Photoshop CS3 - how long will it live?

I'm considering getting CS3, but I'm not in a rush - I'm happy with Paint Shop Pro XI for the moment.

CS3 has some worthwhile advantages over PSP - the greatest one, in my view, is the selection of books and tutorials (it's hard to find any help with PSP).

But I don't know how long Adobe's life cycle tends to be. If CS4 is likely to appear in the next year or so I'd rather wait than pay again to upgrade.

Any insights on Photoshop's life cycle?

-js

Photoshop CS3 was released in April 2007 and the release cycle is between 18-24 months so I wouldn't be surprised to see a new release in the second half of this year (after the release of Lightroom 2.0).

Even if they bring out CS4 later this year CS3 will still work

There are two reasons why PSP lacks tutorial support: the Adobe bandwagon and the fact that PSP is easy enough that most users would not benefit very much from tutorials. After a month or so, I'm already using it to the same extent as graphics software that I have owned for three years. And given what PSP is capable of, I still cannot understand the madness of spending c.£600 on Photoshop. The only PSP tutorials of which I'm aware can be found at lynda.com, but they are just at the "getting started" level. Try to get more out of PSP before you drop it for something else.

Ade H wrote in post #5397095
There are two reasons why PSP lacks tutorial support: the Adobe bandwagon and the fact that PSP is easy enough that most users would not benefit very much from tutorials. After a month or so, I'm already using it to the same extent as graphics software that I have owned for three years. And given what PSP is capable of, I still cannot understand the madness of spending c.£600 on Photoshop. The only PSP tutorials of which I'm aware can be found at lynda.com, but they are just at the "getting started" level. Try to get more out of PSP before you drop it for something else.

Agreed, Ade. I've been using PSP for 8 or 9 years now and it's very capable. I'm quite comfortable with it, although there are still lots of things I don't do well (or at all).

I believe I can get CS3 for about $280 US at student discount, and that makes it much more attractive.

But I think I'll wait for CS4. I'm happy with PSP XI.

-js

Yeah, the student discount makes it a much more sensible proposition - less than £140 in the UK - but they are very hot about ensuring that you're genuinely eligible, unfortunately. I got PSP for just £40, though.

I still use CS2 as CS3 crashes and CS2 never has for me , when I want speed for painting stuff that I do I still use PS7 the fastest of the lot .

I think that CS3 has some really nice advantages over CS2 but am not sure that I (even as a power user) would get the real benefit of them on a daily-use basis. That, and I still run the VERY stable Win2K that CS3 does not support.

As for the cost, you can not buy a better editor for the $$ then Photoshop, but with that said, there are some caveots. The average user and even the advanced, probably do not use PS to even 1/2 of it's operational potential. There is just SO much that t can do, but a LOT that some of us will never use. None the lees, there are some out there that do use the functions that I do not, and that is whey they are in there - for the sake of power and convenience. It is better to have one tool that does more then you could ever need then to have to toggle between TONS of them to get your work done. ... and I prefer not to have to toss my work around if I can do it in one application.

I agree with Beau. Photoshop is a program that is targeted at a width target audience. If you are a web developer you won't use alot of the items to change images. If you are a photographer you won't use things like the slice tool. It is a nice tool in that everything is contained in one package and you don't have to buy several to get everything that you want.

I have only had limited exposure to PSP and it is a fine program and many swear by it. When I started in on the digital photography realm I received a complimentary copy of Elements and soon upgraded to the full version of photoshop. I never took any courses in it and the way I learned alot of it was through the vast array of online tutorials.

If you really want to move from PSP you could go to Elements which has most of what you need. You could alway upgrade from there.

I did attend a NAPP sponsored seminar last year and the lecturer was Bert Monroy. He was already talking about the great things that are going to be in CS4. This was only a few months after the release of CS3. The problem that I see is that with every release this program just keeps getting bigger and bigger and to the casual user it can seem overwhelming.

FedkaTheConvict wrote in post #5396545
Photoshop CS3 was released in April 2007 and the release cycle is between 18-24 months so I wouldn't be surprised to see a new release in the second half of this year (after the release of Lightroom 2.0).

Especially with the complaints from 64-bit users about not having a 64-bit version of PS. It wouldn't surprise me if they shorted the release cycle a bit.

I have seen a Beta of CS4 floating around.

kevin_c wrote in post #5396582
Even if they bring out CS4 later this year CS3 will still work

Yea, but it will have a new version of Adobe Camera Raw, which means ACR4 will quit supporting new cameras soon after.

prime80 wrote in post #5402188
Yea, but it will have a new version of Adobe Camera Raw, which means ACR4 will quit supporting new cameras soon after.

Do you intend getting a new camera? - there are many ways to convert raw files without total reliance on Adobe Photoshop

Steve Beck wrote in post #5401548
I have seen a Beta of CS4 floating around.

I seriously doubt it is "floating" around. If it is in a quasi firm beta format now it would not be available except outside of a very tight circle who sign confidentiality agreements with significant penalties should they speak out of turn.

kevin_c wrote in post #5403120
Do you intend getting a new camera? - there are many ways to convert raw files without total reliance on Adobe Photoshop

I always intend on getting a new camera as funds permit and technology improves. And I know there are other options out there, but I happen to prefer PS as my raw converter.