April 12th was the official announcement of Adobe Creative Suite 5. With it came a lot of great features that we will be highlighting here in our blog and also LIVE in the following weeks (find out more here). It also has given us the freedom to answer some questions customers have been asking.
What is included in Creative Suite 5? This comparison chart shows the software included in the suites. The biggest changes are the addition of Flash Catalyst, the end of Design Standard, and Adobe Soundbooth is no longer available in Web Premium.
CS5 Comparison Chart
We just upgraded to CS4 recently. Now what do I do? Historically persons who purchased CS4 after or close to the announce date automatically received a voucher for a free upgrade. This may not the case this time. Check out this FAQ from Adobe regarding your eligibility here. Sources say that the product will be available by June 1.
How much does this cost?
Design Premium – $1,899 Web Premium – $1,799 Production Premium – $1,699 Master Collection – $2,599
Upgrades to an individual Suite from CS4 are $599 and from CS3 or CS2 are $799. Master Collection Upgrades start at $899. If you need help figuring out your upgrade, you can use Adobe’s Upgrade Eligibility Tool here.
What are the system requirements?
Adobe has a full listing of system requirements posted on their site here.
Is it really that different?
Yes, and it’s all for the better. CS5 has some really big changes and improvements to both the workflow efficiency of the suite and the individual applications themselves. Functions that were issues before are stable, 64-bit support (on the Mac!) and more. Photoshop alone boasts 11 new features, not including changes to existing functions. This is a “major update” according to Adobe.
So where do I learn about these new features?
From us! We will be posting videos and features here on our blog and LIVE over the next few weeks. Check our upcoming events for a full listing of CS5 events in the community, and watch your email for upcoming announcements on CS5 hands-on upgrade classes, which will be available soon after product release.
