/ Andreas | System administrator /

If there is a software manufacturer which I really dislike then there is no doubt about that manufactures being Adobe. While their products might be pleasant to use, it’s far from an enjoyable experience actually having to maintain them.

First there is the issue of (security) updates. How hard would it be for Adobe to provide us with updates in the format of separately downloadable executables? True, for a lot of users it might be preferable to download their updates from within the application itself. That is not an approach which executes well remotely in a larger environment thought. The part about security updates is especially critical when it comes to Adobe Acrobat. For those users only running the Reader version we can always download the latest version and do an automatic reinstall, but for those running the full version we have to wait for Adobe to give us the new version. Wouldn’t it have been a lot easier if we simply could have downloaded and ran an updater?

Then there is the silent install of their CS3. That is mostly likely one of the least intuitive silent installers I’ve ever come across. Why must I use multiple xml-files in different locations? How come it won’t work to do a silent install from a network share until it’s given a drive letter? What about not using Error number seven for all kinds of unrelated errors? While this might not be any large problems; they do cost (unnecessary) time and frustration.

Adobe really makes some remarkable software. I just wished they would put at least some resources in making the processes of installation and upgrading smother.