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Adobe Creative Suite 4: Massive Upgrade Including New Photoshop, Premiere and More
Posted by Wilson Rothman at 2:01 PM on September 23, 2008
Today is one of those days that designers celebrate and dread: Adobe unveils its latest Creative Suite—Number 4—with new pro versions of Photoshop, Premiere, InDesign, Illustrator, Flash, Dreamweaver, After Effects and more. Heavy users wait with bated breath to see if their desired tweaks have been added, knowing that if the answer is "yes," then somebody's going to have to spend some dough fast—full versions run from $US1,700 to $US2,500 for the full Master Collection. If the answer is "no," it could be another year before the problems are solved.
This year's updates, which number into the hundreds, mainly concern workflow, that is, when you work with objects in one program, how well those adjustments are tracked and understood by the various other apps. With a heady number of improvements to so many super hardcore apps, I decided to paste in the main press release below, a gallery of the best new Photoshop screens, and links to key What's New PDFs, and let you go on your own missions of discovery.
PDFs:
• Photoshop What's New PDF
• Premiere What's New PDF
• Illustrator What's New PDF
• After Effects What's New PDF
• Dreamweaver What's New PDF
• Flash What's New PDF
Adobe Introduces Creative Suite 4 Product Family
Radical Workflow Breakthroughs, New Levels of Flash Expressiveness and Integration Anchor Adobe's Biggest Software ReleaseSAN JOSE, Calif. -- Sept. 23, 2008 -- Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 product family, a milestone release of the industry-leading design and development software for virtually every creative workflow. Delivering radical workflow breakthroughs that bring down the walls between designers and developers -- and packed with hundreds of feature innovations--the new Creative Suite 4 product line advances the creative process across print, Web, mobile, interactive, film and video production. With new levels of integration and expressiveness for Flash technology across the entire product line, Adobe's biggest software release to date includes Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design editions, Creative Suite 4 Web editions, Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, Creative Suite 4 Master Collection, as well as 13 point products, 14 integrated technologies and seven services.
Adobe Creative Suite Master Collection CS4 combines virtually all of Adobe's new design and development applications, technologies and services in a single box -- the most comprehensive creative environment ever delivered.
"Designers and developers are shaping the way that people consume information, share ideas, sell products, tell stories and create memorable experiences -- in print, online and via mobile handsets," said Shantanu Narayen, president and chief executive officer at Adobe. "Whether you're creating a rich Internet application, a video or a best-selling magazine, Adobe Creative Suite 4 delivers powerful cross-media technologies that have the ability to elevate products, brands and ideas above the clutter."
Broad Integration and Efficiency Improve Creative Workflow
Adobe Creative Suite 4 offers unprecedented choice among editions and stand-alone products, with comprehensive support for the most cutting-edge workflows for virtually any design discipline. Customers can choose from six suites or full version upgrades of 13 stand-alone applications, including Photoshop® CS4, Photoshop CS4 Extended, InDesign® CS4 (see separate releases), Illustrator® CS4, Flash® CS4 Professional, Dreamweaver® CS4, After Effects® CS4, and Adobe Premiere® Pro CS4.A simplified workflow in Adobe Creative Suite 4 enables users to design across media more efficiently by making it easier to complete common tasks and switch between mediums without leaving a project. InDesign CS4 includes a new Live Preflight tool that allows designers to catch production errors and a newly customizable Links panel to place files more efficiently. The revolutionary new Content-Aware Scaling tool in Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended automatically recomposes an image as it is resized, preserving vital areas as it adapts to new dimensions. An expanded version of Dynamic Link in CS4 Production Premium enables users to move content between After Effects CS4, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, Soundbooth® CS4, and Encore® CS4, so updates can be seen instantly without rendering. Designers using the Adobe Creative Suite 4 product family will be able to gain unprecedented creative control using the new expressive features and visual performance improvements in Adobe Flash Player 10 to deliver breakthrough Web experiences across multiple browsers and operating systems.
Adobe Creative Suite 4 brings 3D center-stage providing the ability to paint, composite, and animate 3D models using familiar tools. Flash CS4 Professional now offers the ability to apply tweens to objects instead of keyframes, providing greater control over animation attributes. Also in Flash, the new Bones tool helps create more realistic animations between linked objects. With a searchable library of more than 450 dynamically updated device profiles from leading manufacturers, Adobe Device Central CS4 (see separate release) enables users to easily test mobile content designed using many of the Creative Suite 4 products.
