Win a Pentax Limited Lens: Raffle Now Live!

**mtngal** · 03-06-2011, 04:31 PM

I'm getting ready to upgrade my almost 3 year old MacBook Pro (want faster processor and more memory). I'm thinking about upgrading Photoshop at the same time - I have CS4. However, it seems like CS5 has been out for quite a while and I'd hate to get CS5, only to have Adobe announce CS6 a couple of weeks later. Anyone have any idea what their timeframe might be for a new version? If it's not going to come out until fall I'd get CS5 now.

Colbyt · 03-06-2011, 05:45 PM

Just to ask a challenging question, one designed to make you think, what will the newer version do for you that the old one won't?

Heck, I am still using PS6. I freely admit my needs and skills are limited.

magkelly · 03-06-2011, 05:50 PM

CS5 hasn't been out for that long actually. It was just released in Spring of 2010 and there is usually something like 18 months between versions. It's been about a year.

If you're going to upgrade in a little while I'd say wait a bit if you're talking a few months as you might get a free upgrade deal. Adobe tends to run them in last few months prior to any new release.

I would wait to get CS5 or CS6 till after you have your new machine though because CS5 is a lot harder to run on older equipment than CS4 was. It's making major demands in terms of memory and video cards. That bit started with CS4 but CS5 definitely can act a bit twitchy if you don't have the newest hardware. I would imagine that CS6 will be even more of the same.

Wait about 3 months if you can, upgrade the machine in the meantime, then go for it. You'll get CS5 but probably an upgrade for CS6 too.

**mtngal** · 03-06-2011, 06:19 PM

One of the things I would really like to have with CS5 is the content aware cloning. Also, I think when I upgrade Creative Suite I'll get the one with Premiere, though I'm not so sure I'll use it much (I do very little video). But I think it would be nice to have eventually. There's a few other little things that would be nice to have in CS5, but aren't as interesting to me (I'm still doing some things the same way I did them in Photoshop 3, when I first played around with it).

Thanks for the information about when CS5 was released - I was thinking it was longer ago than that. At least if I decide to buy now, I won't have to worry about them releasing another version right away. And since the burning desire I have is to upgrade my computer not necessarily the program, I may just wait until CS6 comes out.

magkelly · 03-07-2011, 01:30 AM

Honestly I think Premier is a total waste of money for video unless you have a pro video card. I personally use Sony Sound Forge (and freeware Audacity sometimes now) for audio and Sony Vegas for video and they are just as good IMHO and far cheaper besides. Ulead also makes some really good, and not quite so expensive media programs.

For graphics and photography stuff I definitely prefer Adobe but you could do better than to get Premiere, seriously. If you have a film studio of some sort it's useful, but for non-pros it's often overkill and it's really hard to get a video card non-commercially that works just right with it. It's often really picky about that, particularly when it comes to video capture. If you don't have just the "right" card, and usually it's the really expensive latest ones they want, it's a real pain using it.

As for the new stuff in Photoshop CS5? I think it's great so far. This is a really good one, IMHO, definite major upgrade. I can't even begin to think of what they are going to add for CS6 they put so much cool new stuff into CS5!

**mtngal** · 03-07-2011, 07:50 PM

Interesting about Premiere, I don't really "think" in video and am not sure how much I'd use it. Maybe I'll just stick with iMovie, and try to figure it out a little more. I have access to the academic discount, so it's not that big of a deal to buy one of the creative suites. In the past I've bought the one with InDesign, which I thought might be useful for a project now and then but haven't used it at all. Since I can get the suite with Premiere for the same price, I thought that might be a better way to go.

Adam · 03-07-2011, 08:23 PM

I had CS3 and skipped out on CS4, but did upgrade to CS5 because of the content-aware brush as well as (more importantly) the native GPU and 64-bit support.

Adam
PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide | Site Help | My Photography)

PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

**mtngal** · 03-08-2011, 09:59 PM

Twist my arm, twist my arm, Adam. Here I was, thinking that I'd wait until CS6 comes out before upgrading (putting CS4 on the new computer) and then you go giving me more reason to just get it when I get the computer. Ah well, I still have some figuring to do before I actually buy the new computer. I may have to wait until fall anyway, the home repairs come before the new computer.

magkelly · 03-08-2011, 11:34 PM

Both Adobe and Sony have demos you can use for a month. I'd upgrade the computer and try them out. See which one suits you more. I'm not sure about Ulead, but the two companies above usually do and I definitely found it useful being able to try different video applications out beforehand. Being able to use several and finding my comfort zone with them really helped me to decide.

