Adobe moves into hardware

Adobe has revealed details of a digital stylus and ruler for the iPad to coincide with the launch of tablet apps for the latest version of Creative Cloud.

The pen, dubbed "Ink", is a "three-sided, hydro-formed aluminum stylus for the iPad". It is joined by a digital ruler, dubbed "Slide".

The devices were previewed at the SXSW festival in March, when Adobe’s vice president of experience design, Michael Gough, said the new hardware "really is within our wheelhouse. We’ve always built creative tools and these products are really just another example of that. This isn’t just another stylus."

The stylus and ruler are made by manufacturer Adonit, using its Pixelpoint technology. Adonit also has its own stylus range, including the Jot Touch.

Ink and Slide will be sold as a package for US$199.99 in the States, with an Australian launch and pricing expected later this year.

Adobe also announced Creative Cloud 2014 overnight, bringing a bevy of new version and features to the portfolio.

The launch comprises 14 new versions of CC desktop applications, including Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver and Premiere Pro.

Adobe has also revealed four tablet apps: a trimmed-back version of Photoshop called Mix; hand-drawing app Sketch, architectural-focused Line; and the Creative Cloud app for managing a user's subscription, including account settings, colours, fonts and more.

CRN was at a pre-release demo of Creative Cloud 2014 yesterday, and saw plenty of tricks to satisfy Adobe's target market of designers and creatives.

Some impressive features of the tablet editions included a realistic watercolour engine behind Adobe Sketch and the clever “Touch Slide" virtual ruler within the Adobe Line app. This "highly innovative software version of the ruler" allows straight-line drawing without any hardware.

The session was presented by Adobe "evangelist" Paul Burnett, who called it "the biggest release of our creative software ever".

Adobe's announcement included a number of new licensing options for Creative Cloud.

The vendor has launched a new bundle aimed squarely at photographers, priced at $9.95 per month, compared with $49.95 for the full CC 2014.

Adobe has also added licences aimed at enterprise users as well as an education plan for schools that require Adobe software in a lab setting.

According to a company statement: "Adobe Creative Cloud for enterprise is an offering designed specifically for large-scale software deployments that works with other Adobe enterprise offerings such as Adobe Marketing Cloud, Acrobat, Adobe Anywhere, and Adobe Digital Publishing Suite. Updates include more services with collaboration and file storage, expanded options for deployment, and a new dashboard for managing users and entitlements.

"For education, Adobe now has a device-based licensing offer for classrooms and labs, which allows multiple users to access software on a single device rather than tying it to an individual with an Adobe ID, critical in an environment where students come and go."

The vendor added 464,000 paid Creative Cloud subscribers in the quarter ending 30 May, taking its total subs base to 2.3 million, "far exceeding original projections when it was unveiled two years ago". It expects to have 3.3 million CC subscribers at the end of fiscal 2014

In its most recent filing, Adobe revealed that creative annualised recurring revenue had more than tripled to $1.2 billion.

Adobe recently revealed it was going with a single distributor in Australia, Ingram Micro.

Additional reporting from Reuters