care about its users, why should we care if they go bankrupt! They are replaceable, just as they are treating us loyal customers. I'll be spreading my anger to a few more places

[@MikeGastin]

😉

[@MyFlyingEyes]

Considering doing the same. For premiere I would go Davinci Resolve, for photoshop there are other options. I don’t know what’s the choice for Lightroom yet. I don’t give a fck about generative Ai I never use it and I never will because those softwares steal from unlicensed or shady licensed works. Anyone knows an alternative for Lightroom. I am also going to cancel my Adobe stock contributor account. They never pay me well anyhow.

[@MikeGastin]

Lightroom seems to be the big challenge. Options, like you listed, for other stuff, but Lightroom is a challenge.

[@austerepotato3159]

Darktable is excellent

[@LV4EVR]

Darktable for LR, Blender for 3D/sculpting, DaVinci/Fusion for PP/AE, Affinity for everything else.

[@daniellrodriguezs]

I use Capture One Pro and is really good!

[@csabaaurelpasztor6481]

On1 Photo Raw? I'm quite satisfied with it, although I don't use it professionally. From what I've heard Capture One is great although on the pricey side....

[@neilmossey]

Congratulations - and thank you for making this video. Adobe charged me for a year when I terminated what I thought was a monthly subscription. What was mean was that they don't run your current month to the end of the month when you end the subscription - it has to be instant. So vowed not to go back and absolutely loving the backlash that is so long coming. Kudos!

[@MikeGastin]

Thanks, Neil! Glad you were able to get free. And, all the best with your channel! Looks like you're growing nicely and I can see why.

[@potassiumming04]

Adobe is pretty good at convincing people to get affinity 😂

[@MikeGastin]

Haha!

[@stevesmith581]

Mike this is probably the best explanation of life today. Rounded out by Adobe biting the hand that feeds it. Personally I got out when they lied about Lightroom, but adding to that, I use a DSLR (don’t need mirrorless) my car is 12yrs old and lets me drive it. My iPhone has a fingerprint button… Maybe us old guys appreciate the challenge and want our freedom of choice to be respected. Thanks again for the great post.

[@MikeGastin]

Wow, thanks!

[@stevesmith581]

No worries Mike, you put it better than most because you put it in context with life today, a much bigger issue. Here’s another ‘nugget’ for you. My original, paid for Photoshop CS6, the last one you could buy… doesn’t work anymore. If you try to open it, Adobe says it’s fake and won’t let you. Despite me buying it and having the correct serials etc, even the original CD. Thanks Adobe..! I’m now waiting for my Lightroom catalogue, also the last one you could buy to stop working..! Luckily I’ve been using Capture One for a few years so will keep adding to that catalogue… they take our money but it’s never easy is it..?

[@dafyddthomas7299]

@@stevesmith581 Ratzens on CS6; working on my PC but was built about a year ago to ^%^%^ Windows 11 and dredd that If I rebuild / build new PC that this S/ware CS6 can be installed from my CD's but will not allow me to use as the Activation will not Work. Same as M/soft they taking away ISO files off older OS & Office and one day only their Office 360 can be activated and used

[@66TooManyDreams99]

Well said. One thing about getting on in life, I am easily contented with simple things. I don't need that challenge or that hassle. There are alternatives.

[@newstream2000]

Any KZbin creator who can make a comprehensive 'Welcome to Affinity: Onboarding from Adobe' tutorial series will get a lot of views. The time is ripe! Just saying...

[@MikeGastin]

I think you're right! I'm not that guy, but it would take off for sure.

[@caesar98]

My uni had Affinity free for all its students so I really think it's the future for creatives that don't want to be bleed dry by Adobe anymore. If you know Adobe CC it's really easy to learn and I find it easier to work with in general because you have the "personas" so you don't need to jump between programs to do different things in one layout

[@loves__art]

As someone who quit Photoshop just this week, you summed up perfectly all my main concerns. I’ve been using Photoshop since high school so about 10 years now. I mainly used it for photo editing/digital painting. That Microsoft clippy comparison was too real especially with all the Ai. My main reason on leaving was cost. I ended up switching to clip studio paint since it was a one time purchase. I’m already digging it cause of how easy it is to try out new brushes.

[@MikeGastin]

Clippy Crew, FTW! I’m glad some folks got the reference. Lol

[@timcameron9023]

When Adobe changed the naming of the 'master' page in InDesign I knew it was over

[@MikeGastin]

So many little hints along the way. And, yeah, that's nonsense.