In the end, for me, the choice was Vegas versus Premiere. Vegas has a lot of the same capacity but I just find it so much easier to use than Premiere for some reason, and there was the video card issue too. I had a brand new computer when I tried Premiere and plenty of RAM, a very decent non-pro card and that still wasn't enough for Premiere. With Vegas I had no problems at all upgrading to a more expansive video program.

Premiere and Vegas are definitely more for experienced video editing. There's a good learning curve, like Photoshop CS5 etc. Ulead was much more easy in a point and click kind of way. I don't honestly know iMovie because I am a definite PC person and I never actually did much video on the Macs at school, but if it's anything like the basic video applications Windows offers than even Ulead would be a major step up for you. Going to Vegas or Premiere would blow that basic program away I would think.

mysticcowboy · 03-11-2011, 09:03 PM

Wait for CS6. Adobe has been quite regular in their version schedule. It's only a few months. Yes the content aware brush/fill is nice, but it isn't the magic that Adobe's videos make it to be. You'll notice a major speed bump with the new MacBook. Enjoy that, then you'll get a second when you upgrade to CS6. And if you're not experienced at video editing, you might look at Final Cut Express.

reeftool · 03-12-2011, 08:08 AM

I think there are some upgrades on the way just based on the recent prices. I got an offer for Lightroom 3 last week for $99. I almost jumped on it (it expired yesterday) but I didn't have the cash at the moment and I am in the process of re-financing the house and I don't want to add to any of my credit card balances. Bundled with this was an offer for CS 5 for an additional 30% off if you bought both bringing both of them to the price Lightroom normally sells for. If this turns up again later this year, I'm buying. Meanwhile, I'm sticking with Elements 9. Deep discounts like this usually start popping up just before a new version is released.

mysticcowboy · 03-14-2011, 08:59 PM

Just saw this link to Adobe's site where a Lightroom/Photoshop CS5 bundle is sold for $399.

reeftool · 03-15-2011, 08:51 AM

Originally posted by mysticcowboy

Just saw this link to Adobe's site where a Lightroom/Photoshop CS5 bundle is sold for $399.

That's the same deal I just passed up. Probably a pretty good one but I'm short on cash this time of year and I don't want to add any more credit card debt.

KxBlaze · 03-15-2011, 11:11 AM

Originally posted by mtngal

I'm getting ready to upgrade my almost 3 year old MacBook Pro (want faster processor and more memory). I'm thinking about upgrading Photoshop at the same time - I have CS4. However, it seems like CS5 has been out for quite a while and I'd hate to get CS5, only to have Adobe announce CS6 a couple of weeks later. Anyone have any idea what their timeframe might be for a new version? If it's not going to come out until fall I'd get CS5 now.

I recently went to training at Adobe for CS5 (a few months ago) and they were still calling it brand new so I highly doubt CS6 will be announced anytime soon, plus if you buy CS5, whenever CS6 becomes available you can upgrade for a lot less than an outright buy of CS6. Adobe is pretty good about giving perks to their loyal customers.

reeftool · 03-16-2011, 07:27 AM

Originally posted by KxBlaze

I recently went to training at Adobe for CS5 (a few months ago) and they were still calling it brand new so I highly doubt CS6 will be announced anytime soon, plus if you buy CS5, whenever CS6 becomes available you can upgrade for a lot less than an outright buy of CS6. Adobe is pretty good about giving perks to their loyal customers.

As an Elements user, they send me some pretty good upgrade offers like the $99 Lightroom deal last week. Unfortunately, it just wasn't a good time.

