Pros/Cons of PS Student Edition?

cab.in.boston

So far the only software I've used on my images is the stuff that came with my D90, which amounts to the basic (and very limited) file transfer and ViewNX applications. I am currently working on a masters degree and will finish in May, thus I qualify for the student version of the Adobe software. This means I can get PS CS4 Extended and Lightroom 2 for $298. Seems like a pretty decent deal to me, considering the list prices for these programs.

As I understand it, the student versions are not limited versions of the software, they're just cheaper for students and you are only allowed to use them on one machine, and can only buy one copy. Anybody out there who can confirm this? I assume that if I were to upgrade my PC, I could move the license to a new computer, just can't have more than one at a time? What about future versions of PS? Will I have to pay the full purchase price at that time if I wish to upgrade, or am I still eligible for upgrade prices? Basically I'm wondering if anyone has purchased student editions and if I'm painting myself into a corner doing this, or is it really as good a deal as it seems?

Thanks!

Art Scott

if you are speaking of ACADEMIC VERSION as opposed to retail version.....yes they are the same with the Academic being a lot less expensive for anyone with proper credentials for an academic purchase.........

If you can legally buy an academic version then I would suggest you do it.

Thunder Rabbit

Howdy.

I have a kid in grade school, qualifying me for student discounts. I got Lr and Ps both at deep discounts. They are fully functional. You can even download then free trial versions and then later buy them at student price. The serial number you get will be valid on on your trial version.

Andy

Thunder Rabbit wrote:

Howdy.

I have a kid in grade school, qualifying me for student discounts. I got Lr and Ps both at deep discounts. They are fully functional. You can even download then free trial versions and then later buy them at student price. The serial number you get will be valid on on your trial version.

And where did you buy this?

http://www.adobe.com/education/students/studentedition/faq.html

cab.in.boston

OK, so it seems as if it really is just a good deal. I am a registered graduate student, and since the Adobe Education store doesn't require that the software actually be purchased for use as a student, I guess I qualify. That's what I've been thinking, I just needed to verify. Seems like CS4 and LR2 are on my Xmas list.

Thunder Rabbit

Howdy.

If my memory serves me correctly, I got them from Creation Engine at creationengine.com.

Lr: 98.00
Ps: 299.00

I sent them a report card proving our son was a student, and that was that.

What I liked, is although I downloaded the trial version, which had the latest updates, I got a hard copy of the program, just in case. I just plugged the serial number from the hard copy into the opening screen of the trial version, and I was good to go.

Couldn't be happier.

Andy

Thunder Rabbit wrote:

Howdy.

If my memory serves me correctly, I got them from Creation Engine at creationengine.com.

Lr: 98.00
Ps: 299.00

I sent them a report card proving our son was a student, and that was that.

What I liked, is although I downloaded the trial version, which had the latest updates, I got a hard copy of the program, just in case. I just plugged the serial number from the hard copy into the opening screen of the trial version, and I was good to go.

Couldn't be happier.

To my knowledge, these aren't legit licenses. Can you show me on the Adobe site where it says kids in grade school qualify for this?

Thunder Rabbit

Howdy.

Gee, Andy.

I gave you the website where I bought it. I didn't know I was responsible for vetting it with Adobe. As a matter of fact, I know I'm not. Do your own detective work.

Fred Maurer

http://www.adobe.com/education/purchasing/qualify.html

What do you think?

BradfordBenn

Also one of the differences between the full license and student license if I remember correctly is that the student license is not for profit. In other words if you are doing work for hire/pay you are expected to purchase the full license.

Thunder Rabbit

Howdy.

I purchased Lr2 from Creation Engine in good faith. I even called to double check that the discount was legitimate. I supplied the documentation they asked for, and they sent me the product. If the discount was applied inappropriately, it's a matter between Adobe and Creation Engine. And if I felt that this was some kind of shady deal, why would I post the details on DGrin?

My conscience is clear.

Andy

Thunder Rabbit wrote:

Howdy.

Gee, Andy.

I gave you the website where I bought it. I didn't know I was responsible for vetting it with Adobe. As a matter of fact, I know I'm not. Do your own detective work.

Lee, take it easy - we get these websites listed here all the time, unwittingly by folks just like you ... I need to know that the deal is legit if we're going to let this stand on Dgrin - or else we'll remove the mention, to be fair to Adobe.

That's all.
I'm not accusing you of anything.

ChrisN

Andy wrote:

To my knowledge, these aren't legit licenses. Can you show me on the Adobe site where it says kids in grade school qualify for this?