[@Inkling777]

@@MikeGastin Yes, that bugged me too. I wasn't that I gave a rip about the words. It was because Adobe was dong that rather than make genuine improvements.

[@Inkling777]

Speaking of irritating, KZbin refuses to let me change that "dong" to "doing." Even reloading the page didn't help.

[@johnharvey7913]

Completely agree with you on Adobe's attitude regarding its "customers," but we need to bear in mind that Adobe is hardly alone in this. Check out Jenny Nicholson's funny/sad video about Disney: "The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel." And need I mention poor Boeing, the company that can’t keep the doors from falling off its planes anymore? Remember how they moved the HQ from the factory to DC, so they could lobby the government better? They did make a lot of money, for a while. Speaking of HQs, the former American icon known as GE vacated their own headquarters, broke itself up, was delisted from the DOW. Both companies got this way when the executives devoted themselves to making money, instead of better products. And those execs were paid handsomely for doing so. Maybe they will have their names put on business schools, like a scarlet letter. Meanwhile, the other corporations/monopolies have turned into predators, ready to take over the world. And AI? Like blood in the water to a shark. I beg to differ slightly, this wasn't the work of some nanny state, or police state. This was the expansion of buying/selling/working (capitalism) into every aspect of our lives, 24/7, facilitated by digital technology. We are fully indoctrinated secular/materialist/consumerist/individualist/side-hustling Americans now. We wear our SUVs and giant pickups, Apple Watches and iPhones as proof of our belonging. The Amazon warehouse has replaced the church, and our image in the smartphone has become our new idol. We celebrate the "self" as Brand, like a miniature company. Because: buying and selling is what it's all about. Led, of course, by our great Brands, such as Adobe, the choice of creators. What, Teddy Roosevelt, do I hear you moaning helplessly in your grave? Sorry, the predators are roaming around again. Hardly a bunch of harmless “nannies.” If only! Watch that Apple “Crush” video, if you haven't already. Why Nanny, what big ears you have! Time to update Reagan: “I’m from the corporation, and I’m here to help you!” Just “agree” to this little “contract” here, or else my buddy here, AI, will break your legs, fool. ...... "Look around you, this is the greatest country in the world, ever! Dow breaks 40,000, a sacred number, or was that 36,000? Companies worth $3,000,000,000,000 each, isn't that proof of success? We broke out of our chains, and that's what this country is all about!" In other words, the money changers bought the temple, and now own it. Shall we celebrate on the 4th?

[@MikeGastin]

Yes! And I am with you. When IO used the “nannification” line I am really addressing a larger trend that large entities (corporations, government, institutions) all assume they know what’s best for you and I and that consumers are abdicating their responsibility for themselves and are looking to these large entities for safety, pleasure, and ease. So, I agree with you. I will say that if one looks you do see a kind of coordination between our totalizing government and big corporations; a kind of corporatism. But, yes, the money hangers own the temple and they’ve turning it into a disco.

[@johnharvey7913]