Adobe Creative Suite 4 significantly expands access to services* available to creative professionals and developers who want to collaborate online. Adobe ConnectNow, a service of Acrobat.com, can be accessed from InDesign CS4, Illustrator CS4, Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop Extended CS4, Flash CS4 Professional, Dreamweaver CS4, Fireworks® CS4, and Acrobat® 9 Pro, allowing real-time collaboration with two colleagues or clients. Designers can also share colour harmonies with Adobe Kuler™, which is now accessible from within InDesign CS4, Illustrator CS4, Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop Extended CS4, Flash CS4 and Fireworks CS4. Other online resources include: Adobe Community Help for technical questions; Resource Central for accessing video and audio product-related news and tutorials, as well as Soundbooth scores, sound effects, and other stock media; and Adobe Bridge Home, a customizable resource for tips, tutorials, news and inspirational content.
Pricing and Availability
Adobe Creative Suite 4 and its associated point products are scheduled to ship in October 2008 with availability through Adobe Authorised Resellers and the Adobe Store at www.adobe.com/go/gn_store.Estimated street price for the Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium will be US$1799, US$1699 for Adobe Creative Suite 4 Web Premium, US$1699 for Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium, and US$2499 for Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection.
Adobe plans to offer tiered upgrade pricing from previous versions. For a limited time, validly licensed customers of eligible versions of Adobe Creative Suite, Adobe Production Studio and Macromedia Studio will be able to upgrade to Creative Suite 4 for the CS3 upgrade price.
For more detailed information about features, upgrade policies, pricing, and international versions please visit: www.adobe.com/creativesuite.
Adobe Flash Player 10 is currently available in beta as a free download from Adobe Labs at www.adobe.com/go/astro with general availability expected by the end of the year. Adoption of the previous update to Adobe Flash Player 9 set all-time records by achieving over 80 percent reach on Internet enabled desktops in less than six months and Flash Player 10 is expected to achieve a similar adoption rate.
About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe revolutionizes how the world engages with ideas and information - anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.
[Adobe]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
wetworker
Posted 2:37 PM 23/9/08
I'm loving that tab feature for open documents
I just hope they made flash more designer friendly this time.
I like this new comment thing, can we edit?
wetworker
Cordfucious v 2.0.1
Posted 2:35 PM 23/9/08
@--Tito--: that didn't take long
Cordfucious v 2.0.1
etimy
Posted 2:35 PM 23/9/08
honestly is it so hard for adobe to make this SAS!!!!!!! for like 14.99$ a month akin to aviary!
etimy
--Tito--
Posted 2:23 PM 23/9/08
To The Pirate Bay! Lol. . . . *insert Batman theme song here*
--Tito--
chorx
Posted 2:19 PM 23/9/08
@Hiphopopotamus: Neither can the rest of the internet.
chorx
Wilson Rothman
Posted 2:18 PM 23/9/08
Just fixed that link and resaved, so it should point to the right file in a few minutes. Thanks for pointing it out!
Wilson Rothman
Hiphopopotamus
Posted 2:16 PM 23/9/08
I can't wait to 'buy' this!
Hiphopopotamus
TailsNZ
Posted 2:12 PM 23/9/08
Oops, "Photoshop What's New PDF" links to the llustrator one as well.
TailsNZ
marksman7328
Posted 2:11 PM 23/9/08
the link to the photoshop whats new is wrong and points to the illustrator whats new.
marksman7328
graphx
Posted 2:09 PM 23/9/08
wtf... cs3 just came out. geez adobe way to get us to spend more money b/c you know i will!
graphx
irfan
Posted 2:09 PM 23/9/08
Photoshop changelog is linked to the illustrator one.
irfan
bandit
Posted 3:02 PM 23/9/08
Can someone please release a non-buggy consumer HD video editor? I have a decent HD camera but no way to make edited movies because I've read bad things about Premiere Elements and the competition sounds no better. With all the entry-level HD cams being sold now, why can't someone create a decent editing tool? Arg.
bandit
livinzlife
Posted 3:01 PM 23/9/08
I didn't read way too far in depth but a lot of it seems like things that can already be achieved in cs3, they just made it easier for the less advanced folks. It almost seems less targeted to professionals than cs3 was, and more about "hey you can do it too!" Even though great design and concept starts on paper...
livinzlife
bandit
Posted 3:00 PM 23/9/08
Can someone please release a non-buggy HD video editor for consumers? I was going to get the latest Premiere Elements but have read bad things. Yet the competition seems no better. So as of now I've invested in a good consumer HD video camera but have no ability to make edited videos. Really frustrating.
bandit
rainfever
Posted 2:54 PM 23/9/08
daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn it, the photoshop one is broken, and its the one I want to read most!
