I think the last time I was this angry about a software pricing scheme it was when movable type started charging — that really pushed a generation of folks into the wordpress camp for good. my bet is that we could be watching the decline of adobe. and not for nothing for you folks looking to start a business the entire adobe product line is waiting to be disrupted — the time may be right for a Photoshop or an InDesign killer. The entire CS line is bloatware at this point...
Why do we need a Photoshop or InDesign killer? I have never heard any designers complain about Photoshop, or any of the top Adobe products (Illustrator, InDesign, Fireworks) for that matter. Flash is definitely on it's way out, but Adobe isn't going anywhere.
As a graphic designer with many designer colleagues & friends, I can tell you that we complain bitterly about Adobe software.
Since they purchased Macromedia, their tools have stagnated in features and yet somehow managed to get slower. That, plus their high price is reason enough to hope for a viable competitor.