03-06-2011, 04:31 PM	#1
mtngal Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Wherever I’m Parked Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,003	Upgrade Photoshop now or in a couple of months? I'm getting ready to upgrade my almost 3 year old MacBook Pro (want faster processor and more memory). I'm thinking about upgrading Photoshop at the same time - I have CS4. However, it seems like CS5 has been out for quite a while and I'd hate to get CS5, only to have Adobe announce CS6 a couple of weeks later. Anyone have any idea what their timeframe might be for a new version? If it's not going to come out until fall I'd get CS5 now.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Which freeware photoshop alternative can apply photoshop plugins in batch	raider	Digital Processing, Software, and Printing	1	01-28-2010 10:54 PM
Upgrade after 2 months? Am I crazy?	VaughnA	Pentax DSLR Discussion	32	05-18-2009 07:32 AM
A few from past couple months.	Peter Zack	Post Your Photos!	20	11-30-2008 05:44 PM
Will the K10D be hard to find in a couple of months?	debmac52	Pentax DSLR Discussion	8	01-24-2008 08:31 PM

03-06-2011, 05:45 PM	#2
Colbyt Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Central Kentucky Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,418	Just to ask a challenging question, one designed to make you think, what will the newer version do for you that the old one won't? Heck, I am still using PS6. I freely admit my needs and skills are limited.

03-06-2011, 05:50 PM	#3
magkelly Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,901	CS5 hasn't been out for that long actually. It was just released in Spring of 2010 and there is usually something like 18 months between versions. It's been about a year. If you're going to upgrade in a little while I'd say wait a bit if you're talking a few months as you might get a free upgrade deal. Adobe tends to run them in last few months prior to any new release. I would wait to get CS5 or CS6 till after you have your new machine though because CS5 is a lot harder to run on older equipment than CS4 was. It's making major demands in terms of memory and video cards. That bit started with CS4 but CS5 definitely can act a bit twitchy if you don't have the newest hardware. I would imagine that CS6 will be even more of the same. Wait about 3 months if you can, upgrade the machine in the meantime, then go for it. You'll get CS5 but probably an upgrade for CS6 too.

03-06-2011, 06:19 PM	#4
mtngal Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Wherever I’m Parked Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,003 Original Poster	One of the things I would really like to have with CS5 is the content aware cloning. Also, I think when I upgrade Creative Suite I'll get the one with Premiere, though I'm not so sure I'll use it much (I do very little video). But I think it would be nice to have eventually. There's a few other little things that would be nice to have in CS5, but aren't as interesting to me (I'm still doing some things the same way I did them in Photoshop 3, when I first played around with it). Thanks for the information about when CS5 was released - I was thinking it was longer ago than that. At least if I decide to buy now, I won't have to worry about them releasing another version right away. And since the burning desire I have is to upgrade my computer not necessarily the program, I may just wait until CS6 comes out.

03-07-2011, 01:30 AM	#5
magkelly Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,901	Honestly I think Premier is a total waste of money for video unless you have a pro video card. I personally use Sony Sound Forge (and freeware Audacity sometimes now) for audio and Sony Vegas for video and they are just as good IMHO and far cheaper besides. Ulead also makes some really good, and not quite so expensive media programs. For graphics and photography stuff I definitely prefer Adobe but you could do better than to get Premiere, seriously. If you have a film studio of some sort it's useful, but for non-pros it's often overkill and it's really hard to get a video card non-commercially that works just right with it. It's often really picky about that, particularly when it comes to video capture. If you don't have just the "right" card, and usually it's the really expensive latest ones they want, it's a real pain using it. As for the new stuff in Photoshop CS5? I think it's great so far. This is a really good one, IMHO, definite major upgrade. I can't even begin to think of what they are going to add for CS6 they put so much cool new stuff into CS5!

03-07-2011, 07:50 PM	#6
mtngal Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Wherever I’m Parked Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,003 Original Poster	Interesting about Premiere, I don't really "think" in video and am not sure how much I'd use it. Maybe I'll just stick with iMovie, and try to figure it out a little more. I have access to the academic discount, so it's not that big of a deal to buy one of the creative suites. In the past I've bought the one with InDesign, which I thought might be useful for a project now and then but haven't used it at all. Since I can get the suite with Premiere for the same price, I thought that might be a better way to go.

03-07-2011, 08:23 PM	#7
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,609	I had CS3 and skipped out on CS4, but did upgrade to CS5 because of the content-aware brush as well as (more importantly) the native GPU and 64-bit support. Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

03-08-2011, 09:59 PM	#8
mtngal Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Wherever I’m Parked Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,003 Original Poster	Twist my arm, twist my arm, Adam. Here I was, thinking that I'd wait until CS6 comes out before upgrading (putting CS4 on the new computer) and then you go giving me more reason to just get it when I get the computer. Ah well, I still have some figuring to do before I actually buy the new computer. I may have to wait until fall anyway, the home repairs come before the new computer.