I'd be useful and provide a link, but my google/adobe searching skills are apparently not up to the task...
rainfever
damnElantra
Posted 2:49 PM 23/9/08
meh. all the features of photoshop cs4 seem 3d related.
seeing as i use fully fledged 3d software, im not in a rush for upgrade.
most of the other features are already stable in free to download open source software.
big yaaaawn for me
damnElantra
Kaiser-Machead on the Edge
Posted 2:46 PM 23/9/08
Still rockin' old CS2 because I'm a masochist. I may get this (just photoshop).
Kaiser-Machead on the Edge
Rajio
Posted 3:17 PM 23/9/08
Too soon and not enough of a change to justify it. I know only a handfull of businesses which have shifted to CS3 already. Odds are all of those will skip CS4 as it's hard to justify upgrading thousand dollar software yearly. Even if it's made by Adobe or Autodesk (I'm looking at you, AutoCAD!)
These annual (and full price) revisions really doom your software as alternatives emerge in the maketplace, Adobe. Photoshop and Illustrator etc may be good tools but they're not as unbeatable as you seem to think. Tred carefully if you intend on the annual version change route.
Rajio
Mike918
Posted 3:14 PM 23/9/08
There is nothing that can take me away from the good and old movie maker!...except $1700...i would love to buy this.
Mike918
lordofthetoast
Posted 3:12 PM 23/9/08
The 3d integration between AE and Photoshop look fantastic and would really smooth out my workflow. Now if only CS4 was 64-bit on the Mac.
lordofthetoast
ALT
Posted 3:04 PM 23/9/08
The new photoshop UI looks awkward to me, features be damned. I guess Im waiting till CS5.
ALT
terebakashi
Posted 3:47 PM 23/9/08
@Rajio: No, CS3 was too soon and not enough of a change; half of it was just rebranding old Macromedia products with only minor updates. CS3 really should have been just CS2.5.
On the other hand, CS4 will be a worthwhile update. The unified interface changes alone will make the suite altogether very appealing. Sure, if you only use one or two apps (bitmap, a little vector, and a light HTML editor), standalone alternatives will definitely fit the bill much better.
But if you use multiple apps throughout the entire design process, the amount of time you save annually just from not having to constantly shuttle files back and forth, worry about format conversion, and keep track of revisions, will be more than enough to pay for the cost of the suite.
terebakashi
bandit
Posted 3:39 PM 23/9/08
Hey, what's with the new bottom-up comment system? Considering that the newest posts are often way off topic, and people naturally read top-down, this isn't a good way to organize the comments.
bandit
MichaelScrip
Posted 3:33 PM 23/9/08
@Rajio: "Too soon and not enough of a change to justify it."
Well, that may be the case for you... but there may be someone still using CS from 2004.
There will always be people in different stages of an upgrade cycle. You don't have to upgrade to each new version, but it's nice for the person who's a couple versions behind.
Car companies make new versions of the same car with little to no changes for 4 or 5 years. But, there is always someone looking to buy a new car at this very moment.
MichaelScrip
Banzai
Posted 4:10 PM 23/9/08
Photoshop Whast New pdf link. [www.adobe.com]
Along with others at [www.adobe.com]
Bottom of the page.
Banzai
terebakashi
Posted 4:37 PM 23/9/08
A little taste of some of the new features in Photoshop CS4 (skip the 1.5min intro, but pay attention to "Imaging Magic" and "Open GL"):
+ Watch video
terebakashi
jonnypage
Posted 4:22 PM 23/9/08
@bandit: try sony Vegas, it's pretty rad
jonnypage
bandit
Posted 4:53 PM 23/9/08
@jonnypage: Mixed reviews on the Sony Vegas product too. I see a new Photoshop/Premiere Elements 7 package is coming out in mid-October. Anybody have any information?
bandit
addiktion
Posted 5:19 PM 23/9/08
@Hiphopopotamus:
hehehehe
addiktion
TheMurderer
Posted 5:46 PM 23/9/08
Man, screw CS3. CS4 is da footure!
TheMurderer
djangopool9
Posted 5:48 PM 23/9/08
@bandit:
me too, specially now that new dslrs, particularly the canon 5DMKII, has HD video.
djangopool9
r0ckface
Posted 7:48 PM 23/9/08
@jonnypage: Sony Vegas is so underrated it hurts me... hehe
r0ckface
r0ckface
Posted 7:46 PM 23/9/08
@bandit: Sony Vegas all the way!
r0ckface
T-man
Posted 8:56 PM 23/9/08
Let's hope they've fixed the installer. The one for CS3 was an absolute abomination. Slow as hell (installs often taking hours), buggy to the point of having to wipe hard drives, and WTH do I need to shut down Firefox to install Photoshop?
