Adobe Unveils Creative Suite CS4, GPU Accelerated Photoshop

[MacRumors]

The embargo on Adobe's Creative Suite 4 lifted tonight at midnight and a number of news articles have revealed the details of the latest update to Adobe's flagship software package.

Most interestingly, CNet reports that rumors that Adobe's Photoshop CS4 would employ the use of GPU-accelerated graphics were accurate.

The new version of Adobe's flagship software product takes its first steps in using the graphics processing unit, or GPU, said John Nack, principal product manager for Adobe Photoshop. For example, the graphics chip helps Photoshop CS4 fluidly zoom in and out, rotate the canvas so artists can reorient an image for the best sketching angle, display and manipulate 3D objects, and handle color correction.

However, one GPU feature didn't quite make the cut for CS4 is called "Pixel Blender" which allows users to quickly apply special effects. According to Nack, the feature will likely be a free update from Adobe Labs.

A few of the other new Photoshop CS4 features are highlighted at Macworld including:

- Content-Aware scaling
- Nondestructive corrections in the Adjustment panel
- Improved Lightroom integration
- Advanced 3-D features in Photoshop Extended
- New Tabbed interface

Adobe Photoshop CS4 will cost $699 and ship in October. Existing Photoshop CS3, Photoshop CS2, or Photoshop CS owners can upgrade for $199. Adobe Photoshop Extended will cost $999 and existing Photoshop CS3 Extended, Photoshop CS2 or Photoshop CS owners can upgrade for $349.

Of course, Adobe also introduced CS4 versions of their other applications including:

Indesign CS4: Macworld
Illustrator CS4: CNet, Macworld, DigitalArtsOnline
After Effects CS4: DigitalArtsOnline
Premiere Pro CS4: DigitalArtsOnline
SoundBooth CS4: CNet

Full details and pricing information can be obtained from Adobe.com.


Article Link

[iBookG4user]

This sounds like a nice little upgrade, still wish it was 64bit on the Mac version though.

[Yankees 4 Life]

nice update!

[rezzo]

Originally Posted by iBookG4user

This sounds like a nice little upgrade, still wish it was 64bit on the Mac version though.

+1

This look like CS 3.5

[Toe]

...and it comes on 17 installation DVDs for a hard drive footprint of 109.3 Gigs.

[gonnabuyamac]

so, how does the upgrading stuff work? i have macromedia studio 8. i bought the upgrade to the design premium cs3. i see that for a limited time i can upgrade to cs4 with the studio 8 software, but does the upgrade i bought to cs3 count too?

or am i limited by the original software i bought?

[kaisdaddy]

The one thing I was hoping for was a Mac version of Ultra, the vector keying application that Adobe got when they acquired Serious Magic...

They did make a Mac version of DV Rack, now called Adobe OnLocation, which is great but it looks like Ultra just dropped off the map...

Oh well, I guess I can wait to upgrade until CS5 now...

[ElectricBrain]

I remember that image resizing tech from here. Amazing stuff.

[Stridder44]

The embargo? I missed something big apparently?

Originally Posted by Toe

...and it comes on 17 installation DVDs for a hard drive footprint of 109.3 Gigs.

I prefer 114 CD's instead (give or take 50).

[Sirobin]

So anyone have ant idea how well would this run on a Powerbook G4? Trying to decide if I should upgrade or not...

[logicsuggests]

I only hope fanboys now realise that it's not ok to release a new macbook with an integrated graphics chipset from the stone ages. It's clear that a proper video card is going to benefit the program now, which means cheaper PC's are going to have a huge edge over mac's unless apple step up.

[/dev/toaster]

Wonder if Adobe got smart and brought back ImageReady ... Firework is an awful replacement for creating slices.

[ll PiStoNs ll]

This should be great to go with the new macbooks tomorrow

[winterspan]

hmm.. Better than nothing i guess, but It's only using the GPU for standard viewing tasks apparently? What exactly was shown in the Adobe labs preview from earlier? Weren't they showing off actual image manipulation and transformations that were accelerated?