I checked out the link that Fred posted and here is what is says on the Adobe site:

"Qualified examples

Qualified individuals who acquire Educational Software Products for their own personal use but not for further distribution or transfer and who have presented to reseller Appropriate Identification of current status as:
Students enrolled in grades K–12 at an accredited public or private primary or secondary school providing full-time instruction"

Also from their FAQ at http://www.adobe.com/education/students/studentedition/faq.html:

"Can a Student Edition also be used for commercial purposes?
In North America, Student Edition software can be used for commercial purposes"

and

"How many computers can I use a Student Edition on?
A Student Edition license can be installed on up to two computers (for example, a desktop and laptop)."

It sounds legit to me as long as the purchase is for a qualified individual and I applaud Adobe for being so generous on their terms. When I was in High School we used Adobe software and I can imagine that there are many students with legitimate uses for it.

Thunder Rabbit

Howdy.

Hi, Chris. Thanks for taking the time to actually get the facts.

Zanotti

Andy wrote:

To my knowledge, these aren't legit licenses. Can you show me on the Adobe site where it says kids in grade school qualify for this?

Adobe has changed the school requirements over time. At one time, all students regardless of age would qualify. Recently with CS4, Adobe has asked that students be "higher grade" instead of any grade.

Some Adobe products have any student, and some have this higher education requirement.

This of course contributes to the confusion, as you may have at one time qualified, but no longer do (or in my case, the kids got older and still qualified.)

As far as I can tell, the product operation is identical - quite a savings for qualified individuals and good marketing by Adobe to bring new users into the fold.

Z

Andy

Thunder Rabbit wrote:

Howdy.

Hi, Chris. Thanks for taking the time to actually get the facts.

Rabbit - I got your several pms, and this post, too - I'll say it again, to be perfectly clear- this is NOT ABOUT YOU

We've had numerous threads on dgrin about non-legit software links. I'm just being cautious.

Please, this isn't about you.

Thank you for understanding.

davev

Probably to late for this, but don't buy lightroom.

Adobe is offering the beta version of lightroom 3.

From their site: You can download the beta and use it until the product expires. The current Lightroom 3 public beta will expire on April 30, 2010.

Another thing I believe with the educational versions, I don't think you can upgrade them.
So instead of buying Lightroom 2, and not be able to upgrade to 3 when it comes out,
download Lightroom 3 beta, use it til the end of April, then buy the educational verion of 3.

I found out about this deal 3 weeks after I bought the educational version of LR2.:cry

(I am a night school instructor and qualified for this version)

kdog

Thunder Rabbit wrote:

I have a kid in grade school, qualifying me for student discounts.

I think that qualifies YOUR KID for a student discount, not you. If you're using the copy you bought for you kid, then you're defrauding Adobe.

Regards,
-joel

davev

kdog wrote:

I think that qualifies YOUR KID for a student discount, not you. If you're using the copy you bought for you kid, then you're defrauding Adobe.

Regards,
-joel

Really. Does this really need to go there?
A person in the house, BOUGHT the program and installed in on a computer.
Why can't anyone in the house use it?
If you have 4 people using a computer, do you need to buy 4 licenses of Windows?

Lighten up, or no one will ever ask another question here.

cab.in.boston

davev wrote:

Probably to late for this, but don't buy lightroom.

Not too late, I haven't ordered anything yet. Thanks for the notice!

davev wrote:

Another thing I believe with the educational versions, I don't think you can upgrade them.
So instead of buying Lightroom 2, and not be able to upgrade to 3 when it comes out,
download Lightroom 3 beta, use it til the end of April, then buy the educational verion of 3.

I found out about this deal 3 weeks after I bought the educational version of LR2.:cry

This is one of the things I wanted to know! Although, when I look on the Educational Store on Adobe's site, they specifically name CS4 as "Student Edition" but they do not call LR2 by any such label. I would guess the indication of Educational status is in the license?

So, if I purchase the Student Edition of CS4, when the time comes to upgrade to CS5 (or 6 if I skip a generation), then I will not qualify for the upgrade price, and then have to purchase a full version? This won't stop me from buying Student Edition now and saving the few hundred $$$, but I am curious about future upgrades.

kdog

davev wrote:

Really. Does this really need to go there?
A person in the house, BOUGHT the program and installed in on a computer.
Why can't anyone in the house use it?
If you have 4 people using a computer, do you need to buy 4 licenses of Windows?

Lighten up, or no one will ever ask another question here.

