Pirated Software

[John]

I was just wondering if you guys purchase your software or just use pirated copies. Everyone either has access to illegal copies or knows somebody that can get them, whether its your os, antivirus, ect, ect.

I've always used pirated software until now. I just purchased a new system strictly for my business and I figured since I'm making a real go at web development I might as well run my company the right way and pay for my software. I payed for everything, xp pro, office, photoshop, ect.

Just wondering what everyone else thinks of using pirated software.

[KLB]

I run a clean system with all software being properly licensed. Between hardware and software I have around $4,500 - $5,000 tied up in my laptop.

[Emancipator]

I am the same KLB. I have $5k - $6k tied up in my laptop with hardware/software.

[KelliShaver]

All legal stuff here, either paid for (Creative Suite 2) or opensource (various editors).

[Johnny Gulag]

I have MM Studio 8 and Photoshop 7 both legal copies. :)

[deronsizemore]

As much as I hate to admit it, I used to use illegal copies. I never would have gotten the experience I have today if I didn't. There was no way I could afford the stuff I wanted. All legal now though.

Okay, let the bashing begin! :)

[KLB]

I think a lot of people started off with illegitimate copies of software while learning and then switched over to legal stuff later. I'm sure a lot of people could have never gotten a start if they hadn't done this. While they may not really like this, I'm sure software vendors aren't as worried about people who get started this way and eventually switch over to legit licenses because these are customers they might never have if those people hadn't had the opportunity to learn first on pirated copies. The real threat to software companies are people who never buy legal software licenses and have no intention of ever doing it. One group will become paying customers eventually, the second group will never become paying customers unless forced to.

I know personally speaking there are a lot of programs I have bought and use on a regular basis, because I had an opportunity to learn how to use them in college or because of my jobs.

[deronsizemore]

Yeah, there are a lot of software out there now that you almost can't even use pirated. Like Windows XP, Microsoft is getting sneaky with their updates, and when you do automatic updates they've got this Genuine Advantage something or other, that checks your version of XP to see if it's legal. A guy I work with said that they supposedly have some way to basically fudge up your operating system until you pay for a license (don't know if that's true or not).

I know when I got Adobe Creative Suite 2 to this past time they make you get the activation code now or you can only use it for 30 days before it turns off. Which I don't know if there is a hack out there for this or not, but it seemed like a secure way to lock their product up.

[KLB]

I just purchased Adobe CS2 and yes it had to be activated online. It was pretty much an automated process that was really easy, but I do suspect it will cut down on a lot of piracy. The thing that kills me about Adobe products is how god awful expensive they are. They are worse than Microsoft products. I really think Adobe would be doing the consumer and their bottom line a favor by having a more reasonable pricing structure.

I've been wanting to buy the Adobe suite with Photoshop, Illustrator and Acrobat for six years but couldn't aford it. It was still very tramatic to my budget to purchase Adobe CS2, but I was still running a really old version of Photoshop and I really needed Photoshop CS2 to work with graphics I was getting from others. I bought CS2 simply so that I wouldn't have to buy Illustrator and Acrobat seperately later.

I'm sure that if Adobe's suite was more reasonably priced I would have bought it and updates to it on a regular basis just like I do Microsoft Office and Microsoft Windows. I'd say that over the last 12 years I've spent way more on Microsoft's products than Adobe's products simply because I was getting more bang for my buck and saw the value in staying up to date with the latest and greatest version. With Adobe I only want to upgrade when the pain of not upgrading becomes too great.

[KelliShaver]

I used illegal versions of most of the software I use today when I was in college. I was learning, I wasn't making any money off of it. I loved the product and would have bought it if I coudl have, but back then, I just couldn't. When I started using it to make money, that's when I bought the stuff. It didn't feel right morally (much less legally) for me to be making money off of illegal software, not to mention the legal mess it could have gotten me into. I like supporting good software from good companies, and Adobe fits that mold, so I'll keep buying as long as I'm using their programs. (but for the love of god, please please bundle adobe type manager with creative suite!). Of course, being able to purchase upgrades from here on out will help a lot in the money-saving department, too.

[KLB]

You know, I have never liked the software collections Adobe bundles together. For instance a bundle I would want would be Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat, and Premier. I have no use for and did not install GoLive or Version Cue and will probably never really use InDesign that came with CS2. Adobe needs some different suites that really serve the basic needs of web developers who don't do print and would have no use for Adobe's crap web development software GoLive. I've often thought that GoLive was the sorriest excuse for web development software since FrontPage.

[KelliShaver]

Haha. I feel the same way about GoLive and know several others who do as well. Hopefully they will phase it out now that theyv'e acquired Dreamweaver. They now offer a web bundle that includes Flash.

I do use InDesign from time to time, and I can see the usefulness of VersionCue, but it's not something I utilize. I primarily use Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat and Adobe Type Manager (which I had to get seperately).

Prior to their acquisition of Macromedia, they were trying to put out bundles that would serve as all things to all people. Hopefully they will tailor those a little more now, a print bundle and a web bundle, and a general purpose one for people who do both.

[chromate]

When I first started, which was before I even had a credit card, I used to just copy software from friends. All my software is legal now.