General Photographic Chat

genese · #1 (**permalink**) 04-12-2008, 12:31

i decided to try before i buy the new CS4 ... i log on to the adobe site .. i click try and then it throws up some rubbish about a download manager, so i toodle off to download their download manager... which wasnt needed when i bought CS3 of them! and the download manager wont work... now for a multi million pound company that would like you to come and pay 300 upwards for their software you would have thought their site was a little better maintained.. i thought ok ill try again tommorow .. no luck! so i went to upload my CS3 and now it wont accept my product key! im just a tad baffled and alot fed up ... so im going to buy paintshop lol stuff em

Len · #2 (**permalink**) 04-12-2008, 13:46

Hi Genese

Have you tried the trial version of PSPRO X2, I have and it seem ok but then I am only getting used to CS3.
I looked at the price comparision between the two and PSPro obviously is the cheaper.

Lets know what you think of PSPro as I'm thinking of buying but would like to know what a Pro Tog thinks of it.

genese · #3 (**permalink**) 04-12-2008, 14:08

just downloading the trail now see what its like if i can do the same in X2 i might well stay with it... so will have a play and let you know would be great to see what you think too!

carregwen · #4 (**permalink**) 04-12-2008, 14:38

Genese

I can't see that buying something other than CS4 will be worth it. It will cost you £160 for an upgrade to a top quality product (and it is top quality). If you spend cash on another product that is cheaper, the facilities it will have will not be able to touch CS4. I would get an upgrade, and I did, and I don't regret it.

OK. Lecture over.

**Dennyboy** · #5 (**permalink**) 04-12-2008, 18:50

Len Paintshop Pro is a good program as Rob says it wont touch CS3/4 though if you get your head round the complexities. Elements 7 is a very good program with good reviews but if you have CS3 none are going to do much more than CS3 and none will get near CS4. As i have lightroom 2 with athe adjustment brushes and gradient tools and stuff i am sticking with CS3 at mo as i have a good balance between the 2 programs.

**Ogofmole** · #6 (**permalink**) 04-12-2008, 19:01

I believe that CS4 is quite power hungry, so as my computer is a few years old, I think that I will stick with CS3 and Lightroom 2, as both of these programs run really smoothly on my computer, and would hate to upgrade and find that my computer is not really up to it. Plus I'm sure that there is still a lot of functions in CS3 that I have not explored yet.

carregwen · #7 (**permalink**) 04-12-2008, 19:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ogofmole

I believe that CS4 is quite power hungry, so as my computer is a few years old, I think that I will stick with CS3 and Lightroom 2, as both of these programs run really smoothly on my computer, and would hate to upgrade and find that my computer is not really up to it. Plus I'm sure that there is still a lot of functions in CS3 that I have not explored yet.

CS4 is power hungry on RAM, but then all new releases of all programs tend to hog more resources. PC manufacturers make bigger, better, faster machines, and then what happens? Try tidying your bedroom drawers and leave one unit empty. It will be full again within a week!

CS4 utilises the GPU (Graphical Process Unit) facilities, which are best when on your graphics card with a dedicated amount of memory to itself. There are some issues that Adobe acknowledge with certain graphics cards. The details are here... Adobe and GPU etc

And this is as good as anything at explaining GPU... Graphics processing unit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You never get progress without pain. (I might put that on my PT signature

)

**Dennyboy** · #8 (**permalink**) 04-12-2008, 19:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by carregwen

You never get progress without pain. (I might put that on my PT signature

)

But you can get pain without necessarily any progress as well! But take your point. I always worry get new program you struggle to pay for then new program arrives, you upgrade and then have to spend extra time/resource/money on upgrading your Pc to handle it.

Until the next massive revelation say black silicone comes i will stick for now

carregwen · #9 (**permalink**) 04-12-2008, 19:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dennyboy

I will stick for now

I was going to 'stick' too, but I saw the grad and brush tools in RAW editor and realized what an improvement it was. But, as you say, it comes at a cost. I had to spend £60 on extra 2gb of RAM. My graphics card is just about OK, so I was lucky.

**Dennyboy** · #10 (**permalink**) 04-12-2008, 19:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by carregwen

I was going to 'stick' too, but I saw the grad and brush tools in RAW editor and realized what an improvement it was. But, as you say, it comes at a cost. I had to spend £60 on extra 2gb of RAM. My graphics card is just about OK, so I was lucky.

Yeah but the raw editor brushes are the same as Lightroom 2 upon which they were based which is why i cant see massive differences to what i have available between the 2 programs. If i had no LR2 then maybe.