30-day trials - Yay or Nay?

[Armads]

So uh, I'm taking this digital graphics class at school that teaches a lot of Adobe software like Photoshop and the like, and every day I'm there the more I want to have the programs for myself.

So with piracy out of the picture (or at least a last resort <_< >_>), what do you all think about downloading limited trials?

 

[GuitarHero]

Well, (assuming the trial is the full version) you could get a decent grasp of the program and decide whether its worth spending your money on or not. I think that's a good thing. ^_^

I've done this with Autocad and Photoshop. Plus, being a student in graphics means you probably get discounts. I didn't get a real huge discount on Photoshop but Autocad was less than half of the regular price.

 

[fate]

I only use them in emergencies. That is, project is falling apart at 12AM and I have no access the campus lab. Which did end up happening... man I love being a group workhorse. :|

As such, don't go getting a trial for the hell of it and use it up. If you do, and such a case arises, you are in trouble.

 

[bell02+]

You should try to see if your school has any set ups for the student discount price. You can basically buy them for about 75% off. (The catch is that you get less loads, but if you have less than 4 computers that you plan to use it with, it's completely worth it)

When I bought mine I only had to pay around $300-400 for Web Premium, but I remember you could also buy Photoshop there by itself for about $130, which is about the price of a text book. So yeah, it's a real good deal (especially considering original prices are $1300 and $300 respectively), I think some places require proof of enrollment, but yeah great deal.

but yeah, until then, go for the demo. If you weren't serious, then you can find substitute programs like gimp, but yeah.

 

[Rayne]

Check and see if your OIT department is carrying anything. Like everyone's said, you can get steep discounts if you get the programs through your school. You might even get a couple of freebies, nothing too fancy, but there might be a hidden gem app available.

However, if the price is still a bit much and you just want to experiment with the programs for a while, trials aren't bad. It's only an issue when you come to depend on it for class.

For Adobe, I'd say getting the full product is more than worth it. I got Photoshop 7.0 back in the day and I'm still getting my full use out of it even after getting the CS package. Adobe makes solid products, and it will last you a good while. The other stuff in the creative suite only sweeten the deal (and I haven't even gotten to it all yet).

 

[fate]

I got Visual C++ (not a demo) for no cost when I took the course at my college. So I'll 3rd the asking around for discounts suggestions.

THough I could never find any discount's for Adobe's stuff.