September 16, 2010

I’m foolish, and I hope you are, too!

“Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” —Steve Jobs, in a 2005 commencement address at Stanford.

I hope you are foolish enough to believe that you have something unique to offer the world that no one else does … NO ONE, in this world of 6,697,254,041 individuals (thank you, Google).

I hope that, at whatever stage you are in life right now, you know at some point you will begin to put your heart and soul into offering that “something” … in whatever large or small way you choose.

And I hope you listen for that inner voice, and when he or she says the time is right to go for it, you are foolish enough to believe it. Right then.

Thankfully, Steve Jobs’ foolishness led to the invention of Apple, and eventually to iTunes, where I get a daily dose of encouragement from several great podcasts.

One of them is a weekly discussion on developing a web-based business called “Foolish Adventure.” If you’re watching that roller coaster of opportunity approaching, and wondering whether to jump on (or if you already have), I highly recommend you listen, too.

“Foolish Adventure” is a relaxed but substantive weekly discussion by Israel Hyman and Tim Conley, two entrepreneurs (Tim is also a consultant) who generously offer their expertise in starting and building a web-based business. I found them because I’m a fan of Izzy’s wife, Noell (a "Top 10 Most Influential Scrapbooker"); Izzy is the producer of her two weekly podcasts (Paperclipping and Paperclipping Roundtable, also known as PRT), and a related podcast for digital scrapbookers (the Paperclipping Digi Show). He’s often a PRT panelist, too—the gently-ascerbic male at a virtual table of sentimental scrapbooking women.

At any rate, while I’m working long hours on my own adventure I rarely have time to read, so I’ve become a big fan of podcasts while I work. As well as the trio of Paperclipping shows and Foolish Adventure, I also recommend The Accidental Creative by Todd Henry if you’re either in, or are thinking about starting, a venture that will require you to  “create on demand.”

And as I’ve listened to Noell, Izzy, Tim and Todd, I’ve been hoping that everyone is foolish enough to pursue their unique dream when the time is right.

Because there’s nothing wiser than that.

September 8, 2010

Best back-to-school prices on Adobe Photoshop Elements

Wow, it’s been WAY too long since I did a Best Price Check on Photoshop Elements! With the kids back in school, maybe it’s a good time to think about doing a little learning of your own—with a program that is a guaranteed investment in your family’s memorykeeping.

One trend I’ve noticed is that the pricing for the Mac and PC versions is now equal in all the outlets I checked. It’s the first time that’s happened! Here’s what I found:

BEST PRICE: $49.99 (Mac and PC) at Staples.com

This is an amazing price available by box only (no downloads).The price is a result of an on-box $25 rebate plus a $20 mail-in rebate. It’s eligible for free shipping, too. Or, you can pick it up in-store (check online for availability). This is an interesting development, considering they were the HIGHEST priced retailer on my last price check.

NEXT BEST: $57.95 (Mac and PC) at Office Depot.com

The low price is for online only; in stores it’s $99.99. This is the price after the $20 Adobe rebate. Boxed only, delivery only, and you’ll pay shipping.

ALWAYS A GOOD PRICE:  $59.99 (Mac and PC) at Amazon.com

Amazon has a consistently good price on Elements, albeit not the lowest today. This is the boxed version, priced after the $20 rebate, and includes free shipping.

NECK IN NECK: $79.99 (Mac and PC) at Adobe.com, Costco.com and Frys.com

All of them sell the boxed version, shipping extra, with the price reflecting the $20 rebate. However, you can pick it up at a local Frys (check online for availability), and some local Costcos carry it in-store as well. One advantage to Adobe.com is that you can do an immediate download. Also, Adobe is still running it’s free 30-day trial, which is a great way to get your feet wet.

PRETTY TYPICAL PRICING: $99.99 (PC and Mac) at Buy.com

About OEM pricing: If you Google “best prices” for Photoshop Elements, you’ll come up with some crazy-good prices for OEM versions at various online retailers. OEM means Original Equipment Manufacturer and indicates that this software is not in retailer packaging, and was intended to be bundled with other products. 

Reading the information on two of these websites, I couldn’t tell whether this is a version with limited functions, or limited uses. Questions about its use and whether it comes with a manual went unanswered. If you intend to buy it, I would advise you track down those answers first. 

I'll keep my eye on the market and update pricing at least monthly. Let me know if you see a screamin' deal anywhere!

*NOTE: I research these prices and do my best to verify them, but I make no guarantees about product availability or pricing. Buyers will be responsible for verifying product pricing before purchase.