Dan Warne27 March 2007, 7:18 AM
Adobe has revealed the details of Photoshop CS3: destined to continue to be one of the most pirated applications in the world. But Adobe says people who snaffle a copy of CS3 from work might not be pirates after all.
Adobe has lifted the wraps on Photoshop CS3: destined to continue to be one of the most pirated applications in the world. But Adobe says people who snaffle a copy of CS3 from work might not be pirates after all.
In fact, Adobe Pacific marketing manager Mark Cokes points out that a little-known fact about Adobe applications is that most come with a two-computer licence - one for work and one for home.
However, Adobe is hoping to squeeze a few extra dollars out of its genuine customers by adopting a Microsoft-style marketing tack, selling both the basic version of Photoshop ($1,125) and a new super-premium version, "Photoshop Extended" ($1,725), hoping most people will opt to spend the extra bucks for the top version.
Photoshop Extended includes high-end features that most people will probably never touch (targeted at 3D and motion graphics producers, architects, engineers, healthcare workers and scientists.) It will be included in all of the Adobe suites.
For those with an insatiable thirst for Adobe apps, the software giant will also be selling a new $4,300 suite that includes virtually all of
its apps in one box. In what will inevitably become the favoured pirate distribution for markets across South-East Asia, the all-in-one installer will include Indesign CS3, Illustrator CS3, Photoshop CS3 Extended, Acrobat 8 Pro, Flash CS3, Dreamweaver CS3, Fireworks CS3, Contribute CS3, After Effects CS3, Premiere Pro CS3, Encore CS3 and Soundbooth CS3.
The Macromedia name and "MX" monikers are completely gone from the new CS3 application suite: all the apps are Adobe-branded and CS3-versioned. Also gone are the flowers, feathers and butterflies for app icons: they've been replaced by very literal icons with the application's initials for easy recognition.
Adobe has dropped its web optimisation app, Imageready, in favour of "Adobe Fireworks" (but, in truth, most of Imageready's functionality was already built into Photoshop's "save for web" function).
Favourable academic pricing continues to be available to students. They can snaffle the all-in-one pack mentioned above for just $1,666 - a good reason in itself to go back to school.