An Infuriating Goodbye to Photoshop
A long-time user details their decision to stop using Adobe Photoshop due to frustration with the Creative Cloud subscription model and declining software quality. The author expresses disappointment over the removal of features like Synced Files and the shift toward a web-based interface.
Why it matters
This reflects a growing trend of user dissatisfaction with SaaS (Software as a Service) models and the potential for professional software users to migrate to alternative, non-subscription tools.
I’ve been using Photoshop since the mid-90s. First at school, with Photoshop 3, then through work. I bought my first boxed copy of CS2 in 2005, then upgraded to CS5 in 2010. I subscribed to Photoshop Creative Cloud on day one. Today, I uninstalled it. I hope I never have to use Adobe software ever again.
Photoshop used to be a joy to use. Whenever I got access to an upgraded version, I’d always have fun exploring the new features. I got really good at using it. When Adobe launched the Creative Cloud version of Photoshop in 2013, I signed up immediately. The subscription meant I would always have an up-to-date Photoshop, and I loved the idea that new features would be rolled out more frequently.
But over time things started getting worse. Slowly at first, but then much more quickly.
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