Cheapest honorable software store? (1 Viewer)

[Dennis Nicholls]

I need to upgrade my Adobe Acrobat. Right now I've got version 5 upgrade sitting on top of version 3. Neither qualify me for an upgrade to version 9.

I spent a couple of hours poking around on the web today and found out there's 3 levels of software store. Place like Amazon and NewEgg price Acrobat 9 close to list price. Some places like VioSoftware sell Acrobat 9 Std. in retail box for about $172. Some other places like Captainsoft sell Acrobat 9 Pro. ostensibly in retail form for about $130.

VioSoftware appears to be a real retailer. They have ratings on various retail bots and give out a real address and phone number. Places in the lower tier, such as ZTech Software, do things like they don't give out a real address and claim that their phones are "temporarily out of service".

But when you Google "(retailstorename) scam" you get tons of complaints about the low-tier stores. Some stores claim to sell full retail box stuff but instead send you a bare OEM disc or one licensed for "student/academic use only". Funny how not posting a physical address and phone number tends to track with customer problems. :rolleyes

So where would you shop? What's a cheap store that's for real?

 

[Clinton McClure]

I would personally be leery of a place advertising a $400 piece of software for $170 or less. Your best bet is to pony up the dough for the upgrade from Adobe or Newegg if it will work for you or the full retail if it will not.

Adobe.com lists the standard upgrade at $99 and the full retail version at $299 and the pro upgrade at $159 with the full retail being $499.

Is there any reason you can't purchase an upgrade?

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Clinton: the upgrade only works if you have full copy of version 6 or later.

 

[DaveF]

I don't know about cheapest. But I shop at BestBuy, NewEgg, Amazon, and Apple and get fair prices and sometimes great prices. I use rewards credit cards as appropriate to save a little bit more.

 

[sestamuch]

I usually use NewEgg for that, and all my PC hardware needs. They also have console stuff I think.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

NewEgg wants $250 for Acrobat 9 Std. in retail box.

 

[LDfan]

Dennis, if you are still looking for Adobe Acrobat shoot me a PM. I can get fully licensed copies for a cheap price using my student discount at school.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Thanks, Jeff, but I already ordered a copy.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

Here's my report so far.

Ordered Acrobat 9 Std. for $170 from VioSoftware on Friday, 12 June. Free shipping. Order arrived Monday, 15 June.

Order shipped in tagboard USPS Priority Mail envelope without additional padding. Media loose inside DVD case.

What I received was Acrobat 9 Professional. Invoice plainly states Acrobat 9 Pro at $170.

DVD-ROM wasn't scratched and installation went quickly. Key-code attached was good: system logged on remotely to Adobe to verify prior to completing the installation.

This was an odd transaction. Somehow they fulfilled my order with the upgraded Pro version for the same price: and it wasn't an accident since it's reflected on the invoice. I would have been happier if they would have put some padding around the DVD case. I guess the days of software coming in a box with a printed manual are now in the past.

To some degree I blame Adobe for the disc being loose - they should have used a better hub-locking DVD case or at least put a small piece of foam over the hub to prevent disengagement during handling. This is after all a $400 list piece of software.

 

[amanayo]

I've actually done a few transactions with Viosoftware too, including the purchase of Photoshop. There was only one time that they had called me to tell me they were out of a product I'd ordered and they sent me the upgraded version for the same price. Free upgrade and free shipping? Wish they were out of stock on the stuff I order more often.


And Dennis, are you really surprised that a big company selling expensive software would be so cheap about their packaging?

 

[Sam Posten]

If you qualify www.academicsuperstore.com


Or even better go directly through Adobe.


Through my University program I just bought Production Premium CS5 (ie the $2500+ suite with Photoshop, AfterEffects, Premiere, and Illustrator + more) for $350.


Boom

 

[dmat33]

Have you guys heard of www.baselinesoftware.com? Being a IT tech I have purchased tons of software off this site. Never once have they let me down. Never actually purchased from vio because every time a call I get this stupid recording saying send an email and they always take so long to respond, have you noticed this too? If u end up buying from baseline they hooked me up with coupon code that should still work


5OFFSOFT


D