To CS3 or not to CS3? That was the Question Before CS4
To quote Adobe's quirky presenter, “CS4 is NOT just a 'dot release'.” He added, "This wasn't a couple of people on a weekend tweaking a panel."
Of all the other whiz-bang things they showed us in the recent CS4 announcement, that statement stuck with me most after watching the live web presentation. As a graphic designer at LearnKey, I eagerly anticipated news about CS4 because, as you are probably aware, LearnKey chose to “skip” the CS3 release.
That's right, not only did we skip the upgrade for in-house graphics production, we also skipped providing any CS3 training. If you felt cold and abandoned by our decision, we want to assure you that CS4 training from LearnKey will be there for you like a warm blanket and a hot cup of Jo.
Why did we skip CS3? I suppose it's just as good a question as to ask, “why not”? I suppose the jury is still out about whether CS3 was worth its marbles, or if it only served to introduce a foundation for the forthcoming release of CS4. I have searched the web and found opinions as varied as the colors in a Pantone color chart. I know that CS3 became a necessity for those who upgraded to an Intel Mac, but other than that, I've found no compelling arguments for upgrading the soon to be “outdated” CS3.
I want to know what you, the LearnKey customers think. I want to know (1) if you upgraded to CS3, why or why not? (2) If so, did all of your wildest (creative and production) dreams come true? (3) Did you seek out and use CS3 training from sources other than LearnKey? (4) If so, what was your experience? I'd love to hear from you, email me at: kwixom@LearnKey.com
So, moving on to CS4… I have learned that Flash will see improvements that make it easier for first-timers and experienced “ActionScripters” to create complex-looking animations. The Flash interface also appears to have undergone some face lifting for better navigation and flow. One Internet writer says,” Flash CS4 looks far more attractive than CS3, largely for its less taxing approach to animation, and newcomers might want to skip CS3 altogether.”
Adobe's presenter, Loiacono said, "We're really trying to improve the workflow between designer and developer." He demonstrated various changes that will help media creation professionals work more quickly and more efficiently.
The Photoshop interface, and its closest companions (Illustrator and InDesign, etc), appear to also have extensive interface changes. Photoshop demonstrated several new features that demo nicely for a “wow” factor, but may never see the light of our monitors when it comes to actually implementing them day in and day out. One thing is for sure: changes like these call for good training to be sure to get the most out of every feature and make a smooth transition in your workflow.
