BUT, come on, it’s more than a few brush patterns (especially since you should be making your won brush patterns if you find old ones inadequate, or borrowing someone else’s). The 3D stuff, both the repousse in Photoshop and the 3D planes in Illustrator really save me time creating and makes me more effective for my clients. I love it. Fast, attractive elements so I can move on to thinking up what to make next.

Like you said, it’s just a tool, and a hammer from last year works as well as a hammer from next year and one from years ago. But there are also new tools, and they are useful. You don’t need to buy it (and having things save to an unopenable version is reallllly annoying, since not everyone should have to upgrade just because that one jerk supplying the logo did). Think of it this way – you’re not buying a new hammer, you’re buying a whole different tool kit that also has a hammer in it.

Thanks.

Good to hear from you.

Yeah, the Unix stuff is great for a developer. Although I don’t know a ton about developing, each platform has its strengths and weaknesses. I believe it’s possible to run Adobe through emulation or virtualization when running Linux, but at that point, you might as well run it on the intended platform.

I think I would still be totally happy with CS, because of layer adjustments. I guess I feel that Adobe should reward customers that have paid for several versions of their software over the years, and at least give them a bit of a discount in a brief fit of honesty (Uh, sorry, all we could come up with new in this version is a new tabbed interface and enhanced run times for 64-bit processors!) in order to keep those loyal customers happy. But with no real viable alternative yet, why should they care?

Time will tell, my friend. Time will tell.

What I need in the Mac is the Unix stuff under the hood, since I am a developer. Also SketchUp, though I could go Windows for that (yuck). I, too, really wish I could run Linux (other than in virtualization — ironically, some of my linux stuff runs faster in virtualization than it does natively on the Mac), but the graphics programs just aren’t there compared to Win/Mac.

I do enjoy the pretty kool-aide that Apple has poured for all of us, but I think it’s important to keep control of one’s own computing destiny and not jump through corporate hoops at the slightest enticement. So I’m all in favor of your experiment in using old software to do good stuff. (Sometimes the old stuff is better, too — I have an old HP LaserJet 6MP, my second or third, which is an incredible workhorse and which is the only printer I trust for the kind of transfer artwork I do.)

Cheers,
John

Here’s an idea, let’s take all of our related design programs, group them together, put them in a “suite” and always release them at the same time.

It doesn’t matter how many changes or “improvements” we’ve made to them especially the ones that have been around for years (ie: illustrator and photoshop) and with those we’ll just change the way they look, move around some tool palettes and CALL them improvements. But we’ll CHARGE a but load for all of them, as if they’re ALL BRAND NEW! What a great idea right? Oh and we’ll make it a little painful for people who bought our stuff before and tell them their old versions are getting out of date, or new users have to save down to work with them. I understand companies need to make money and come out with new products, but to virtually come out with the same thing over and over and over again and call it new, and sell it as if it was new is a crock. Wake up and smell it Adobe, because EVERYONE ELSE IS!

And if you’d like to watch for upcoming screenings, you can join us at http://www.tinyurl.com/FBproceedandbebold.

Thanks again for the awesomely nice comment!
Cheryl