Adobe CS4 — now is the time

12. Apr 2010.

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If you have some spare money, buy Adobe CS5. If not, read on…

In my experience there are rarely features worth the upgrade in new software versions — take a look at MS Office. The flip side of adding new features is usually a bloated code, overcrowded interface and poor performance.

New Photoshop tools are mostly useful for repetitive tasks, such as removing stains on 100+ batches or image stretching. But seriously, how often do you need that? Will you all of the sudden start working with crappy images, just because your new software allows you to fix them? How about firing a photographer and tell clients to send over their mobile camera shots? I mean, you have the software, right?

Does an actor comes to a set with filthy hands and after the shooting they make some unfortunate Photoshop guy to turn it into an award winning shot?

…

Large companies upgrade their software regularly, because of large multi-seat license discounts and perhaps to stay up to date with their partners who already upgraded. Sometimes, it’s the matter of the company’s public image.

However, for a small or tiny creative agency with experienced designers (at least with regard to the tools of trade), those new amazing “where have you been all my life” features are not really essential. It is much more useful to teach people basics about using computers, than to arm them with a silver bullet.

With tough economy why not wait and skip at least one major release. Your business is not going to suffer because of it, because the latest technology doesn’t make a master. Skills and experience do.

For occasional photo retouching and interface design you’re okay with CS4 or even CS3. So save your money and buy it on Amazon. They also sell CS4 Student edition for under $400, which is a bargain if you are still in college.

Marko Dugonjić is a designer specialized in user experience design, web typography and web standards. He runs a nanoscale user interface studio Creative Nights and organizes FFWD.PRO, a micro-conference and workshops for web professionals.

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Davor Peic
001—2010.04.12.17:17

Yeah, great tip about that! I was thinking already about that option! And I think I will purchase it soon. One question, as you linked student edition, is there a catch for ppl outside of USA and not studing?

thanx

Marko Dugonjić
002—2010.04.12.17:30

I don’t know about any handy option for non-US-resident students, but I believe your local store has some supplies.

Tin Kadoic
003—2010.04.12.18:37

Didn’t realize the new design. Likey alot! #cudos

Natan
004—2010.04.13.09:18

I think the new Ps has some of the amazing features that will finally take part off the burden of hard, manual work from creative people and replace it with the machine work. So there is more time to work on real thinking.

I can relate to your point about most of us not needing the new version so bad to justify the expense and Ps ignoring tools for interface designers. I just wanted to point out that photoshop was never meant for web/interface designers, but the lack of competitive tools and wide availability of Ps was the reason the majority started using it for that purpose.

Adobe is addressing this specific professional audience with tools like Flash or Fireworks, which are also very common tools of trade. Personally me and my team, we use Fw which seemed like a good hybrid between photoshop, flash and surprisingly indesign (for it’s workflow with styles, which is very much like css). You should definitely give it a honest try, especially now when they claim fixing most of the annoying bugs and downsides it had.

Marko Dugonjić
005—2010.04.13.18:45

@Natan I believe Fireworks is losing popularity for the absence of massive dedicated tutorial sites like for instance tutspus network.

Marko Dugonjić
006—2010.04.14.11:35

After some research, there’s handy Fireworks tutorial list at Abduzeedo.

Natan
007—2010.04.14.21:14

You are most probably right. But than again I find it disturbingly wrong that contemporary designers’ (especially webdesigners’) focus is solely on art direction, especially cool effects & pretty graphics and almost none on all rest that forms a good UX.

I believe the lack of Fw tutorials lies in the fact it’s not made for drawing but for constructing. And to be able to construct one needs to deeply understand the process involved and to have a clear vision of the desired end-result. Which is very hard to teach especially in a medium like tutorial.

Have you maybe had an opportunity to try out the new Fw?

Emanuel Blagonic
008—2010.04.15.09:45

I share your view and to prove that must say that I worked for years in Photoshop 7 before upgrading to CS3. Although I have received the free upgrade to CS4 I didn’t installed it yet because I don’t see a point as you stated above.

I think the upgrade is useful when new tools are introduced that helps you out doing “ordinary” tasks much faster. Like the new “Content-Aware Fill” in CS5 (there are other improvements too :). Decide yourself ;)

Adobe CS4 — now is the time

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