New stuff coming in Photoshop CS5..

[Robert Barnett]

BTW I just looked at the upgrade tool you pointed too. The first page shows two panes. One where you can select the suite that you have and the second pane right next to it lets you choose any individule products that you have. Once you choose what you currently own in suites and standalone products it will then go to another page showing you what you can upgrade to.

When I choose Creative Suite CS3 Design Premium it tells me I can only upgrade to:

Adobe Creative Suite CS5 Design Standard
Adobe Creative Suite CS5 Design Premium
Adobe Creative Suite CS5 Web Premium
Adobe Creative Suite CS5 Production Premium
Adobe Creative Suite CS5 Master Collection

No place does it say you can upgrade a CS3 Design Premium Suite to just Photoshop CS5. They only way I get the option to upgrade to just CS5 is if I own a standalone copy of Photoshop CS3 or CS4. I think you didn't use the tool correctly. If you look you get two panels to choose what you own. One shows suites and one shows standalone applications. You then click the "see common upgrades" button in the upper right corner to see what you can upgrade too. Try it again and see.

Robert

[stickgirl Profile Private message]

I think you didn't use the tool correctly. Try it again and see.

Robert

I should never try check things out when it is way past my bedtime. I checked items off on the left half and the right half. Your are 100% correct in that I have to upgrade the entire suite, which won't happen.

Thanks for checking it out more thoroughly than I did.

Kathy

[Robert Barnett]

No problem. The two sections and what they are for could be a little more clear.

I would suggest that you contact Adobe and let them know that you would like the option of just upgrading the programs you want. They need to know that this is an upgrade path that people want. I recommend that everyone do this.

Robert

[Frankie Profile Private message]

I spoke with an Adobe Northeast Area rep at Photoworld in NYC when CS4 first came out about this same problem. She put me in touch with a couple of people from Adobe to see if there was anything they could do to help me. Long story short, they said that I couldn't upgrade the CS suite collection software individually. That's apparently the price you pay for the discounts received when the programs are bundled together. As a result, I decided to buy a Photoshop stand-alone, because that is the primary program that I use and can benefit from when it's upgraded. Stinks though, I know. Perhaps it should be made clearer when people purchase the bundled collections.

Frankie

[Robert Barnett]

I can understand where Adobe is coming from. You do save a lot by buying a suite. However, I think there is an easy way to allow people to upgrade selected programs. It would work something like this...

Say you bought Design Premium CS3, you shipped CS4 and now you have decided that you only want to upgrade Photoshop to CS5. Well, they allow you to do this. However, any programs you do not upgrade you loose the right to upgrade. So say you have the Design Premium CS3 and you only upgrade Photoshop to CS5 if you don't upgrade the other programs in the CS3 suite (you can upgrade only the ones you want) you will loose the right to upgrade that suite and any of the other programs that you didn't upgrade when you upgraded Photoshop to CS5. They could also charge an extra $50 for the Photoshop upgrade.

I do think there needs to be a penalty for breaking a suite and this would do that. But still allow people to do what they want it will just cost you.

Robert

[Frankie Profile Private message]

I agree with you, Robert. Makes sense to me. Sounds like it would work well for Adobe and their customers. It's hard to know what programs would be useful to the extent you'd want to keep up with the upgrades unless you're able to use them. Purchasing a collection and then doing what you suggested regarding individual upgrades sounds like a really useful option. I hope Adobe will eventually decide to do something like that. They're really terrific with student and teacher discounts, so they understand the importance of learning to use the software.

Frankie

[nannybear Profile Private messageWebsite]

Hmmmmm I bought the upgrade and I have the Master Collection. It let me, did I misunderstand?

[Robert Barnett]

Nannybear, did you upgrade the entire suite or just Photoshop? If Photoshop don't be surprised if when you get the upgrade it doesn't work. If you did get just the upgrade of PS then I would contact Adobe and make sure that you will be able to install it. Otherwise you may have trouble with a return if you open it.

Robert

[nannybear Profile Private messageWebsite]

Thanks Robert, it let me so I didn't think twice!!!!

[Robert Barnett]

I would still check. It is possible it was a glitch in their system. Adobe has made it clear that you can not downgrade a suite by upgrading just one part of it. Since upgrades are now controlled by serial numbers the chances are good that when you get the software and go to install it it will either find you serial number already on disc (they had it in special places on the hard drive that can't be removed or messed with easily) or it will ask you to put it in. If the serial number isn't right it won't install and software once you open it is a lot harder to return. So I would call and make sure.

Robert

[nannybear Profile Private messageWebsite]

I am getting it by download, and I have an account set up with them. I just remembered that I also own CS3 Extended standalone Photoshop above and beyond the Master Suite CS4. Glad I do actually as all plugins work with it! So that should be ok then correct? Pheww.....cheers Jan

[Robert Barnett]

With the CS3 standard you should be fine. It was that that let you upgrade Photoshop and not the Master Collection. As for plug-ins CS3 should be able to handle just about all of them. Some new ones will probably come out that require CS5 (using CS5 only technology) and some old ones may not work with CS5.

Everyone however should keep something in mind. From what I am getting from people at Adobe this will probably be the last version of Photoshop that is available as 32-bit and 64-bit. They have already moved Premiere and After Effects to 64-bit only. The future is 64-bit. Windows 7 may also be the last full Windows OS that is available in 32-bit. What this means is if you are using old plug-ins get prepared to loose them.

Yes. for now you can still run older versions of Photoshop. However, that isn't going to last forever either. The chances are good the either in the next release or two that the old versions may not be able to be run on Windows. Things are changing. At that point you only option would be to keep and old outdated system, OS and Photoshop to run them.

If the plug-in makers aren't updating then it is time to start looking for other options. Since most effects can be created without a plug-in learning Photoshop well would be a good way to start. With this in mind some of my favorite tutorial sites for Photoshop are...

http://www.planetphotoshop.com - Very good special effects tutorials.
http://www.russellbrown.com - Very good general purpose tutorials.

Robert

[nannybear Profile Private messageWebsite]

Very true I need to do some research on my favorites and find out from the companies if they are going to keep up....cheers Jan

[Robert Barnett]

I would also like to suggest that if you do have plug-ins you like that you let the maker's know that you would like them not only updated to work with the latest Photoshop version but updated to 64-bit. Only their user's can guide them. Let them know that there products are important and that you want them updated.

I have been trying for years to get Corel to update the Kai's Power Tools plug-ins but so far haven't had much luck, but then while the own them they don't sell them. Shame they had some nice ones that really should have been updated.

Robert

[heckydog Profile Private message]

I have been trying for years to get Corel to update the Kai's Power Tools plug-ins but so far haven't had much luck, but then while the own them they don't sell them. Shame they had some nice ones that really should have been updated.

Robert

Yep! Love that Goo !

Joe