BoSacks Readers Speak Out: The Secret Adobe Plan

BoSacks Readers Speak Out: The Secret Adobe Plan
www.bosacks.com



RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: The Secret Adobe Plan to Rule the Printing World
Abuse of power? It was Napoleon who said "Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence." This was an obvious blunder that seemed brilliant at the time to myopic short-term focused executives obsessed with monetizing free content and increasing revenues. They had no understanding that all decisions have costs in other departments for which others have responsibility, who now have to clean up the debris. Adobe, and the publishing business, have much in common, it seems.
(Submitted by an Industry Pundit, fellow curmudgeon and Friend)



RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: The Secret Adobe Plan to Rule the Printing World
Bob, I'm not replying in any official capacity (so please don't use my name) but this is how is see the Adobe/FedEx/Kinko's deal"

It's supply chain aggregation, pure and simple, and if the "market" finds it valuable, then it will become best practice. This isn't any different than when the PDF file format and the internet rendered a printer's proximity to his customer irrelevant. Those whose needs can be met by the equipment that Kinko's has, and who are satisfied with the price, delivery and service will enjoy the ease of use provided by Adobe. Many people complain about that other giant company, WalMart, "killing the local shopkeeper", but it is undeniably convenient to be able to get toothpaste, fishing lures, lawn fertilizer and a gallon of milk in one place. That's free market capitalism, baby! The system, as designed, is working. There are only two things to stop this sort of economic "efficiency" - large numbers of customer's who decide it isn't valuable to them for reasons of their own, or a government mandate to reign in unbridled growth of multi-national corporations in favor of smaller concerns.

The real question is; do we want to continue as a free market capitalist society, unfettered by geo-political boundaries made possible by technology, or do we want to put some constraints on just how big a corporation can become by extending preference to smaller concerns? As far as I can see, Adobe and FedEx have made a smart business combination, one that appears to work for their customers, and the only thing that will unhook it is action by the FTC to declare it in restraint of free trade.
Submitted by a Publishing Vendor)


RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: The Secret Adobe Plan to Rule the Printing World
I think this is a big mistake of Adobe's part. I can't buy someone's product if that company is endorsing my competitor.
(Submitted by a Printer)



RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: The Secret Adobe Plan to Rule the Printing World
While in total agreement with your disapproval of the AdobeFedExKinko collusion in the practice of one-click restraint of trade, I take exception to your hypothetical extension in which you chose to set up RR Donnelley as another potential villain. Knowing how few people read well, you must realize that 25% of your audience now believes it is true, and they are outraged that RRD would behave in such an un-sportsmanlike manner. Being the largest, and best printing company on the planet might make us a tempting target but it does not make us bad people.
(Submitted by a Printer)



RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: The Secret Adobe Plan to Rule the Printing World
Bob, This is particularly disturbing to anyone who has had the misfortune on dealing with a local Kinko's on printing something as simple as a one page resume - nightmare - non skilled, non verbal in the English language (not trying to be zenophobic) - not a great experience. Had a similar - although many times
more painful and in the end expensive experience with Kinko's printing a multi page color document. Unfortunately unsuspecting, unknowing clients will push the "button" and plunge themselves into the depths
of printing hell.
(Submitted by a Senior Publishing Consultant)



RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: The Secret Adobe Plan to Rule the Printing World
I think the answer was best put by W.C. Fields: "Never give a sucker an even break." If you have not taken the trouble to shop better options than printing a short run at Kinko's, you were probably going to end up there anyway.
(Submitted by a Publisher)


RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: The Secret Adobe Plan to Rule the Printing World
. . . On the Adobe Fedex Kinko - a solution could be to offer that as a default (or not) but to offer alternatives - so that based on your geography you could get find a local mom and pop printer and send it to them if you don't want to support the big guys. I think it's very tough but it's an evolution of the digital world - Apple should build in Walgreen printing into iPhoto !
(Submitted by an Internet Publisher)


RE: BoSacks Speaks Out: The Secret Adobe Plan to Rule the Printing WorldI'll bet you dollars to donuts that Adobe backs down on this dumb marketing deal. It is a very stupid move by a smart company.
(Submitted by a Director of Mfg & Dst)