Educational license upgradeability

This probably should be asked directly of Adobe, but I was wondering whether a product bought at an educational license price qualifies for upgrade pricing in later years, once you've finished studying and a later version is released.

The reason I am asking this rather tortuous question is that (a) I'm impatient, (b) not so impatient that I'll buy the download and miss out on the extra content goodies in the boxed version, (c) no one is yet selling the upgrade version in Oz, (d) one retailer is selling an educational version for around what looks likely to be the Oz upgrade price, and (e) I actually qualify because I am studying at uni at the moment.  So it's tempting to pay up for a new license, albeit an educational license.  But I'd like to be able to continue to upgrade.

But really, I'll probably just keep waiting.

Oh, but while I'm here, I'll just mention something interesting I saw at a couple of the online stores here.  They are offering AA 1.5 at reduced prices to clear stock.  But Adobe are offering free upgrades to people purchasing 2.0 after the announcement date, so for people who don't qualify for upgrade pricing...

Yeah, I saw that free upgrade thing and it looked very odd.  I would have thought the people who had only just bought the product before the announcement might be the ones to qualify.

In all of the postings, and links to Adobe Documents, FAQs, etc., I have seen mention by Adobe of an Education version - with a link provided (if I remember correctly) to more info on where to get the Education version, etc.  It may be that it was at the Adobe AA forum I saw this, I don't remember.  But I'm certain that if you follow the links at Adobe's site, you will eventually find something pointing to info about the Education version. I presume that info will answer your questions about upgrade policy on the Education version.

If you do find the Education version info page, you might post a direct link here.

Actually, here are the Education links I found at Adobe.  Perhaps one of them is what you need:

Adobe Education Store

Volume Licensing for Education

Find an Education Reseller

Somewhere in all the AA2.0 Adobe blurbs I saw a reference to a couple of functions missing in the Education version.  I think they weren't crucial ones but it might be worth rummaging for that.

Thanks bonnder.  I probably wasn't clear though in my original post.  I'd already looked around on the Adobe web site, but couldn't find anything discussing upgrades of edu licensed products once you no longer qualify for edu pricing.  Most of the edu stuff on the site is aimed at institutions, not individuals.  I've also trawled through the EULA, and there's no mention.

Actually, I think it's all a bit of a grey area.  With all the legalese about eligibility, it's not clear to me whether your edu license to use the product is still valid once you are no longer eligible (e.g. you graduate).  In practise, I think it's not worth Adobe's time caring, but I don't see any documentation confirming or denying either way.  And upgradeability may hinge on this.

Hmmm.  Something to think about.  An Australian retailer (Harris Technology) has now added the upgrade product as well as the academic licensed product.  Their prices (these Australian dollars, remember):

• Full - $625
• Upgrade - $226
• Academic - $200
• [/list:u]
  Maybe it's time for me to contact Adobe Customer Support...

Somewhere in all the AA2.0 Adobe blurbs I saw a reference to a couple of functions missing in the Education version.  I think they weren't crucial ones but it might be worth rummaging for that.

Oooh, OK.  I missed that.  I'll have a hunt around.  Thanks.  If there is stuff missing, it's not worth quibbling over such a small difference in price.

FWIW, I'm not so miserly as to be really fussed about these pricing differences, but I am fascinated that the upgrade is more expensive than the full education version.  Maybe there's a hint there.  There is only a full education version: no upgrade (because it is cheap enough already).

I have purchased some education-version products for my daughter's school.  And at one point we had a back-and-forth about Adobe's education-version policy for AA over on the AA forum.  From all of that, I've picked up the idea that a user has registered the education-version product that he is using.  When the time comes to upgrade, Adobe verifies that user has a registered product and is eligible for the upgrade.  It is then simply a matter of verifying which upgrade the user is eligible for.  If proof that user is still a student is offered, the education-version of the upgrade is offered to student for the going rate.  If user cannot provide proof that he is still a student, user will be offered the non-education-version of the upgrade, for that going rate.

I can't point you to a specific spot that states the preceeding paragraph.  But that is basically what I remember from my education-version purchases of other (non-Adobe) products plus the conversation about the Adobe education version of AA.

I can't point you to a specific spot that states the preceeding paragraph.  But that is basically what I remember from my education-version purchases of other (non-Adobe) products plus the conversation about the Adobe education version of AA.

Aaah, cheers.  Thanks for that info.

Found it - "Echo Chamber and Notch Filter effects
are not included with Education versions."

Found it - "Echo Chamber and Notch Filter effects
are not included with Education versions."

Bizarre.  Why leave them out?  Presumably if there is an intent for the edu version to be somewhat stripped down I'd expect more significant things to be missing. Anyway, it's mostly a non-issue for me now as the upgrade version appears to be filtering into the retail chain here in Aus.

But I remain curious about the relative pricing.  Here the edu version is cheaper than the upgrade, but I saw the US edu price was $149, rather than the $129 for the upgrade.

I think if you check that you will find that $149 is for the full version.  So the proper comparison would be price for Education Version of full program vs. price for regular version of the full program - not the upgrade.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

I think if you check that you will find that $149 is for the full version.  So the proper comparison would be price for Education Version of full program vs. price for regular version of the full program - not the upgrade.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

That would match the price that I can get it within the university I work at - i.e. less in pounds than I have just paid for an upgrade (since they haven't used Adobe's usual currency conversion).

Paul