Adobe’s earnings today can give clues to Apple’s Mac sales

“Even if you’re not a heavy user of its Photoshop software, or even an investor in its stock, it might be a good idea to watch this afternoon’s earnings announcement from Adobe Systems (ADBE),” Jon Fortt blogs for Business 2.0.

“Adobe’s expensive Creative Suite often provides hints about how well Apple’s (AAPL) most expensive systems are doing in the marketplace. That’s because the print and online designers who are the major buyers of CS3 are also the core audience for Apple’s Mac Pro and MacBook Pro. If CS3 is doing better than expected, that probably means Apple’s Mac hardware margins are doing well, too,” Fortt writes.

Full article here.

37 Comments

  1. I think the sales of CS3 for the Mac are going to disappoint.

    Why else would Apple start switching their entire line to glossy displays to attract the consumer user market?

    I think Apple is kissing off the professional and enterprise market for their products. Last big fling was the PowerMac G5 for supercomputers.

  2. Pete in Houston. Why would you think that? Where would you be thinking the professional market is going to go for their computers? They were core Apple users in the past. Now, with newer, more powerful machines there is only more reason to use Apple products.

  3. Well it also could be that CS3 and it’s upgrades are so darn expensive that a lot of graphic shops stick with a older version and a older OS like Jaguar/Panther.

    Just keep the Mac’s off the internet to eliminate security issues.

    Of course the new Intel Mac’s may eventually have to be connected to the internet in order to run CS3.

    I don’t know because we are still on “9”. It works what the hell?

    Companies don’t like change if things are working just fine. So really CS3 sales doesn’t neccesary reflect Mac sales in the graphic industry as it’s resistant to change.

    Most of the time it’s the artist which demand new upgrades for features, but Adobe really hasn’t delivered anything new. Just some glossed over new gimmicks not many people really use.

    Apple has switched around a lot, even Intel processors so it’s basically a PC now. Windows works fine if it’s off the internet, the cd drive removed and the ports filled with superglue. ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />

  4. Pete.

    Your are reaching dude. Get some coffee and chill.

    iMac’s are consumer products, they are glossy.

    MBP are both Pro and Consumer, so there is a choice.

    MP are Consumer so they are glossy.

    Cinema displays are due for a refresh and I would guess the glossy will be an option as well.

    My 2 Cents.

  5. Our shop passed on CS2 and we still have not bought CS3 either. Truth be told, CS is still doing a great job for us on dual proc G4 machines. This does not mean we’re not buying Apple machines, we have several Intel based including a recent Mac Pro Quad.

    We JUST DON’T NEED EXPENSIVE BUGGY ADOBE BLOATWARE!

  6. @ Pete

    “Why else would Apple start switching their entire line to glossy displays to attract the consumer user market?”

    This is not true. Only consumer level machines (iMacs & Macbooks) have glossy-only screens. It’s an option with MacBook Pros and currently there are only matte screens on standalone monitors. Glossy may be offered on pro hardware, but I’m sure matte will always be available.

    “I don’t know because we are still on “9”. It works what the hell?”

    Your competition running OS X will be running circle around you. Time to upgrade.

  7. I thought that apostrophes (‘) were for indicating possessive rather than plural.

    Would you like fry’s with that?

    How many tire’s do you have on your car’s?

    How many computer’s (Mac’s) do you have?

    MW: letter – the letter of the law

  8. I think the entire U.S. economy will fail because of Apple’s new glossy screens. I put tin foil on all of my windows and dug a tunnel out to a bunker in my back yard through the basement. This glossy thing is bad. Real bad. I suggest you all go out and get shovels, duct tape and sheets of plastic to protect yourselves.

  9. I really think this news is going to be bad. I think Apple has been losing the war in their own graphic backyard.

    After all Apple is being sued over the low quality of the displays and the new AL iMac actually has less graphic performance than earlier versions.

  10. Don’t forget the glossy screens. Apple is losing the war on the matte front as well. Apple shoving glossy screens and weak graphics subsystems down our throats is playing right into Dell’s hands. Just when you thought we were coming out of it…

  11. “Why else would Apple start switching their entire line to glossy displays to attract the consumer user market?”