Personally I wouldn't have a problem with a shared computer situation, if that's really the case. It's kind of a gray area I think. However, if you're the primary user of the software, and you're not the student, then it's clearly wrong. Realistically, I think it's a rare case that a serious photographer, or especially a professional one, does his work on a shared family computer with elementary school age kids in the house. Let's be honest here.

And why would discussing the ethics of using student discounts scare anybody away?

-joel

BeachBill

davev wrote:

Another thing I believe with the educational versions, I don't think you can upgrade them.

I purchased the educational version of CS2 while attending an adult education class on photoshop a few years ago and can tell you that the educational versions do qualify for upgrade pricing, at least as of a few months ago when I got CS4.

I also seem to remember that Adobe recently added a new classification of "student edition" which has different licensing terms than the "educational version" and I see that the subject of this thread is "student edition" so my comments may not apply.

Okay, so curiosity got to me... I decided to check the link posted earlier and I found this...

Can I upgrade from a Student Edition?
Yes, a Student Edition can be upgraded to a commercial version.

Thunder Rabbit

Howdy folks.

Hi, Davey.

Clearly, I'm no authority, but I'm pretty sure there is really no such thing as "student versions", only student discounts. I couldn't find any reference to "student versions" on the Adobe website. Just student discounts. Nowhere on the box, disc, or software itself does it indicate it is a "student" version. It's just plain old LR2. And I'm also pretty sure it's upgradeable. If I'm in error here, I'm sure there is someone eager to correct me, and I welcome it. I'm all about the facts.

Hi, KDog. Not only am I perpetrating a fraud, my mother wears army shoes.

And now, having admitted that I am a scoundrel and a bounder whose mother has poor fashion sense, I'd like to offer some observations. Adobe offers student discounts to kids in kindergarten, and at the same time explicitly states it's OK to use the product professionally. Are you trying to tell me that Adobe has visions of five and six year olds running around shooting weddings and such? I kinda doubt it. But it is funny to think about. Kinda like this thread. It's getting more comical by the moment.

And Christopher does use Ps quite a bit. He loves it. Only he calls it "Paint Shop", because the icon he clicks to open it has the letters Ps, and the only tool he uses right now is the paint brush. I expect Adobe is delighted that he is being exposed to their excellent products at such an early age.

And yes, I do have only one computer in the house, and yes, he does have access to it. I'm not a big time photographer. I'm small potatoes. Actually, more like a potato chip. Maybe Adobe recognizes that guys like me with families need a break.

In closing, I'd like to thank you guys for all the chuckles. But Davey is right. I'll think more than twice before I try and be helpful around here again.

No hard feelings. Just don't need the hassle.

cab.in.boston

kdog wrote:

Personally I wouldn't have a problem with a shared computer situation, if that's really the case. It's kind of a gray area I think. However, if you're the primary user of the software, and you're not the student, then it's clearly wrong. Realistically, I think it's a rare case that a serious photographer, or especially a professional one, does his work on a shared family computer with elementary school age kids in the house. Let's be honest here.

And why would discussing the ethics of using student discounts scare anybody away?

-joel

So what about my case? I'm a graduate student and thereby qualify for the discount. However, I'm also a full-time professional (engineer, not photographer) who in theory could pay the full price. I do not need PS for school and won't use it at all in that context, but I am a student and by their rules I am entitled to the discount. I will be most likely the primary user of the s/w (my wife will use it as well, and maybe my children someday when they are older). Would I be defrauding Adobe as well by taking advantage of the reduced pricing?

kdog

cab.in.boston wrote:

So what about my case? I'm a graduate student and thereby qualify for the discount. However, I'm also a full-time professional (engineer, not photographer) who in theory could pay the full price. I do not need PS for school and won't use it at all in that context, but I am a student and by their rules I am entitled to the discount. I will be most likely the primary user of the s/w (my wife will use it as well, and maybe my children someday when they are older). Would I be defrauding Adobe as well by taking advantage of the reduced pricing?

Beats me. If it's not spelled out by Adobe, then let your conscience be your guide.

-joel

Ken K

Just to offer up some more information from the Adobe educational site:
http://www.adobe.com/education/students/studentedition/faq.html

What are Student Editions?
Student Editions are the same full version of the commercial software, priced at discounts for college students.

Who can purchase and use the Student Editions?
Only full- or part-time students enrolled at a higher education establishment, defined as an accredited public or private university or a college that grants degrees requiring not less than the equivalent of two (2) years of study, or students enrolled at an accredited public or private school providing full-time instruction are eligible.

