chemprof Offline Upload & Sell: On
|
Glenn01 wrote:
Well, I'm not sure I agree that PS doesn't contribute to photography/photographs/photographers. Much of what we do in there has a lot to do with those. I prefer stevenrk's comments on this, letting US the end user, decide what works best for us. If nothing else, a little goodwill can end up making more money than a money-grab (which this really isn't, but it can look like it, and appearances are everything in business).
I've mentioned the word monopoly, and I do think it applies because if we HAVE to use NC, then we HAVE to have NC and anything else is just extra. That perhaps that is my biggest concern, as I'm not definitely saying that I would not use NC even if ACR does become fully D2X compatible. Classic case in point (bear with me - this is a tad long, but I think applicable). I work (my 'real' job - i.e. the one that allows me to buy a D2X and then go sell my photos later ) is as an Avionics Technician (Aircraft electronics and instrumentation systems). My particular field is with certain specialized components out of the De Havilland/Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft. In the past couple of years, regulations and enforcement of those has become much more stringent with respect to what components go into the units I work on. I'm talking electronic components such as IC's, transistors, even fancy handset cords. Prior to the enhancement of the reg's, we would often find out where a manufacturer bought their IC's and whatnot that went into these units, and we'd buy direct from the mfg of those components. I'll list 2 examples: 1) a particular IC that controls whether the lamps are bright or dim (at the pilot's command) on a Caution Panel (shows if there is a failure in the aircraft somewhere). 2) Handset cords - when the Flight Attendant talks to you over the interphone, this is the cord that runs between the handset and the base unit - basically this is a fancy, 5 conductor phone cord, but nothing more than that. OK, before the reg enhancements, we'd buy these components for about $30 USD (both the IC and phone cord). The manufacturers got together and put pressure on the governments to disallow this practice, making it so that we'd have to buy from the UNIT manufacturer rather than the manufacturer of the component. In 90% of the cases, we are talking about the EXACT same component. Not even the number stamped on the component was changed. The only difference was, now that component has to be obtained from the unit manufacturer, not the component manufacturer. For the first year after that, there was a slight increase in cost, but not a huge amount. This, 2 years later now, is when the 'monopoly' has really taken hold though. By law we can ONLY put parts in from the unit manufacturer, even though they are completely identical to the component manufacturer. The prices now that there is a complete monopoly? That $30 USD phone cord? $1250.00 USD. That IC? $1495.00 USD. Imagine, a 5 conductor phone cord with a connector at one end and bare wires at the other, $1250 USD. And that is OUR cost! We have to make a profit too.
You see why I worry about the potential for a monopoly? It probably wouldn't get to that extreme obviously, but if I'm laying out $6100 Cdn for a camera, I think I should have SOME say in how I process it. Who's to say that at some point NC won't be $800 Cdn like PS CS, yet still not as fully functional. I'd be going back to film if that were the case (and to a different manufacturer to boot).
Nikon might well 'protect their rights', but at what cost?
Glenn...Show more →
You are correct, Glenn. It IS scary. However, Nikon is merely countering ADOBE's attempt to monopolize, NOT the other way around. Nikon is making a mistake, no doubt, but it's ADOBE that's the real problem, here, NOT Nikon. You must look at the bigger picture. Is there anyone out there that is NOT using PS at all Ask yourself this question, then rethink who has the monopoly!!!
Gerald
|