InDesignSecretsAdobe is NOT Giving Away CS2
There’s a lot of chatter on the internet today, including Twitter, claiming that Adobe is now giving CS2 away for free.
This is simply not true. What is happening is that Adobe has shut down the activation servers for CS2. Because of that, CS2 users were unable to activate if they reinstalled the software. In order to allow these people to continue to use their software Adobe has made available, for download, CS2 software which does not require activation.
The download requires an Adobe ID and in order to install it, a valid serial number.
The original announcement was made almost a month ago. Why it first came to light today, I don’t know but Adobe’s Dov Isaacs attempted to clear it up in a User to User forum post earlier today.
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Bob,
Do not mislead people – I just downloaded a bunch of CS2 software without having an adobe ID. Moreover, next to each download link there is a Serial Number for it. Don’t take my word for it, go check it out: http://www.adobe.com/downloads/cs2_downloads/index.html
I am not misleading anyone.
The fact that Adobe has made the software easily available for those who purchased it, doesn’t mean you have a legally licensed copy of CS2 on your machine.
That said, Adobe has clearly fumbled the ball on this and I don’t see this as any kind of issue for individuals.
Try doing the install. I downloaded the CS2 Suite I own it BTW but had activation issues after the last hurricane and Adobe said CS2 was to old for them to bother with so they wouldn’t help me reactivate it. I tried to install this but it contains no InDesign or Illustrator install options. The only install it will do it a custom of Photoshop and the web apps. Gonna dig into the disks and see if they have separate installs for Indy and Illy. now.
Well, there is GoLive. Thats is nice for simple work! Windows version runs oke, Mac I believe needs Rosetta
Ok did the installs by using a utility to show hidden finder objects and then clicking on the InDesign and Illustrator install pkgs. That did the trick. Then I went back and did the CS2 install so Photoshop was installed. Only issue is I can’t do any updates on the software. Not a big deal as like I said I won’t use it much only for that odd job done in CS2 that won’t open in a newer version without issues. I may also go back and use it to impose large jobs with the PDF FPO option from Rampage as it’s a better workflow that Adobe killed with CS3 for no reason I can think of, and still won’t admit they did.
No need for an adobe id. Download is completly free.
It’s not clear why the give the possibility to download cs2 to everyone, giving regular key too. No warning about license or anything else. It seems free.
And people say you get nothing for free these days?
Friend and colleague Conrad Chavez wrote a great overview of the issue here: http://blog.conradchavez.com/2013/01/07/adobe-cs2-free-for-all-not-quite-and-what-it-really-means/
your friend are wrong
A pity that Adobe hadn’t simply done this on purpose, when you stop and think about it. Or perhaps made it available at a token price.
@Chris: I completely agree with you. I think Adobe should have just said “CS2 for Everyone who Wants It,” then had people register before downloading — so they can try to upsell them to a decent version of the software. Over the next couple of years, I’m sure a bunch of these freeloaders would have upgraded to the creative cloud.
I would like to download the CS2 version on my mac but it says that power pc items are no longer supported. Is there a way around this?
@faith jordan: No.
It’s probably a good idea to download these installers if you have files created in CS2 (or earlier) so that you have a way of opening them in the future.
Likewise it’s probably a good idea to keep a few old machines around running XP/10.6.8 to run older software and obsolete file formats.
to forgive all is being human.