Although I failed to express it earlier, my initial reaction to Adobe’s acquisition of Macromedia was one of dread. It’s so easy to see through the PR-speak and predict the consequences. Before long, all the client-side tools I use for making web sites/applications will be under Adobe. From Photoshop and Acrobat to Fireworks and Flash and Dreamweaver. There is now One Company to Rule Them All. I should have seen the trend earlier: Homesite, Coldfusion, Drumbeat were all gobbled up by Macromedia before it too was eaten up by Adobe. If you’re a GUI oriented web developer or designer, spoiled by these easy-to-use, feature-rich tools, all your base are belong to Adobe now. Ironically, your only other alternative is Microsoft (but when’s the last *you* touched Frontpage?)
What a bummer. If Adobe’s current leadership is any indication, then you can bet on the same kind of innovation, openness, and competitiveness you’d expect from a monopoly.
Sigh. Now I can sense why some of my friends insist on using open source software and nothing but. Now if I can only train myself to use XEmacs for my entire workflow. 
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