Which products are available as Student Edition software?
Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 Design Premium, Creative Suite 4 Design Standard, Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, Creative Suite 4 Web Premium, and Photoshop® CS4 Extended software are offered in Student Editions.

Andy,
Seems clear that this is not intended for purchase for use by a student in grade K-12. If you are a faculty member teaching grades K-12 then you qualify.

kdog

Ken K wrote:

Which products are available as Student Edition software?
Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 Design Premium, Creative Suite 4 Design Standard, Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, Creative Suite 4 Web Premium, and Photoshop® CS4 Extended software are offered in Student Editions.

Notice there's no mention of LightRoom here. And yet, CreationEngine sells a LR2 with an Academic discount here: http://www.creationengine.com/html/p.lasso?p=15017

cab.in.boston

Ken K wrote:

Just to offer up some more information from the Adobe educational site:
http://www.adobe.com/education/students/studentedition/faq.html

What are Student Editions?
Student Editions are the same full version of the commercial software, priced at discounts for college students.

Who can purchase and use the Student Editions?
Only full- or part-time students enrolled at a higher education establishment, defined as an accredited public or private university or a college that grants degrees requiring not less than the equivalent of two (2) years of study, or students enrolled at an accredited public or private school providing full-time instruction are eligible.

Which products are available as Student Edition software?
Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 Design Premium, Creative Suite 4 Design Standard, Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, Creative Suite 4 Web Premium, and Photoshop® CS4 Extended software are offered in Student Editions.

Andy,
Seems clear that this is not intended for purchase for use by a student in grade K-12. If you are a faculty member teaching grades K-12 then you qualify.

I disagree. The section I underlined says that any student at an accredited school qualifies. I think a previous poster was correct in that they can't expect a grade schooler to purchase it themselves, but a parent of a grade schooler could buy it for household use. That's how I understand the policy.

From Adobe's Eligibility page:

Adobe wrote:

Other individual end user purchases — eligibility

Qualified examples

* Qualified individuals who acquire Educational Software Products for their own personal use but not for further distribution or transfer and who have presented to reseller Appropriate Identification of current status as:
o Students enrolled in grades K–12 at an accredited public or private primary or secondary school providing full-time instruction
o Full- or part-time students enrolled at a higher education institution defined as an accredited public or private university or college (including community, junior, or vocational college) that grants degrees requiring not less than the equivalent of two (2) years of full-time study
o Full- or part-time faculty and staff employed by an accredited K–12 or higher education institution
o Other qualified examples as listed by Adobe from time to time on its website or in other written communication

They may not specifically list LR as a "Student Edition," but on Adobe's Educational Store page, they offer LR2 at a deep discount.

Art Scott

Adobe has really been great about their academic versions.....nothing was ever disabled....unlike a lot of software companies that sell you partially disabled software and the disabled parts are always the most need part of the software.....most need right after the edit and save as ...features............

The original Genuine Fractals from Lizard Tech was the same....the Academic Version was the full retail version....it was the only uprezing software that did not have part of its features disabled......and I am still upgrading every 2 or 3 versions as they come out.........

kdog

cab.in.boston wrote:

They may not specifically list LR as a "Student Edition," but on Adobe's Educational Store page, they offer LR2 at a deep discount.

Note that at the top of that page it says, "Higher Ed Students". Clear as mud, eh?

cab.in.boston

kdog wrote:

Note that at the top of that page it says, "Higher Ed Students". Clear as mud, eh?

True. But if you click "Teachers and K-12 Students" on the right-hand side of the page, it takes you to another page of the Education store, where PS CS4 Extended is $299 but LR2 is still $99. So CS4 for college students is $199, and $299 for K-12 students.

My guess is that Adobe figures most college students who will take advantage of this pricing are buying it for themselves, so they sell the "Student Editions" of s/w like CS4 Extended for cheaper than the price they offer K-12 students. They must figure that K-12 students are not purchasing it themselves, but they still want to give parents a break when they buy s/w for the kids to use for school. Either way, it is indeed generous of Adobe to do this, plus it gets more customers entrenched in the Adobe camp, hopefully (from their perspective) for life! From my standpoint, I don't like stealing software, so I have declined a few times already when people have offered me their questionably obtained PS licenses, but OTOH, the full version of these software packages is not in my budget (and if it were, I'd probably divert those funds for new glass). So I will gladly take advantage of the student edition pricing, since I qualify under their policy...

You're right, the rules do seem to be rather muddy at best.