Adobe Announces “Creative Suite 5.5” Photoshop Users Rest Easy

The word is out: Adobe has just announced the Adobe Creative Suite Version 5.5, which includes new features and updates for people designing and/or creating for mobile devices of all kinds and for people working with video (among others).

The update affects these Apps (which all move to version 5.5):

$#x2022; InDesign CS 5.5
$#x2022; Dreamweaver CS 5.5
$#x2022; Flash Pro CS 5.5
$#x2022; Premiere Pro CS 5.5
$#x2022; After Effects CS 5.5

Photoshop users, rest easy—-there are no enhancements or new features in this update for Photoshop whatsoever, so Photoshop will remain at CS5, though there is a free patch so it will be able to connect to mobile apps that may be released in the future but just so ya know—-it is NOT a 5.5-level upgrade like the other CS5 products are getting.

Also, the new suites will now include Acrobat 10 instead of 9.

iPad Apps for Extending Photoshop
Adobe did announce some new Apps that are designed to work with, and extend, Photoshop CS5. Here’s a link to a video that shows the interaction with the iPad.

Something I Never Thought We’d See, But I Love It!
I think perhaps nearly as big news is that Adobe is announcing a monthly Subscription Plan for both individual apps (like Photoshop CS5) and the various Creative Suites, so if you couldn’t afford the upfront costs to buy a full blown version of Photoshop, or the Creative Suite, now you can rent it by the month. How cool is that!!!!

Better yet—subscribers automatically get their subscription upgraded when a new version of their product comes up (so if you start on Photoshop CS5, when Photoshop CS6 comes out, subscribers get the new version as soon as it’s available).

I don’t have all the pricing yet (but it appears that the monthly subscription for Photoshop will be as low as $35), but I bet I know two places that will: visit Terry White’s Tech Blog (link) or Adobe.com.

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  1. Hi Scott! I’m sorry that Photoshop got left out of the party (god knows you guys have enough goodies to keep you occupied), but CS5.5 is big news over in InDesign-land. In case any of the Photoshop fans here want to learn more about what’s up with ID CS 5.5, you should know there are many many new features for anyone exporting ID files out to EPUB, HTML, DPS (magazine apps for the iPad and other tablets) or accessible PDFs, plus they threw in a few fixes and useful new features for any ID user. (Alas, we still don’t have content-aware scaling …as I envision it, the ability to scale a text frame and have InDesign edit it down in word count or add more details to fatten it up … maybe in CS6 …) :D

    You can read more about the new features in InDesign CS5.5, with screen shots, at our new post on InDesignSecrets: http://indesignsecrets.com/indesign-cs-5-5-announced.php

    Also Terry White has a video up on the new eBook features: http://tv.adobe.com/watch/cs-55-design-premium-feature-tour-/create-more-compelling-ebooks-with-indesign-cs55/

    –Anne-Marie

  2. What, this couldn’t have waited for Pimpy Thursday? What is Brad going to do now? :D

    It all sounds cool, but I’m with Graham (above) on an update to Lightroom, to correct some of those niggling issues we all talked about on your blog last year.

    –John

  3. And the price gouging continues. Can someone please explain why the Master Collection upgrade costs double in Australia to what US customers pay? This is even after you take local sales tax into consideration. I am getting really tired of being punished for doing the right thing and actually paying for software rather than doing what the rest of the world seems to be doing and simply stealing it.

    Really Adobe please explain how you justify such actions… oh and please don’t give me the local labour market is more expensive… every time I call Adobe Australia I ended up talking to a call centre in India.

  4. But the question is after you rent it long enough to have paid for it , will it be yours or will you still be paying. I know its a questions for Adobe but just wondering..

  5. I participated in a very lengthy survey from Adobe about subscription pricing. This was one of the higher priced models they were asking about. I can see the pricing for subscriptions working for business customers only if they are very careful about their capacity planning.

  6. I would be curious to review an honest comparison of pricing between volume licensing and subscription plans. I keep seeing the word “corporate” used as good reasoning for the subscription pricing.

    I just don’t see how the numbers can play out in favor of anyone, but Adobe (in regard to the subscription plan). Time will tell if the subscription plan idea was a good one…

  7. Hi Scott! I’ve viewed the NAPP landing page with the demos of the iPad apps. Thanks very much for providing the “hands on” preview. Cool apps, but I’m not seeing a real need that my Wacom can’t currently fill. Not much demand for my fingerpaint artwork these days. :-)

    I completely agree that a subscription model is a long-overdue and welcome approach. Of course it will cost more. But so does any “pay as you go” plan. So I’m ok with it, and it helps solve an issue I sometimes have where I need a full blown production suite, but can’t justify buying it outright.

    Finally, I just don’t see a compelling reason as a photographer for updating to the CS5.5. I currently use CS5 Design Premium and along with Lightroom 3, this covers 90% of my business needs. I just hope that Adobe will continue to patch CS5 products until the next major rev. release.

  8. Hey Scott, carrying on from The Grid this upgrade although not directly for me certainly could be for someone I employ to develop anything for mobile apps. Adobe clearly watch the way things are going and yeah Mobile Apps / Devices are growing at blistering speed and thanks to Adobe they’re enabling us to atleast keep up with what’s happening.

    As for the subscription deal…that’s a winner!!! I fail to see how anyone can view that as anything but a positive; now Adobe have opened their doors to give access to their wares to everyone and not just those who can afford to shell out £££££. Way to go I say :)

    Cheers,
    Glyn

  9. I just paid €2000 for CS5 Design Premium and now they want another €500 for the upgrade to 5.5! This is just unbelievable – have they already lost all paying non-company users, or are they just trying to push the last few paying individuals to piracy?

    I feel totally ripped off here. Adobe is deleting all price complaints from their fora and blogs to try and create the illusion that everybody loves the news, but I think there will be a great many people who are pushed by this announcement into ceasing to pay to use Adobe’s products!

  10. Okay! Adobe has shown their hand with this move. Their software is too expensive for their customer base. People are not buying their tools like they were in the past. In order for Adobe to move forward, they had to hide the pea under a different shell. The hard cold truth is that in this economy, designers are having a cash flow problem. In the corporate world, bean counters are laughing when the budget for upgrades are submitted. Adobe is now the pusher, and we are the user.

  11. Hi Scott – I’m confused now. I thought 5.5 was an update…but it’s an upgrade that cost? If I took the time to research Adobe site I would know my answer, but it’s so compelling to comment on your blog. :)

    Subscription based use is very flexible, but I’d rather own it (IMO).

  12. I must say that I think is a great patch to Photoshop. With an upgraded SDK (The thing that makes you “remote control” Photoshop) programmers around the world are now able to come up with all sorts of fun plugins and apps!

    To bad there isn’t any new tools tough=)

  13. For those of us who have Production Premium but mostly use Illustrator and PS there seems to be no reason to upgrade and an almost ‘take it or leave it’ attitude from Adobe about it.

    Now that they have gone to 12 month update cycle we have the choice of paying $400 twice to update the suite to get all the tools update, or waiting another year to see what the price will be to skip the mid cycle upgrade. And are we to expect that the next update will be big for Illustrator and PS and not for Premiere? Seems awfully poorly thought out and a huge money grab.

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