    Unreal. How on earth can you even remotely correlate one thing here to another? It’s amazing the lengths people will go to in order to piss on the Apple story.

  12. The pro market for macs is extremely practical. They just have to work reliably with minimal down time and work fast enough to compete billing time wise. My shop yet has a g3, g4s, g5s still doing their job. The new mactels will be integrated in when replacement is necessary. The problem is that appl makes them too well. The g3 must be nearing 10 years old, we keep it for os9 stuff., but it keeps on truckin’. I still think 80% of the useful, non accounting work in the US is done on a mac. They just keep on going, they don’t die… they just fade away. I still have a SE030 sitting on a desk, in the corner though; still boots and runs a math calculation program… still does its job../ Of course now that i have remarked about it its power board with probably go poof… ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />

  13. Unreal. How on earth can you even remotely correlate one thing here to another?

    How can you not see that Apple is pissing on the professional user market?

    Glossy screens are designed for “impulse” consumer buys, not pro users who sit in front of their screens all day and have to deal with fscking annoying reflections.


  14. Apple has switched around a lot, even Intel processors so it’s basically a PC now. “

    AAAggggghhhhhhh!!! Bite your tongue, several times!!! NASTY words. Just down right nasty!! ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />

    a PC, a machine that “basically” just runs Windows OS.

    en

  15. @NeonRed

    I agree, even though I’m not a Mac-using “Pro.” I bought the last of the G5 Power Macs about two years ago. It was the “low end” 2.0 GHz dual core G5 model. Except for a few games, I don’t overly stress it’s processing capability. I can’t imagine how a faster Mac would feel any different.

  16. Larry,

    iMacs weren’t designed, nor are they intended for the professional market. Hence the glossy screens and the crappiest video cards that money can buy…because they are NOT for pros.

    Now if you said Apple is shitting on the pro market because they don’t have new display’s, or that the Mac Pros come with antiquated video cards with no updates in sight, well, then I’d agree with you. I mean come on, a 7300GT or an ATI 1900XT. These are 3 generations behind what the PC folks have.

    BTW, CS3 rocks…I like it much better than CS2.

  17. Adobe software is, in my opinion, Way Over Priced. I have a love hate relationship with them for sure.

    I feel that Adobe has paid little attention to the Mac community for a long time. Most of their software now is so Windows centric I hate it.

    And I have to force quite every Adobe app if it’s been open for any period of time. As do other users that I have talked to about CS3. Something is wrong with that. Especially for the price.

    Apple, please write something that competes with Photoshop and Illustrator – that runs better on the Mac than Adobe’s offerings. Apparently no one else can do it. At least we’ll have a choice then.

  18. Larry:

    Whether I think Apple is’pissing’ on the professional market is another market, but you’re dead wrong about glossy screens.

    Every professional I know [including myself] uses one variant or another of the Cinema Displays – personally it’s a 30″ at home and a 23″ at my agency. Cinema displays are matte. They’re for professionals. Consumers sometimes prefer glossy screens. Apple are filling that desire. All the people on here bitching about glossy this, glossy that, are most likely consumers who think they’re professionals – and they’re just not paying attention.

    Incidentally, my agency uses a mix of Macs and PCs – split the usual way, accounts use PCs and all us creatives use Macs. In total I’d guess that there are some 400-500 Macs, almost all of them either G5s or Intel MacPros and almost all of them are using cinema displays. Oh and we’re upgrading to CS3 after October [ie. after Leopard’s release].

  19. “Glossy screens are designed for “impulse” consumer buys, not pro users who sit in front of their screens all day and have to deal with fscking annoying reflections.”

    Whats your point? iMacs are NOT pro machines. That would be the Mac Pro towers. Get a Mac Pro, throw it on a 30″ of Apple or any other varity, NO GLOSSY! Problem solved, and you get a better system than an iMac. What pro wouldn’t go for that? If you are a pro who wants to use a glossy consumer machine in a fast paced big production environment, or attempts HD Video with an iMac,….. well, good luck with that, you get what you pay for

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