What if Linux became Adobe’s new flagship OS?
I, along with many other Linux users, have wanted Adobe to produce their software for Linux. Supposedly, Photoshop is the number 1 requested product by Linux users. I’m over wondering why they haven’t done it or when they will do it (I’ve pretty much resigned myself to the fact that they will get to it when they get to it if they ever get to it).
But now a new (and even more far fetched) thought crosses my mind. What if Adobe embraced Linux as their flagship platform? What if Adobe made their own Linux distribution? One of the arguments for why Adobe has not produced their suite for Linux is because of the headache of creating and maintaining a product that works flawlessly with all the varying distributions. If Adobe were to create their own Linux distro, they could tweak the operating system and the products to really work perfectly together. This would also allow them to only worry about full compatibility with one Linux distribution. The fact that Linux has such great memory management makes it an ideal base for running software that traditionally eats a lot of memory. They could take advantage of server grade machines utilizing 4+ processors and way more memory than windows or OSX (I realize that OSX is based on UNIX, but we have to remember that we’re tied to Apple hardware). A step like that in the design world (especially when working on huge projects and running multiple programs) would be incredible.
I’m not saying that Adobe should stop building software for the Mac and PC, I’m just saying it would be very interesting for them to capitalize on having their own design centered OS. Now, I realize this will most likely never happen. It would be outright challenging Apple to make a better design suite and with products like Final Cut, we know they have the ability and the resources to do it. Microsoft is already testing the waters for that niche of the software world with Microsoft Expression in which I currently have little interest, though it is a big step up from their standard, MS Paint.
February 29th, 2008 at 7:46 am
I found your site on google blog search and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. Just added your RSS feed to my feed reader. Look forward to reading more from you.
- Sue.
February 29th, 2008 at 11:31 am
Very interesting thought, very interesting indeed. I think it’s closer to a category 5 brainstorm though. I’ll muse on it now but I think it will take a week or so to ponder the implications. I don’t have any concrete data on why I feel Apple should be soiling their pants at the prospect of Adobe porting their software over to an operating system based on open standards. It could just be because it creates a level playing field… with an earth mover. Apple will have to make their software work on what is relentlessly becoming the LC, or see their overpriced hardware collecting dust at flea markets. In other words, join the club of cooperation or confine yourself to selling style, hipness, and little tiny gadgets.
Then Autodesk says, “hey, why can’t we do that?”. So now Steve Ballmer has to do a sweaty dance on stage and bluster about how Linux is a renegade OS stomping all over everyones’ IP, especially Microsoft’s.
Oh the permutations never end. This is going to be fun. Thanks so much for the thought. I’ll be busy pondering now.