I have the Adobe Creative Suite 4, is it imperative that I upgrade to the newest version?
Are the newer versions worth buying? Are there new tools that I should learn? It's a lot of money to upgrade, so I'd like to know if it's worth it!
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Feb 5, 2015
Yes. It is. I just recently, finally took the plunge and upgraded from CS6. I've invested in a Creative Cloud subscription. With CC, there are constant updates to InDesign, Illustrator and Lightroom (and all the other Adobe apps). It's $49.99 a month, but it's worth having the latest capabilities. For example, with InDesign CC, you can generate a QR code. You couldn't do that with earlier versions. I use InDesign, Illustrator and Lightroom a lot because I'm a writer-editor-desktop designer/publisher-photographer, and I'm finding it really is worth the monthly subscription investment. Especially when you get access to every Adobe app for that subscription fee.
Aug 5, 2014
It is now all through a Creative Cloud subscription. I think you might be able to upgrade to CS6 but I am not sure.
I use Illustrator and Photoshop. Last year I was able to subscribe to the entire Creative Suite for $20 a month for 1 year only. I decided to give it a try. At first I figured I would just go back to CS6 and dump the subscription after the year was up. In fact I saved files as CS6 files anticipating this. Well I did that for a couple of months...then I got hooked!
I LOVE some of the new things in Illustrator. My fave is the touch type tool that allows you to rotate, move, and scale individual letters and keep them as real fonts. There is also the type kit fonts available for free. I also like the draw inside tool which allows you to create content inside the mask directly without overlaying the shape and clipping the content in it. In Illustrator CC 2014 it opens with tutorials you can watch and learn from. Kind of fun.
I think it is worth it. It allowed me to do some tasks more efficiently and create new things because of it's capabilities and new brushes and tools.
You can try a trial version and see what you think. Be careful though-you may get hooked like me!
BTW there are deals for the first year on Creative Cloud which makes it less than $50 a month for the entire suite.
My year is up shortly and that deal is no longer available for me.
I only use Illustrator and Photoshop so it isn't too bad to subscribe to just those 2. Illustrator is $19.99 and Photoshop with Lightroom is specially priced at $9.99 a month.
If you are a new user the entire suite now is $29.99 a month.
Hope this helps you.
Jul 11, 2014
There are a lot of features in CC that I find save me a lot of time. However, you'll need to make sure your computer is up to spec because Photoshop now requires a lot of memory to run smoothly. If you can upgrade, I suggest you do. With Creative Cloud, you can get every Adobe product as part of your monthly subscription. I found it to be cheaper overall simply because of that fact.
Jul 10, 2014
Adobe Creative Cloud is amazing! If you are a student it is only like $20 a month. Even at the full price, it is an awesome value!
Jun 18, 2014
Hey Liz!
Since its debut last year, Creative Cloud has already added so many new tools and features to all of the programs that it's borderline imperative to get now. Yes you can technically still get away with CS4, but the new Creative Cloud is an extremely worthy investment. You get the entire creative suite at your fingertips for only $50 a month, downloading programs off the cloud whenever you need to.
Eventually you'll need to update to Creative Cloud anyways because Adobe is no longer distributing Creative Suite as it was before. Everything is on the Creative Cloud exclusively.
Jun 18, 2014
I would say keep the one you have, but if you like you can get the trial version of the upgrade and check it out. i still use version 4. good luck
Jun 18, 2014
Although it's not imperative that you upgrade, it will certainly help you grow your skill set. As the newer versions come with new tools and features that could ultimately speed up tasks, etc. I would suggest to not get to far behind. The cloud is a good option.
Jun 18, 2014
Hello Liz! I think its very important to stay on top of the current software as much as possible. Technology and software is changing so rapidly all the time that if you don't it becomes hard to keep up and learn whats new about the software.
Most important thing you need to keep in mind is that as the operating systems (Mac OS or Windows) upgrade and change the older versions of the Adobe software may no longer work and then you will really be in a bind.
From a cost stand point, the longer you wait the more its going to cost you. If you wait too much longer Adobe will not honor CS4 as an upgrade (which is cheaper) and consider it a new purchase.
I wish you well and hope that this has been helpful to you.
Sincerely,
Barry Rush
Jun 17, 2014
The answer is as always when this question is posed. It all depends on what you want to accomplish. There are some newer features in the later versions of the Adobe CS line of products. The more complex your requirements, the more you may need to consider an upgrade-if anything to simplify your workflow and expedite your production time on results. The cloud solution has worked nicely for me, i just haven't had the time the really make do with all it provides for freelancing purposes. Great suggestions throughout. Hope it helps and good luck!
