Massive news today that Adobe are planning to release an online version of Photoshop within 6 months.
This is an enormous leap and highlights the potential that Ajax and Flash driven rich interfaces have to change the way we use computers.
One of the more interesting points is that Adobe plan to make this online Photoshop free for consumers. They expect to make revenue from advertising on the site, acknowledging that if it works for Google, then it can work for us. I have been a fan of picnik but I fear that when presented with a choice of online photo editor, the peeps will vote for the Photoshop brand.
Great to see Adobe coming out on the front foot with this one, instead of trying to protect their shrink wrapped products. I think it will prove successful. Microsoft – are you watching?
Why.. why why why….
Maybe I’m a dinosaur, maybe it’s because I’ve adored Photoshop the last decade even with it’s RAM hogging ways & it’s trend to more bloated useless features.
But at the end of the day I just don’t see the point instead of trying to cram desktop applications into a web browser, why not approach the concept of shrink wrapped software from another angle.
It will never BE Photoshop, the best it will ever be is an even more pointless version of Photoshop elements.
I was somewhat impressed with Google documents when I first opened up a Word doc through my Gmail account a month ago but given the choice of composing my documents through a still clunky browser interface or downloading a desktop app like open office I know what i’d choose.
I’m prepared to be proven wrong on this in the future, just like 5 years ago when I was mystified why anyone would still use a web based email client & yes now I live within Gmail.
Maybe I’ll shut up when Google release browser based Picassa
You make some valid points Kraig, particularly regarding the cramming of desktop applications into a browser. Yes, browsers are still clunky. BUT, the point I was making is that when confronted with a choice of purchasing something or using a free online version that kinda does what ou want then I know where many punters will go.
Of course you will always have ‘power’ users who need the desktop app but as pipes get fatter, machines get faster and server calls more efficient, then the clunkiness will disappear.
Google have shown what is possible with their FIRST iterations of Google Docs, Adobe will raise the bar with their FIRST online Photoshop. Neither are going to change the landscape considerably in the immediate term but what they will do is establish a foundation for future innovation. That innivation will either be done by them or their competitors.
If you could sum up the best 10 reasons for running a desktop app, I’m sure you will see people develop online services that respond to those reasons within the next 5 years. Just like webmail.
Rob, Apologies that I am posting this as a comment, I was unable to find any contact oppurtunities elsewhere. First, thanks for putting me in your blog-roll. Second, man utilize that top-right corner of your page for an enormous subscribe button, like the Chicklet-Creater by Thomas Mc over at twistermc.com or .. a contact button
Thanks mate, love your site’s content — I subscribed (after searching for the button) heh.
Since when are flash/flex apps “cool”? Since it’s executed on your machine, you could as well install a desktop app.
Real online apps, like http://www.phixr.com or http://pxn8.com really run on the server, and work on stripped down machines without flex/flash and without java.
Fredrik. You make a good point and yes, I like phixr and pxn8. But, the point I was trying to make was that I believe rich web interfaces will continue to mimick and ultimately replace shrink wrapped software. The efficiencies of the rich web interface will continue to increase until shrink wrapped can no longer compete ragardless of the technology (Ajax, Flash, Flex) being used to manage the client/server relationship. Some verticals will adopt earlier and others later, but the days of software being installed on PC’s are numbered (it may take decades but the progression is logical).