Adobe Creative Suite for Linux?

[geosite]

In How Adobe can stop Microsoft, John C. Dvorak says Adobe should stop running from Microsoft and fight back. I agree.

He says a winning strategy would be to make Creative Suite compatible with Linux. My first reaction was "Hooray!"

However, in Dvorak Has Right Idea, Wrong Platform John Martellaro argues that Linux's 1% market share makes it a ridiculous weapon to use against Microsoft. He argues that Apple and Adobe should stop feuding and team up against Microsoft.

That makes some sense. However, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Linux. It's no secret that Microsoft is afraid of Linux - and for good reason.

But here's the interesting part: What if CS Linux boosted Linux's popularity?

In fact, I dreamed of switching to Linux for years before I finally opted for a Mac. One reason I couldn't use Linux is that I'm addicted to Dreamweaver and Photoshop.

I have few regrets. My Mac is the best computer I've ever owned. You couldn't pay me to go back to Windoze.

But imagine being able to buy a PC with Linux installed for $500 AND being able to install CS on it. Talk about stimulating competition.

A couple big questions...

1) Can Adobe afford the cost of porting CS over to a platform that has just 1% market share?

2) What kind of growth curve would Linux experience if it was matched with CS Linux?

In fact, I've seen many requests for a Dreamweaver/Linux version on the Macromedia/Dreamweaver forum.

Anyway, I thought this idea deserves a poll. Rather than make it a simple one-question / two-option poll ("Would you switch to Linux CS?"), I decided to make it a little more detailed.

[geosite]

P.S. I haven't even decided how to vote yet.

Since I've already invested in a Mac (and Adobe Creative Suite), it wouldn't make much sense for me to shell out more money for CS-Linux, whether on a separate computer or Parallels.

On the other hand, if I was still on a PC, I would now have two choices, and CS-Linux might motivate me to choose Linux over Apple. It would be a win-win situation.

Then again, I like to have two computers, and I'd be tempted to pick up an inexpensive PC running Linux. Then, if I could scrape together enough money for CS-Linux...

I may need a few minutes to decide how to vote.

[TheOriginalH]

So odd, I was just coming on to write a speculative thread of the same nature.

Historically, I would have said that there's no chance Adobe would release CS for Linux (PS in particular) because of the prevailing view that all Linux users are only interested in "Free" software, meaning that there's no profit in it for them, ergo no point. An understandable and compelling (albeit wrong, at least in my case) position.

However, I just noticed that they are developing Air and Flex Linux offerings, and have actually joined the Linux Foundation. Change may well be in the air and that's damn exciting for me!

[RetroNetro]

I have never really used a mac in a actual work environment, just played with a friends a time or 2. I am mainly a windows user (XP), I also have Vista on my laptop and I've got no major complaints. In fact, I like it better than XP in some aspects (though this is mainly for the eye candy) It makes XP seem primitive to me after using it for awhile.

Now back on topic.

I also have a linux comp (xubuntu) and it is really cool, I am very intrigued by it. I would like to try other distributions but just have not at this point. The main problem is that I know next to nothing about linux (or windows for that matter) and am finding it harder to pick up than I had imagined (though I do not spend as much time as I'd like learning more).

I have tried Wine but it just did not seem like it was the same for me. Other than Adobe products (Flash/Fireworks), and my ignorance. I see no reason I would not switch over to linux completely if they were available.

[TheOriginalH]

Ben, give Linux Mint a go if you get the chance. Based largely on Ubuntu (as is Xubuntu - just a different desktop interface, XFCE vs Gnome), it includes much of the stuff deliberately left out of x/ubuntu for the sake of retaining the "free software" mantle. VERY easy to use, and the subject of this very thread is the only reason it isn't my exclusive development environment.

As long as the public are using Windows (and OSX for that matter), I think I'll always keep machines handy for testing on those platforms, but prefer a more stable, less cludgy and ultimately more controllable environment for myself.

(I agree with you about the Vista eye candy btw - it's just a shame it comes at the expense of performance on lower end machines )

[wwb_99]

I doubt if Adboe will come anywhere near break even. People on Linux generally don't pay for desktop software--kind of goes against the whole free software principal. That isn't to say they are not supporting linux. Rather, they are focusing on the server products (CF, Flex) as well as the web-based stuff such as AIR. Worrying about desktop platform is so 20th century.