Adobe InDesign, A Quark Killer With A Killer Price?

"Yesterday I received a MacMall catalog with a large ad for Adobe InDesign on the front cover. The details inside read, "Special introductory price! (If you own Quark XPress, Photoshop, Illustrator or PageMaker!) $299.99 Limited Time Offer. Order today !" The MacMall web site says InDesign is expected to ship "June 1999".

I called MacMall and they had no additional information. I called Adobe a customer service representative confirmed the competitive upgrade offer. I asked what documentation would be required to be eligible for the special offer. She replied that a serial number for Quark XPress, Photoshop, Illustrator or PageMaker would be required. She also said that the competitive upgrade "should be purchased directly from Adobe." I pointed out that MacMall was offering the competitive upgrade and asked about the apparent contradiction. She said she did not have any additional information.

Despite a lack of details and some confusion over availability, it seems clear that Adobe intends to offer aggressive pricing discounts to lure XPress users to InDesign. It's interesting that the competitive upgrade price is the same as the Quark XPress 3.3 -> 4.0 upgrade price."