No matter what price they set, there will always be some people who can't/won't pay it (sad, but true.) Let's face it, the majority of the world's population probably doesn't even have internet access, and may not even know what it is. CL has to set a price point. When you look at other software packages, $550 isn't that much for a good product (Spanki made an excellent point with PhotoShop.) For their loyal customers (those who have been upgrading regularly) another $200-$250 for the next upgrade, especially what looks to be a very powerful one, is reasonable. We aren't talking about $250 a month, we're talking about $250 every few years. It's much cheaper than Cable TV, much cheaper than going to the movies every couple of weeks... And which brings you more pleasure/satisfaction?