T-man
saicode
Posted 8:52 PM 23/9/08
Photoshop looks superb!
I just bought Adobe CS3 Production Suite just 3 weeks back ! :(
saicode
CaptainSquishy
Posted 9:31 PM 23/9/08
Oh yeah, Live View for dreamweaver. Welcome to the Age of Coda and CSS Edit Adobe.
CaptainSquishy
robot-shmobot
Posted 10:54 PM 23/9/08
@terebakashi: I'm sick of photoshopping. I'd rather hire an amazing photographer and use InDesign. Blarg, massive photo manipulation is for sailors.
robot-shmobot
DisposableInterloper
Posted 11:10 PM 23/9/08
@terebakashi:
That's a really bad video. I don't suppose this guy has ever heard of the Lord Privy Seal.
DisposableInterloper
DrewThreadsToobs
Posted 11:32 PM 23/9/08
@ALT: I think it looks good. Finally using the full space of the screen for your palettes with less wasted space. That's the way I've been working for a while now anyway. Also, features like the clone-stamp preview are waaay overdue.
Since I teach Creative Suite to college students, I imagine I'll be upgrading soon, but not right away.
DrewThreadsToobs
DrewThreadsToobs
Posted 11:28 PM 23/9/08
@wetworker: Nope, still no edit button.
I love the idea of tabs for open docs. That alone could save me hours every week. From the sound of it, I think that's happened across the board (even in Flash).
DrewThreadsToobs
DrewThreadsToobs
Posted 11:25 PM 23/9/08
@r0ckface: Really guys, you RE-replied to this just because he double commented?
I know it's confusing, but come on.@
DrewThreadsToobs
RE-L
Posted 11:55 PM 23/9/08
Damn...asspensive but so necessary....
RE-L
shpe11
Posted 12:32 AM 24/9/08
flash CS4 rulz
i was expecting maybe perspective transformation for objects, but is moer: native 3D!!!! finaly!!!
let the games begin...
best vector editor
best video handler (realtime efects,blending,distortion and now 3D perspective)
best developing (multimedia)
can do multiplayer web games (i'll do this... in progress first game: games.shpe.ro, will add more some 3D definitely)
shpe11
AaronH
Posted 2:08 AM 24/9/08
@bandit Gotta' say, if you have a PC, Vegas all the way.
I am 100% Mac, but I keep 1 PC around for Sony Vegas. The other poster who said it was so underrated it hurt was right. I've edited everything from music videos to network shows on it - SD and HD.
Back to Adobe upgrade price bashing...
AaronH
michaelportent
Posted 2:34 AM 24/9/08
Adobe continues to frustrate me. CS2 was a fantastic product group. Hell, Photoshop 7 was great. They've made all these work flow and compatibility changes while ignoring the biggest flaw in their software - that it's entirely too piggy on resources.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but haven't we all just wanted a fast, lightweight version of CS2?
michaelportent
CampSteve
Posted 2:53 AM 24/9/08
@Rajio: I'm a pro designer but I'm still on CS. It does what I need... for now. I've been waiting for new MacBook Pros to start upgrading my software as well. I'll be jumping up to CS4 sometime this winter.
CampSteve
doofusgumby
Posted 4:19 AM 24/9/08
@lordofthetoast:
and only if it doesn't crash and burn on xp64!!
damn adobe, GET WITH THE 64 BIT STUFFS.
doofusgumby
unkpku is hating new comments
Posted 5:59 AM 24/9/08
@Hiphopopotamus: totally
unkpku is hating new comments
ryusen
Posted 6:41 AM 24/9/08
a few really neat new features, but just not enough for me to upgrade from CS3 yet. i skipped 2, i will likely wait for 5
ryusen
icegnome
Posted 8:55 AM 24/9/08
Oh Sweet the upgrade for Master Collection is only $900..... what a deal.... thats basically just the price of a tank of gas.....
icegnome
smeee
Posted 1:44 PM 24/9/08
Ill wait...erhm...for the ermm special version.
smeee
mrvix
Posted 2:28 AM 24/9/08
anyone figure out if this cs4 for mac is still running on carbon? or did those adobe ppl finally stop whining and do this thing in cocoa? also did anyone else notice how almost all the new interface designs seem to be based in some way on the updated AE interface from AE 7 and AE CS3? I like it, it makes sense and I am assuming it's all as customizable. CS3 was a joke, CS4 looks like a winner. Now lets hope they unified the short cut keys.
mrvix