Finally the CS4 trials are available.
I really could have done with these last week whilst I was waiting for my delivery of CS4, why Adobe would postpone the trials I really don’t understand. Id have thought they’d want people downloading it as soon as its released.
On the subject of Adobe’s service, I’ve had a Windows version of Flash that I’ve been trying to exchange for a Mac version for months now. I email em and they say I need to phone. I phone and they say they are really busy and I should email. I’ve hung around on that phone line 5+ times for over 30 mins, still no success. I still have a Windows version in it’s box, without Windows to run it on. Rubbish!
My experience with the store buying CS4 was pretty rubbish too. It felt slow and unresponsive, then after entering all my details, I was told they’d get back to me within 3 working days to state whether my purchase had been successful. I’ve never heard anything like that. Generally I pay for stuff on the web and thats, that. Not we’ll check into this and get back to you. Rant over 
“I email em and they say I need to phone. I phone and they say they are really busy and I should email. I’ve hung around on that phone line 5+ times for over 30 mins, still no success.”
So that’s where all the extra money we pay in the UK for the *same* piece of software is going, right?
: )
I think the trial delay helps keep piracy to a minimum, or at least reduce temptation for their existing customer base.
A better, fairer price tag would do the same though.
Not sure how that keeps piracy down, I would have thought if peeps can’t get hold of a trial, they are more likely to look for a trial version.
Also the people who are looking for cracked version can prob afford to wait a few weeks
Presumably the non-trial versions are slightly more robust when it comes to cracking. I would think adobe have some compelling figures about the volume of their sales and the amount of pirate activity occurring the first month after release, enough to make them do this.
Some game publishers release a no-cd/dvd update after their game has been out a while for similar reasons.
I’m guessing as usual. Maybe they just did it for a laugh.
“Maybe they just did it for a laugh”
That line gave me a quick giggle.
LOL
And what’s with the crazy Java downloader? I purchased a Flash CS4 license from school about 3 weeks ago, not realizing the trial-downloads weren’t available. I’m thrilled to see them available, and I received noticed from Tink before hearing it from Adobe…hmm, to be fair maybe they sent an email that got stuck in my spam-filter. Cheers!
I also signed up for a notification, but am yet to receive it.
I’ve had a very similar experience with Apple. Bought a new Macbook Pro from their Developer Store. Took almost a week to verify my credit card, a couple days to actually charge my credit card, and almost a week to even prepare the laptop. Who knows how long it will take for it to actually be shipped to me.
In any case, it looks like Adobe isnt the only one that has to verify stuff.
On another note: CS4 on Windows Vista requires Vista Service Pack 1 to be installed apparently. There are ALOT of people who have had trouble actually getting Service Pack 1 to install in the first place. So anyone else like me who also has a Windows PC with Vista on it should make sure they can successfully install Service Pack 1 before buying CS4. I made that mistake, so now I have a copy of CS4 that I can’t use until I get Vista fixed.
Maybe I didn’t sign up for a notification as I still haven’t received one? That said the labs site still states “Signup for CS4 trial notification” even though the trials have been available for nearly a week.
I got my notification of the trials today.