03-08-2011, 11:34 PM	#9
magkelly Veteran Member Join Date: May 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,901	Both Adobe and Sony have demos you can use for a month. I'd upgrade the computer and try them out. See which one suits you more. I'm not sure about Ulead, but the two companies above usually do and I definitely found it useful being able to try different video applications out beforehand. Being able to use several and finding my comfort zone with them really helped me to decide. In the end, for me, the choice was Vegas versus Premiere. Vegas has a lot of the same capacity but I just find it so much easier to use than Premiere for some reason, and there was the video card issue too. I had a brand new computer when I tried Premiere and plenty of RAM, a very decent non-pro card and that still wasn't enough for Premiere. With Vegas I had no problems at all upgrading to a more expansive video program. Premiere and Vegas are definitely more for experienced video editing. There's a good learning curve, like Photoshop CS5 etc. Ulead was much more easy in a point and click kind of way. I don't honestly know iMovie because I am a definite PC person and I never actually did much video on the Macs at school, but if it's anything like the basic video applications Windows offers than even Ulead would be a major step up for you. Going to Vegas or Premiere would blow that basic program away I would think.

03-11-2011, 09:03 PM	#10
mysticcowboy Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: port townsend, wa Photos: Albums Posts: 968	Wait for CS6. Adobe has been quite regular in their version schedule. It's only a few months. Yes the content aware brush/fill is nice, but it isn't the magic that Adobe's videos make it to be. You'll notice a major speed bump with the new MacBook. Enjoy that, then you'll get a second when you upgrade to CS6. And if you're not experienced at video editing, you might look at Final Cut Express.

03-12-2011, 08:08 AM	#11
reeftool Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,555	I think there are some upgrades on the way just based on the recent prices. I got an offer for Lightroom 3 last week for $99. I almost jumped on it (it expired yesterday) but I didn't have the cash at the moment and I am in the process of re-financing the house and I don't want to add to any of my credit card balances. Bundled with this was an offer for CS 5 for an additional 30% off if you bought both bringing both of them to the price Lightroom normally sells for. If this turns up again later this year, I'm buying. Meanwhile, I'm sticking with Elements 9. Deep discounts like this usually start popping up just before a new version is released.

03-14-2011, 08:59 PM	#12
mysticcowboy Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: port townsend, wa Photos: Albums Posts: 968	Just saw this link to Adobe's site where a Lightroom/Photoshop CS5 bundle is sold for $399.

03-15-2011, 08:51 AM	#13
reeftool Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,555	Originally posted by mysticcowboy Just saw this link to Adobe's site where a Lightroom/Photoshop CS5 bundle is sold for $399. That's the same deal I just passed up. Probably a pretty good one but I'm short on cash this time of year and I don't want to add any more credit card debt.

03-15-2011, 11:11 AM	#14
KxBlaze Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: California Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,602	Originally posted by mtngal I'm getting ready to upgrade my almost 3 year old MacBook Pro (want faster processor and more memory). I'm thinking about upgrading Photoshop at the same time - I have CS4. However, it seems like CS5 has been out for quite a while and I'd hate to get CS5, only to have Adobe announce CS6 a couple of weeks later. Anyone have any idea what their timeframe might be for a new version? If it's not going to come out until fall I'd get CS5 now. I recently went to training at Adobe for CS5 (a few months ago) and they were still calling it brand new so I highly doubt CS6 will be announced anytime soon, plus if you buy CS5, whenever CS6 becomes available you can upgrade for a lot less than an outright buy of CS6. Adobe is pretty good about giving perks to their loyal customers.

03-16-2011, 07:27 AM	#15
reeftool Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,555	Originally posted by KxBlaze I recently went to training at Adobe for CS5 (a few months ago) and they were still calling it brand new so I highly doubt CS6 will be announced anytime soon, plus if you buy CS5, whenever CS6 becomes available you can upgrade for a lot less than an outright buy of CS6. Adobe is pretty good about giving perks to their loyal customers. As an Elements user, they send me some pretty good upgrade offers like the $99 Lightroom deal last week. Unfortunately, it just wasn't a good time.

Upgrade Photoshop now or in a couple of months?

Win a Pentax Limited Lens: Raffle Now Live!