Jun 17, 2014
Hi Liz,
As a designer, I have CS4 at home, and I have the Creative Cloud (CC) at work, and to be honest, there isn't a tremendous amount of difference, at least to me personally. There a few new handy little tools that CC has, but before I was upgraded to CC at work, I had CS5, and there was virtually no difference between that and what I had at home.
To be fair, it really depends on what you're using the creative suite for, and what you're primarily using (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.). For my job personally though, I have not found a substantial enough difference to push me towards upgrading my own software at home.
If you are still unsure, I would highly recommend trying out the trial they offer on Adobe's site.
Jun 17, 2014
If what you have works for you, then obviously not. However, I will say that I wasn't that much different from your situation about 2 or 3 years ago. I feel that no one should complain about the cost as it's a very affordable monthly price for a professional who is getting paid to do this service.
Needless to say, nothing is perfect :P
Pros: In addition to what everyone else said, with interactive work, I have multiple machines with PC and Macs, and it's allowing me to only paid for one license as it centers around your Adobe ID. Also, I was able to try out some of their other software that could solve a problem on one of our projects without having to buy it separately.
Cons: There was an issue with Adobe ID login recently that lasted close to 12 hours, and it created quite a stir for people. Therefore, I will say it's always good to keep CS 4 on your machine just in case.
Ka Pang \ Creative Director \ VolumeSquared
Jun 17, 2014
You all have been very helpful. I will look into leasing CS6. But as of now, my CS4 is doing the job nicely. So I will only do it if I run into probe,me in the future.
Thank you all for the great comments. It is much appreciated!
Jun 17, 2014
I made the leap from CS4 to CS6/Creative Cloud and am glad I made the decision. I was spending close to $1500-$2000 every 2 years to upgrade to the latest CS version on my machines. If you do the math, the $50/mo model makes sense. Its more of a psychological shift IMO.
In regards to the individual apps, it all depends how deeply you use them and what versions your vendors, printers and clients prefer. You can probably get away with PS and AI CS4 for a bit longer. But if you're a heavy InDesign user, for example, you definitely should consider making the leap, as its a much better product now.
Jun 17, 2014
I have CS5 and have not upgraded to the Cloud version. I am not at all pleased with the monthly lease arrangement, as that is far more expensive in the long run than a single license version on your own hard drive. Unless you have to accept files from outside sources who are using the newer version, stick with what you have.
Jun 19, 2014
I only use CS Design Standard. If you upgrade regularly it only costs a few hundred to move up the the latest release. The last time I upgraded from 4 to 5 it cost me less than $300. Currently to upgrade from 5 to 6 it is now $549. Yes, it may seem like a bargain to use CC because you have access to other multimedia tools like Muse, After Effects, Audition, etc., but if you are not using those programs you are paying for something unnecessarily, and I do not use them. With a direct upgrade, it will cost me less than $300 per year before I need to upgrade again.
Jun 17, 2014
I agree with Brad completely. To stay competitive in this market, you need to keep your skills and tools current. Especially if you are collaborating with other designers and companies. If this is your profession, the cost is a deductible expense.
Jun 17, 2014
You can lease for 30 days creative suite for free and decide for yourself.
Jun 17, 2014
Liz, it would only be imperative if CS6 had features you needed or you are receiving files from other Adobe designers that your CS4 cannot completely open correctly.
If you choose to upgrade, the advantages Brad mentioned are a plus, especially if you cross over various medias (video, web, 2-D design).
For myself, as a graphic designer and someone who post-production projects, I still use Winows Standalone version of CS3 Design and the Mac Standalone CS4 Production & Web for my projects with no complaints, and by having the disks, I pay a one-time price.
Jun 17, 2014
If you have creative suite 4, you can upgrade to cloud for 29.99/month for the first year I believe. After that, it's 49.99/month. With the tools available, and always getting upgraded versions, I think it's extremely valuable. And, you get access to everything, not just the old creative suite items.
I would definitely suggest going that route anyways.
I think it works out pretty well price wise. You pay roughly 600 dollars a year. Adobe releases a major new release every 3/4 years or so. The master collection for CS5.5 ran about $2500 if I remember correctly what I paid new. That would be 4 years worth of Creative Cloud, and you get all of the upgrades along the way. It financially makes sense to me. Just my thoughts on it.