Is Adobe Losing a Step?

READERS HERE know that I have been an unapologetic (mostly) shill for Adobe software - and particularly Adobe Photoshop - for as long as I have been writing this blog. I have compared and contrasted a few other options, from the venerable (and open source) GIMP (which I found had a learning curve at least as steep as Photoshop originally did), ON1, Affinity, and DxO, to name just a few. A few years back, I actually purchased the complete ON1 Suite and tried to work with it for a couple months. I liked many parts of its interface (kind of a LightRoom "lookalike" at the time), but for some reason, it didn't want to "play nice" with my particular Windows-based computer setup (ON1 was very "stand-up" and refunded my entire cost, even though I had been using it for a while). I have tried trial versions of DxO, GIMP and Affinity. Every time, I eventually go back to Adobe's suite (for me mostly using Photoshop and the Adobe Bridge browser).

my conclusion has consistently been to just work in Photoshop, launchING my files into Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) from Bridge

BECAUSE I  almost always found myself eventually moving the file into Photoshop, and my workflow and archiving process is very simple (maybe even simple-minded 😂), my conclusion has consistently been to just work in Photoshop, launching my files into Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) from Bridge. I (mostly) like bridge as a browser and file management tool. I have used its "renaming" tool nearly exclusively for several years now. When it first became available to me in bundled form, I used Light Room - but nearly exclusively only for file managment - naming and keywording I like the utility and the nesting file capability. I had a sort of hierarchy or "tree" and found it userful for searching and finding files. It worked well. Until it didn't. Somewhere along the line, as Adobe pushed through (and I blithely installed) updated versions, I suddenly found myself entirely unable to move my Light Room catalog, which I had spent several years developing and maintaining. Research and reaching out to Adobe was frustrating and did not ultimately bear fruit. Doggedly, I determined to simplify the process.I started completely over and spent hour upon hour keywording image files using only Bridge's Keywording utility. For search purposes, it worked fine.

Why not include notes (not just the essentially uninformative notes on the update screen like "fixes certain issues") which describe not only what the update does, but when it causes certain plugins and other essential database - type files no longer function, and steps on how to re-instate them?

AGAIN: UNTIL it didn't. As CC users know, Adobe pushes out "updated" software (sometimes almost daiy). Generally, I have found that to be a good thing, giving us access to each new cutting edge feature and improvement essentially in real time. My plan has Photoshop, Bridge, both versions of Light Room, and ACR. I am also running Photoshop Beta. I have been using Bridge and keywording all new image files as I upload them into my system. I had no idea I needed to backup the keywording file discreetly. A week back, one of the updates ("upgrade"?) seems to have taken out my entire keywording list. And yes, they were all "persisitent." I cannot find it. I am now once again, starting over from scratch. I will figure out how to back up this time, but it isn't one of the generally known or discussed things. I find Adobe's system for updating an upgrading lacking in any documentation to an almost arrogant degree. Why not include notes (not just the essentially uninformative notes on the update screen like "fixes certain issues") which describe not only what the update does, but when it causes certain plugins and other essential database-type files to no longer function, and steps on how to re-instate them?

I FIND it extremely inconvenient to have to stop (not infrequently in the middle of a major project like uploading, keywording, and renaming and archiving a major shoot - involving hundreds of images) and spend hours and hours researching what happened and how to fix and restore things. And as I mentioned above, in at least 2 cases giving up in frustration and "rebuilding the mousetrap" from scratch again.

In a "protective" move, this week I signed up for ON1 Photo Raw's subscription model (which I will run side-by-side with my Adobe software)

I STILL have no doubt that Photoshop is "the one to try to attain" and will probably remain the leader in the field for the near future. I do know a couple professional photographers who left Adobe behind a long time (years) ago, though. And at this time, there are things I can do in Photoshop that I cannot do in any of the other software applications. At the same time, they continue to integrate some pretty impressive new applications into the software (especially Photoshop, Ligtht Room, and ACR). I have gotten a lot out of the positives they have to offer. But to me, just a little attention to the long-time users, and in most cases, subscribers would be a good thing for Adobe to aspire to. If these seemingling small things become persistent enough, it will drive loyal, long-time users (like me) to look for alternatives.

IN A "protective" move, this week I signed up for ON1 Photo Raw's subscription model (which I will run side-by-side with my Adobe software), and will be spending some time over the next few months using and learning, to see if it is a possible alternative for me to move to. I will continue to run my Adobe applications - but I have come to the proverbial "warning track."

ANYBODY ELSE have similar (or opposing) thoughts?