Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection
Buy Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection
Price: $229
Perhaps the biggest CS4 news from a technology standpoint was Adobe’s introduction of a 64-bit (Windows only) version of Photoshop. When this news was first announced, I was very excited, since my new system runs on Vista x64 (see my 8 cores on a budget feature). And yes, there is a performance difference, especially at very high resolutions. But there are several inherent problems in the way that Photoshop CS4 64-bit was implemented, and for me, those problems effectively cancel out any benefit that the 64-bit application currently provides. For starters, both versions of Photoshop are installed on a 64-bit Windows system by default. So twice the amount of disk space is being devoted to Photoshop in order to use the 64-bit version. And while it’s possible to install only the 64-bit version, doing so would not exactly be wise for most users. One major limitation is the lack of support for 32-bit plug-ins within 64-bit Photoshop. This means that any plug-ins that work on 32-bit Photoshop CS4 (and therefore previous versions of Photoshop) do not work within the 64-bit version. 64-bit users will therefore have to wait for plug-in developers to completely re-engineer their code before those plug-ins will work. One day, that may happen, but at the moment it seems that the Windows-based 64-bit user base is so small that most plug-in developers are not rushing to redevelop their software. While I write this article, there is a small handful of 64-bit Photoshop plug-ins available, but there seems to be a genuine lack of interest on the part of many developers to hop on that bandwagon. It probably isn’t economically feasible. For me, this poses a significant dilemma. I’ve always found that third party plug-ins, more than most of Adobe’s native filters, tend to be RAM/CPU hungry beasts, especially when operating at higher resolutions. 64-bit versions would allow those operations to be performed at much higher resolutions without running out of accessible memory. But since those are not yet available, Photoshop CS4 64-bit seems like more of a proof of concept than a full replacement for 32-bit Photoshop.
Adobe offers Creative Suite 4 professional software in five flavors. Among them, the Master Collection offers professionals the most jam-packed digital toolbox. There are applications for concocting and editing digital pixel and vector graphics, print layouts, video, Web pages, and animation, and then repurposing that content for mobile devices. Those who don't need the whole shebang might consider suites that cost less, such as Web Premium or Standard for Web design, Design Premium or Standard with tools for printed media, or Production Premium for film (scroll down for charts with more details). The release of Adobe Creative Suite 3 in 2007 was the first to incorporate former Macromedia products, such as Flash. With Creative Suite 4, Adobe has unified the interfaces of all the applications for a more seamless experience. The Flash-based panels within CS4 are more nimble than its predecessors, and handy pull-down menus with preset styles enable you to shift among work space layouts quickly.
Efficient creation of websites, applications, and digital experiences Prototype and create leading-edge digital experiences, including interactive websites, applications, user interfaces, presentations, and mobile device content, using Adobe Fireworks CS4, Dreamweaver CS4, Flash, and many other tools in Master Collection. Exchange creative content between designers and developers without rework. A complete pre- and post-production toolset Work with a highly efficient pre- and post-production toolset to do video and audio editing, still and motion graphics, visual effects, and interactive media design, and then deliver for film, broadcast, and DVD as well as Blu-ray Disc and mobile authoring.