Affinity's One Time Purchase an Alternative for Adobe's Subscription Scheme

I wrote an opinion piece on why I believe Adobe has gone too far. I can understand that Adobe was pirated (and it's almost close to impossible to combat piracy in developing countries, mind you). However, I believe that this practice might encourage more piracy in the long run. I was looking at Adobe's plans and my goodness, I have to pay every month to use it. Can a student or a teacher seriously afford the terms and services? Paying USD 20.00 a month for Photoshop would be equivalent to PHP 1162.48 per month. As I was shocked at the subscription-only model--I decided to buy an Affinity license from Microsoft. I could care less if I had to buy a license now digitally. It's still worth it buying it at one shot (and buying additional content later, that is content that I want) instead of having to pay Photoshop per month.

I wonder if Adobe was intoxicated by its past successes. Adobe became a well-known name. I took a short-term course called Associate in Computer Science back in the early 2000s--at the University of San Carlos-Talamban Campus. In my second year (and the graduating year), we were taught basic multimedia. One of the many things we were taught was to use Adobe Photoshop. It was those "simpler times" and also slower Internet connection. The Internet was still considered a luxury in those times. Today, with DSL I can use the landline and the Internet at the same time! I used Adobe Photoshop enamored by its features that Microsoft Paint never had. Fortunately, Microsoft Paint evolved with the use of layers like Photoshop and Affinity Photo does. Photoshop was even used as a verb by Cebuanos. Cebuanos would say, "Well, it was Photoshopped!" like Kodak was associated with photography. I feel that yes--Adobe got intoxicated by its past success.

Customers are willing to pay more. However, make the customer pay too much and it can become extortion. It's understandable if a restaurant's items get more expensive due to operating hours and ambiance. Coffee shops are more expensive because of their ingredients and operating costs. Coffee from Starbucks isn't the same as coffee from the school canteen. Coffee shops are meeting places, which may slow down turnover rate. Most restaurants are, "You eat and you go." Coffee shops are different. Paying for a meal in the coffee shop also means paying for a meeting place too. I could understand if there's a subscription model for pro users. They need all those extensive features. However, not all who use graphics software are professional users.

I bought the Affinity License for around PHP 3,000+. It would be worth it because I'd use that software only as a hobby. I used Photoshop before only as a hobby or when I needed to use it. Affinity Photo would have that same purpose for me. In short, Affinity has become a substitute for those who find Adobe too expensive. Yes, it can be too expensive when you're not a professional graphic artist needing all the updates and features! I'm not a professional graphic artist. That means I'm better off with Affinity over Adobe then.

COMMUNIST Vietnam Has Defeated DEMOCRATIC Philippines Again This 2025

Cổng thông tin Trung ương Đoàn TNCS Hồ Chí Minh A few days ago, I wrote about warning Filipinos that they shouldn't wait for more unmitigated typhoon disasters, before realizing that the Filipino First Policy isn't working ! There's a statement that says, "Just because being tanga (inattentive) is libre (free), doesn't mean you should be tanga!" Analyzing the different policies: why policies matter I found a Business World article, written by Cesar Polvorosa, Jr., on my Facebook news feed discussing the Vietnamese economy . In fact, it would be better to share some hard truths that the article offers about what really went wrong with the democratic Philippines compared to Communist Vietnam : DIVERGENT ECONOMIC MODELS Vietnam pursued an export-oriented manufacturing strategy which has proven significantly more successful over the past half century than the Philippines’ service-heavy, remittances-dependent model . Export performance alone tells a compe...

The OFW Working Abroad and Their Family on Christmas

It's a few days before Christmas. I don't like December because of heavy traffic, some people prefer Christmas shopping at the last minute (since procrastination is a common habit in the Philippines), the stress of year-end work, and December is the end of the year's cycle. I decided to write this entry. There's nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas or having a good time. The problem comes when one celebrates beyond one's means (read here ). That means having extravagant Christmas parties that require a music band that one can't afford, inviting the whole village, etc. when one can't afford it. Speaking of which, these incidents remind me of OFW families. I remember a study presented at the University of San Carlos. If I remember correctly, it was done by accounting students. It was a study showing the spending habits of OFW families. Outstanding Filipinos Worldwide Facebook Page Here's a meme on Facebook that I found. For the sake of non-Tagalog spea...

Having the BADLY NEEDED Tenacity to Hold My PSEi Related Investments During INEVITABLE Paper Losses

I decided to do a portfolio review, especially because Christmas to New Year is around the corner . I thought about checking my AXA Chinese Tycoon Fund. For the sake of confidentiality , I wouldn't give out the exact loss. I was tempted to sell my AXA Chinese Tycoon Fund (which was at a paper loss , not an actual loss) and go for cryptocurrency . However, after looking at the ghost of Quadriga-CX Crypto Scam made I said, "I need to stick to what Warren Buffett said about the stock market." Buffett's advice doesn't require an MBA or even a PhD in business administration to understand them. Instead, I was looking at these lessons that Buffett such as: If I'm not willing to open to own a stock for 10 minutes, I shouldn't think of owning it for ten years! Definitely no day trading for me! The stock market is a device that transfers money from impatient people to patient people. I have to be more patient as the stock market inevitably corrects itself, unless t...

Economics 101: Pre-Colonial Philippine Natives Already Did Business with Foreigners

Art by Hugo Yunzon It's finally August or Buwan Ng Wika (Month of the Language), though it may be better to call it Buwan Ng Kultura (Month of the Culture). Buwan Ng Wika programs tend to focus more on the uniqueness of several types of Filipino people. What I recall back in my high school days (late 1990s) is how I was asked to play an "American" in a Buwan Ng Wika program. There were also other people asked to portray the Chinese traders, Arab traders, Indian traders, and the Japanese occupation. It would be good to do a review of the pre-colonial Philippines. The name Philippines was derived from the Spanish king, King Philip. Back then, the natives were called Indios which sounds very similar to Indonesia . Yes, most Filipinos are either Malay or Indo. A look at the Indonesians and Malaysians would have one mistake them for Filipinos. A note is that the Chinese population there usually speaks Hokkien. From Purdue Filpino --here's some basic information about Fili...

Are People Who Insist That Workers Own the Means of Production Be Willing to Open a Business Where Workers Own the Means of Production?

Last 2022, I wrote two articles on the means of production. One article I wrote refutes the idea that workers, not the business owners, own the means of production . Another article discussed whether or not anti-capitalists have no choice because capitalists own the means of production . The other day, I wrote a dare where I want people who insist on #SahodItaasPresyoIbaba economics (higher salaries, lower prices) to open stores that operate on that mindset . I'm afraid that what I wrote was merely the tip of the iceberg . With that in mind, I'd like to ask people who say that the workers own the means of production to open a business, where the workers own the means of production. What's their reasoning behind the logic that the workers own the means of production? The common logic is that because the workers did all the hard work they own the production. They say that the businessman can die but not the workers. It's because according to these smart alecks--it's b...

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