​Yup, Americans do love convenience, along with luxury. And AC. And having things delivered. And being told by our custom media feed what we already believe. And we have all these things, but are still not happy. On the contrary, we are divided into tribes, and are yelling at each other, sometimes even threatening each other, especially when online. Could something be wrong? I was just trying to get across that for the past 4 decades we have been sold on the idea that government, per se, is always the problem, and companies, per se, are always the solution. Private is inherently better than public. Don’t good monopolies achieve efficiencies and thereby reduce prices, asked Robert Bork? The free market automatically makes everything work out. Government, just keep your hands off. This seems laughably naive now, doesn’t it? You may recall that Reagan fired the air traffic controllers, supposedly to make air travel safer. He said bad things would happen if the union members were allowed to stop working…which he then guaranteed would happen by firing them all! ???? And forty years later controllers are overworked, unhappy, and making mistakes that could kill people. I don’t think our big corporations have been motivated by a desire to do what is “best” for us. They just do what they do. They control us to extract the maximum profit. It’s all about so-called “shareholder value,” nothing else. And executive salaries. I am applying Occam’s razor. Hey, nobody is getting promoted for CUTTING prices, certainly not at Adobe! Or Disney, or McDonald’s, which admittedly did just throw a bone to the mob that was advancing toward it with torches. I have actually eaten at the McDonald’s that is now infamous for the $18 Big Mac meal. Yes, it was expensive. It is at a rest stop on I-95, so they’ve got you where they want you. Hungry, and with places to go. Now, this long-time Mac user will admit that…Apple…has certain paternalistic characteristics. I know this will come as a shock to you! Apple knows best. Apple does things the Apple way. And Apple sure loves money, doesn’t it? It just doesn’t love sharing it. My mother was a commercial artist. Her specialty, fashion illustrations for department stores, is long gone. I see commercial illustration, graphic design, etc., as likewise right in the cross hairs of the corporate budget cutters. You are not crazy to be really concerned. AI + corporations = scorched-earth job destruction. That is if the AI works. And if it doesn’t, there will be job cuts to pay for the AI that didn’t work. You know how corporate budgets work. Remember, there are crocodiles running things, they have a simple motivation. You may love art, but they love money. Thankfully, all I personally use from Adobe right now is Lightroom. I am looking for a replacement…maybe Darktable? Darn you Apple, why did you drop Aperture? I am cancelling my subscription unless there is a regime change at Adobe, soon. Betraying your customers has to have a cost. I can, and will live without Lightroom. We need somebody to make a decent editor for big batches of photos. Offline. Coders, here is your opportunity! I like Fast Raw Viewer, but it doesn’t do adjustments. Yet? Do check out Cory Doctorow’s book “Chokepoint Capitalism,” which goes into how “creatives” like us are particularly at risk right now with behemoths like Adobe, Amazon, Spotify etc around, dominating their respective markets. Knowledge is power.

[@delicious_seabass]

I abandoned Adobe a couple years ago, as I saw the writing on the wall. Sadly, the one tool I use for work, Figma, was acquired by Adobe, and I'm sure they will run it into the ground, just like every other product they've acquired. Sometime in the near future, I plan to make my own UI tool. I'm almost certain I could come up with something far better.

[@MikeGastin]

I thought the Figma acquisition got killed by the EU.

[@delicious_seabass]

@@MikeGastin If so, that's good news for me.

[@oddburton]

@@MikeGastin It did.

[@eugeniobonello418]

I am graphic designer and randomly stumbled onto your video. The second I heard your gripes about adobe I immediately subscribed. Then out of nowhere, you endorsed a movie I had never heard of which challenged widely accepted facts about global climate change. I have an open mind and insomnia so I decided to watch the entire thing. It was very well made and I was definitely feeling a certain type of way by the end. It definitely challenged my beliefs in the worst possible way; the way that forces you to humble yourself. Nevertheless I decided to delve deeper (we all have blind spots) in order to flesh out my own misconceptions. However the more I researched, the more I realized how susceptible I am to a well crafted documentary. Long story short, after staying up way past my bedtime furiously doing phone research, I stumbled upon a pretty comprehensive and well cited critique of the movie. I went from feeling resolute, to skeptical, to convinced otherwise, to indignation, and then finally full circle to “oh no, we are still sort of fucked”. Im still staying subbed due to the fact I never attribute to malice what can be more readily explained by being exposed to the wrong thing at the right time. I’ll link the pretty comprehensive rebuttal I found helpful. Not every single one was 100% convincing, but enough of the were to temper my emotional reaction to a well crafted documentary. skepticalscience.com/climate-the-movie-a-hot-mess-of-cold-myths.html

[@MikeGastin]

Thanks for sharing a constructive critique of the climate movie. Too many people just get offended that someone dared challenge their beliefs and then immediately close their minds. I don't have a lot of extra time, but if I'll try to watch the video you linked in your comment. Also, no worries if you discover over time that I'm not your cup of team. I'm just grateful to know there are still people willing to think. ;)

[@eugeniobonello418]

@@MikeGastin Seeing as human connection and trust is at an all time low during a time it’s needed more than ever, I wouldn’t dare unsubscribe after a thoughtful response like that! Keep up the good work. I’ll be tuning in!

[@ExpeditionAustralia]

You had me at ‘nanny state’ - subscribed!

[@lindenwatson846]

Yeah we know all about the nanny state in Australia!

[@MikeGastin]

Birds of a feather ... thank you! And, welcome.

[@MikeGastin]

You really do ... same in the US. However, AU takes the cake.

[@onbeyondllc4762]

@@MikeGastin Unfortunately, it seems the only alternative to the nanny state is the pimp state.

[@modplanman]

Didn't expect a video about Adobe turning into promoting climate denialism.

