KingsGambit
Caldari Knights
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Posted - 2009.11.04 21:33:00 -
[1]
The school I work at has 700 standard desktop PCs around, with a couple of exceptions. Managing them is easy between imaging, SMS and AD. But we have 5 PCs which are totally different hardware set aside for the media dept, for editing films and what not. They weren't supplied by the same people and we never had an image of them. So when one goes wrong, it's a pain in the arse to have to get it all set up again...especially as I would like to take an image this time for the future. Those 5 machines have the Adobe Creative Suite on them and getting it to work proved so much of a headache, I actually called their support dept. 
After almost 15 mins on hold, I run thru several 'security' type questions...waste of time considering I'm not calling about anything that really requires privacy. But anyway, I eventuall explain that After Effects won't start and that my legal serial number won't activate it. After providing him with said details, the man turns around and says they no longer support that product and he couldn't offer any help. WinXP is 8 years old, I mention, and still has a level of support, this software that totals upwards of a grand is less than 2. Can't help you he repeats. I went incredible hulk on the jobsworth, calling both him and his company useless and suggesting that it was this kinda stuff that makes piracy so prevalent. 
That's really the saddest part. Knowing that I could get a pirated version of their software working without any real hassle, and far easier than the genuinely licensed, no-longer-supported, ú1000+ packages we own 5 of. We can't get Acrobat Pro working on our network either, since they're crap software can't handle UNC paths to user folders. Open Office is open source, free and can do the same job without that hassle. I had another reminder when my order for Dragon Age never showed yesterday. The release date it turns out, was pushed back 3 days. Funny that they never told me and in fact, Emailed me the day before to tell me it was on its merry way with next day delivery. But it never showed, I have to wait 3 days...but the illegal version was available since the 2nd.
Software publishers need to really get their stuff together. I'm so vexed with legally bought software that doesn't work or gets delayed when illegal ones work flawlessly. It's obviously not a choice at work, but at home they've got a lot to answer for. And when we next lifecycle that media suite, Adobe can be damned sure we won't be buying from them. I've heard good things about Avid, I'll be looking them up next time I think. 
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