[richthomas]

i hate the UI http://images.macrumors.com/article/...acstonecs4.jpg why cant Adobe just follow Apple's interface guidlines and use a default Window with OS X's close, minimise, zoom buttons and a proper title bar.

im all for the single window and tabs but it seriously looks out of place. sad for such a well renowned Mac app

[macphisto]

Wow, sounds like a rather mediocre update, one that I will pass on. Unfortunately, there are so many outstanding bugs still evident in CS3 that will not get fixed.

[jcandali]

I seem to remember reading that CS4 is still written with Carbon API's. I'm sure it'd a pretty big undertaking to rewrite CS5 in Cocoa (they'll have to eventually) but it would boost performance and overall user experience if they did.

[redAPPLE]

Originally Posted by gonnabuyamac

so, how does the upgrading stuff work? i have macromedia studio 8. i bought the upgrade to the design premium cs3. i see that for a limited time i can upgrade to cs4 with the studio 8 software, but does the upgrade i bought to cs3 count too?

or am i limited by the original software i bought?

i think it is best to consult adobe directly regarding this. i don't really think we can directly help you here. good luck.

[H. Flower]

Originally Posted by richthomas

i hate the UI http://images.macrumors.com/article/...acstonecs4.jpg why cant Adobe just follow Apple's interface guidlines and use a default Window with OS X's close, minimise, zoom buttons and a proper title bar.

im all for the single window and tabs but it seriously looks out of place. sad for such a well renowned Mac app

I guess im a little more excited than everyone else....for me, Photoshop and AE incorporating true 3-d elements is a groundbreaking development for Adobe (even though it's in its infant stages).

Although I have to agree, Photoshop's UI is a giant (10 year) step backwards.

They need to start consulting us on these things.

[Michael CM1]

Did Adobe explain to anybody why they did a full version upgrade so quickly after releasing CS3? I just use the education version, but that's still a lot of change to ask for to get what doesn't seem like any big upgrade.

Someone who pays full price for the software will also have to answer this: Is all of this software overpriced? We're still using mostly Photoshop 5 (yes, 5) at work because we're cheap and it still kinda almost works. Part of me thinks it's $700 because it's the only image-editing software I have ever heard of that does anything more than MS Paint. It's just hard to believe that stuff like Photoshop takes more money to develop than an operating system.

[mossmaal]

Does this mean that apple will finally be putting decent, modern graphics cards in imacs (8800 isn't exactly latest and greatest) and macbooks?

[motulist]

Originally Posted by mossmaal

Does this mean that apple will finally be putting decent, modern graphics cards in imacs...?

iMac is not intended for professional computing audiences like graphics or video professionals. So anyone who needs the extra GPU processing for photoshop duties should be getting a Mac Pro anyway. I'm not saying the iMac doesn't deserve a true video card in it, I'm just saying that needing a GPU for photoshop acceleration is not a valid reason. The iMac should get a real video card, but not for that reason.

[bolibic]

Originally Posted by motulist

iMac is not intended for professional computing audiences like graphics or video professionals. So anyone who needs the extra GPU processing for photoshop duties should be getting a Mac Pro anyway. I'm not saying the iMac doesn't deserve a true video card in it, I'm just saying that needing a GPU for photoshop acceleration is not a valid reason. The iMac should get a real video card, but not for that reason.

What? So the iMac was done to use Safari, iTunes and a bit iMovie. I guess professional but not hardcore Photoshop an iMac is just perfect. But I agree that the iMac should get real hardware soon or it will be quite outdated.

[bolibic]

Will this release work in Leopard? Or we should expect random problems when using spaces?

[Doctor Q]

Existing Photoshop CS3, Photoshop CS2, or Photoshop CS owners can upgrade for $199.

I'm trying to determine if education copies of CS3 can be upgraded to education copies of CS4. So far the answer seems to be no, in which case education users will have to stick with CS3 Education, pay the full education price for a new CS4 Education, or contact Adobe about an upgrade to the non-education version.