[@andrelecomte]

Full Self Driving is pretty amazing.

[@MikeGastin]

I don’t doubt it but I’m not interested in it. I like driving too much … and I hate giving up control. ;)

[@ChrisMoneymakerDHRG]

The last few months I have been looking for replacements for the Adobe software I use. I have hated the subscription model ever since my last computer with CS 5.1.1 died, a couple years ago. That whole thing with the license in the terms of use a few months back, plus reduced functionality, was what finally caused me to pull the trigger and get resolve pro. I’m looking at replacements for photoshop, that I mainly use to draw with. My main concern there is that I can still draw with it and that the new software can open my old PSD files so I still have Access to all the layers on my old drawings. I still need to find a replacement for Acrobat, but that shouldn’t be very hard. I have about a month until this years subscription is up, so I’ll have to put some serious time toward research this weekend.

[@MikeGastin]

Good luck! Lots of decent options out there. The comments are filled with what others like to use.

[@KoongYe]

So... you felt it was perfectly okay using midjourney because it wasn't your own work getting stolen, but this time, it's outrageous? You are a hypocrite.

[@MikeGastin]

Go watch my follow up vid. I did some soul searching. ;) And, maybe a hypocrite but really, I was just being honest.

[@johnpopiel1128]

I'm so glad I stumbled upon your video. You summed up everything and more of the same feelings and thoughts that have been haunting me for a long time. Funny thing, I recently purchased the Affinity suite of design products and I'm very happy with that decision. I've been (had been) using Adobe products since 1995. Kudos!

[@MikeGastin]

Thanks and all the best!

[@BabingtonCo]

Uncanny timing as my Adobe subscription is set to rise to $60 next month and I can’t afford it. I also so don’t want to pay them to remove the reason I create - for the thrill of a brilliant creative experience. To instead pay Adobe AI to be the creator instead of me is totally boring and absurd. So grateful to hear about affinity. Thanks. My only remaining question is what to do with all the creative work I have stored on the Adobe creative cloud. My finances are really tight for the autumn so I need a cheap solution - definitely not another subscription. And I need it by October when my Adobe CC expires, so any helpful guidance is greatly appreciated.

[@MikeGastin]

Glad you are going to check out Affinity. I am liking more and more. Not sure what the best solution for the cloud is, but I’m sure some research will produce options for you.

[@BabingtonCo]

@@MikeGastin Also would have to replace my 3 interconnected Adobe Portfolio websites AND their free Adobe hosting, so ughhh…. But will explore affinity to see if it covers all my needs. Thnx.!

[@hans45new]

Hi Mike. Didn't know you till now and I'm glad to meet someone that think exactly as I do. I'm 60 years old right now and I've been working with Adobe Products since 1990. I feel extremely disappointed cause I graduated in graphic design in 1987 and left behind all my abilities with pencils, hand drawing, painting, airbrushes, etc to use a computer in a country where everything is much more difficult then anywhere else. Today I'm still using a computer but leaving gradually behind all that stuff that pieces me off, exactly as you said. Sorry if if wrote something wrong but english is not my native language.

[@MikeGastin]

I wish you the best. Not sure if you make your living doing commercial work, but even the process of creation as a hobby is so satisfying. Good luck to you, my experienced friend. And ... don't forget to share your wisdom with the next generations. They need you.

[@KristineDiGrigoli]

The AI is annoying in Photoshop . It constantly covers over what I am working on. I for one like to work and to embrace the challenges. One software to another... Who is to say Adobe won't buy it over? Your thoughts?

[@MikeGastin]

You mean Adobe buys Affinity?

[@yossieven]

what are the alternatives?

[@MikeGastin]

Oh my ... read the comments. Tons and tons of suggestions throughout.

[@davelanciani-dimaensionx]

It's amazing how many things try to "nanny" us. Cars, software, my TV, ... so what software is out there to replace Illustrator, Photoshop, etc., that does as much?

[@MikeGastin]

Look into Affinity.

[@rdgerdes]

Mike, I think you'd really enjoy the book "Why We Drive" by Michael Crawford. It aligns with your thoughts around 17:00.

[@MikeGastin]

Just checked and it looks really good! Added to my list. Thank you!

[@BoredToDeafRecords]

Not to defend Adobe (I loathe them as a company), but... at 3:35 are you talking about the Contextual Task Bar? Just click those 3 dots on the right and choose" hide" (reopen from view menu).

