Photoshop CS2 FREEEEEEE (and the full CS2 Suite)

[veryweirdguy]

Thought this might be of interest who wants a legit free copy of Photoshop - it's a few years old but it still does the trick nicely.

Adobe giving away Creative Suite 2 for free.

Full disclaimer: I haven't actually been able to get it myself yet - looks like they're having a bit of a site overload right now - but I've seen enough happy commenters to verify it. You need a (free) Adobe account to get it, so get going! Enjoy!

EDIT: If you're having difficulty accessing the site, some kind soul has offered direct links to the software, as well as the serial keys (seem to be the same keys for everyone), here: http://www.hotukdeals.com/freebies/adobe-cs2-creative-suite-free-1437132

[monkey0506]

Dang it. Now I'm gonna have to go download a new version of Photoshop... Seeing as my copy of CS2 isn't illegal any more.

[Anian]

OMFG!
Thanks for the link.
They're pretty sure now that basically half the stuff won't be readable in their new software. Photoshop is ok by that, but InDesign CS3 won't read CS4 or 5, CS 5 won't read 5.5 or 6 versions etc. (and I'm not talking about effects or something that are not compatible, they just won't open - to open in CS3 a file from CS6 you have to export to a file that CS5 can read (and which is not 100% reliable) and then to a version that CS3 and 4 can read, so basically pro designers have to have 2-3 version of a software installed). This is btw their official version of how to view files not something that people found to work ok.

So yeah...CS2 suite versions are still 90% better than other stuff that's out there already. We can maybe expect a little boom of creations hitting the net. Shame it's not CS3 (which has Macromedia software as well) or the Production studio as well.

NOTE for Mac users - it's apparently not supported by all versions.

[MurrayL]

Yep - the Mac versions are PowerPC only.

I didn't see if these are A-OK to use for commercial purposes, so use caution if you like to make sure everything is above board on commercial work.

[Ghost]

That's a sh*tload of downloads... sounds like a good time to start using Paint again, just to be moar teh retro. 

No, seriously, I know that version. I remember it as being pretty good; the compatibility issues Anian mentioned are a bit of a downer but no real deal-breaker for a first-time owner.

[Stupot]

Hold your horses.  All might not be as it seems:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/adriankingsleyhughes/2013/01/07/download-adobe-cs2-applications-for-free/

[Anian]

Hold your horses.  All might not be as it seems:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/adriankingsleyhughes/2013/01/07/download-adobe-cs2-applications-for-free/

...so I have to check if I have a valid licence of the product? I was under the impression Adobe knew how to protect their property, there was absolutely no warning or any message saying this on download page.

They should just shush and act like Valve and let it go, let people who download it keep it.

[amateurhour]

Basically they screwed up and publicly posted a software download and product key without any stipulations and every media outlet ran that as "FREE CS2" when what actually happened is that a legacy CS2 user needed to activate his software and they realized they were shutting down the license servers so instead of e-mailing him a key they put it online.

It WAS their screw up, but it was also the screw up of all the news outlets that just ran with it as well.

Having said that, all they've done is posted a disclaimer saying "hey, the link and key are still online, but DON'T USE THEM IF YOU DON'T ALREADY OWN THIS!"

So use your moral compass here, they're not going to break down your door or report you to the police, but it's technically software theft, even though the software was left cooling on a windowsill on a warm summer day.

[MurrayL]

The reason they've not pulled it from the site is twofold, as far as I see it:

Firstly, if they pulled it they'd only be creating bad feelings against themselves. Sure, the software wasn't meant to be free (well, officially it wasn't; see below), but you know how entitled people feel these days. It was available, so it should remain so, as a positive PR exercise. Now people will be thinking 'good on Adobe for not shitting their pants over this' instead of 'wow, they really screwed that one up and now they're just trying to pretend it didn't happen'.

Secondly, companies like Adobe and Microsoft wouldn't make anywhere near as much money without piracy. The only reason their software is so broadly popular outside of the business environment is because of how easily it was/is copied. Aside from corporate/educational licensing, they make their money because people voluntarily lock themselves into using the software. They learn it inside-out, and don't want to change over to use anything new because they'd have to learn a new system. We've all been there - I actually grabbed Premiere 2.0 from the site when it was first announced for precisely this reason.

The site licensing is merely the icing on the cake, because not only does it bring in the big bucks, it ensures that a proportion of people will be using their products over a long period - perhaps even an entire working lifetime. You get a (probably illegal) copy of the Adobe suite at home because it's what you're learning at school and it's easy to get a 'free' copy. You are taught how to use the Adobe suite at college/university because 'it's what professionals use', and when you go into work you use Adobe software because 'that's what everyone knows how to use'. It's a beautiful system, really.

Why do you think Adobe/Microsoft/Autodesk do such great student licensing deals? It's in their interest to flog their software, dirt cheap, under an 'educational' license - it practically guarantees that the user will keep using the software for years to come, and it reinforces the status quo. The only reason they don't give it away for free is because they know that many people will still pay if the price is low enough (or the schools will cough up on the students behalf).

Sorry to go off on a rant, and I'm not for a minute suggesting that the Adobe suite isn't great software - just pointing out that it's almost certainly worked out in their favour for this to have happened, and that's why they've not removed the downloads.

[Anian]

Oh, I fully agree with you Murray. They mostly control buisness firms who actually use the software and they do offer free or almost free software in education so people get used to using it and then later in life they cash in on it.
If you do make money on things you make with their software you're more than willing to pay for the software and Autodesk and Adobe products have a hefty price tag.