[@MikeGastin]

And the next time the software updates it’s back. No thanks.

[@efsmart]

I’m almost 72 and work for myself after many years owning a design shop and paying for Adobe software. 99% of my work uses features that haven’t changed in 20 years. I asked Adobe, during a phone research interview a few years ago, if they would introduce a suite of cloud software for seniors on their last lap. Silence. I hate (these days anyway) learning new software. I bought the $80 software you mentioned. At the time it was easier to stick with CC. Any thoughts of transition pains?

[@MikeGastin]

I don’t have any advice on the transition. Not sure how you can avoid the pains after using a certain set of tools for most of your life and then having to learn new ones. One thing that helps me is that there are some decent KZbin tutorials to help you learn Affinity.

[@dancinboi89]

I thought their ability to gain access to your IP was through their cloud service, which wouldn’t be an issue if you’re saving to your local hard drive. I never used the cloud to save any of my files with them but am considering what to do since I was about to resubscribe to their service 😅

[@MikeGastin]

I'm not legal or technical expert. However, it does seem like they give themselves latitude to do pretty much whatever they please.

[@dancinboi89]

@@MikeGastin that’s unfortunate to hear. I enjoy their suite of products and have a good promotion waiting for me 😅😅 I’ll have to consider carefully

[@donniecrump]

Why to more people not recommend Corel? I think they are pretty solid and have a perpetual license.

[@MikeGastin]

A number of people have spoken well of it in the comments. Not a lot, but a handful.

[@morganv123]

I'm so ready! I'm already using Resolve (no more premier or after effects!) and like the sound of Affinity as I rely on PS and Illustrator (I can't say AI anymore!). The one tool I'd find it hardest to leave behind is Lightroom as I'm primarily using these for photography. Are there any good alternatives for retouching, developing must most of all for organizing tens of thousands of images?

[@MikeGastin]

Lightroom is a tough one. Lots of suggestions throughout the comments.

[@Underhills]

Wish I could save this to my favorites but the save function is gone.

[@MikeGastin]

You can still make playlists. That's what I do. Just a thought.

[@tomkardy5775]

Mam dokładnie te same przemyślenia, co Pan. Tu chodzi o wolność, nie o narzędzia. W tych czasach to człowiek jest dla narzędzi, nie narzędzia dla człowieka. Thank you and greetings from Poland!

[@MikeGastin]

Hello!

[@lpskywalk]

Very, ver good video about the Problems with Adobe!! What do you recommend instead of Lightroom?

[@MikeGastin]

Lots of suggestions in the comments.

[@DopamineOverload]

Btw, just subscribed. Never really saw any of your videos, but your thoughts here (including about gov't) are on point. New fan.

[@MikeGastin]

That’s awesome! Thank you and welcome aboard. 👍🏼

[@TremorBoria]

You’re right, and I did it. I watched your video this morning and am happy to say I have been Adobe free for 7 hours now. I have the trial Resolve and bought Affinity. Thank you. FeelsGoodMan

[@MikeGastin]

Awesome! And best of luck. It's great to be free.

[@MikeGastin]

BTW, cool channel. I took a quick look. Love your vibe.

[@TremorBoria]

@@MikeGastin Thank you kindly sir. I am very close to downloading CorelDraw Suite. But I am worried I am exchanging one evil for another. lol

[@GeoffreyCavanagh]

Im a retired Video producer and graphic designer who also does photography after 40 years. What options do I have? I still use Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator, After Effects, Acrobat, Premier etc. What can I replace them with, as Adobe is too expensive for me.

[@samuelchapuis7863]

Audition --> Reaper Premier Pro --> DaVinci Resolve Photoshop --> Afinity Photo Illustrator --> Afinity Designer InDesign --> Afinity Publisher Lightroom --> RAW Therapy

[@MikeGastin]

👆🏼

[@MikeGastin]

See the comments here. A ton of options suggested. All the best!

[@Andyhhhdx]

Enjoyed listening to this. I've listened whilst downloading all my Photoshop files (the maximum of 10 at a time which is taking ages) as my subscription ends this month so getting my files before cancelling and moving to different software.

[@MikeGastin]

Haha! All the best!

[@Andyhhhdx]

@@MikeGastin I'll be honest, i've been playing with Davinci Resolve and I'm not liking it at all lol. I know it's going to take some time to get used to it but it's been a rough start :)