1 post tagged “cs3”
Late yesterday, Adobe announced the upcoming release of an online version of their hugely popular Photoshop application. The application will be an entry-level version of Photoshop, much like Photoshop Elements desktop application. The online version will be offered free of charge with ad-based revenue supporting the offering. The release is expected within the next six months. Adobe used its Flex 2 technology to create the application and will likely port the online application into the upcoming Apollo run-time platform for offline/online capabilities.
Adobe explained this offering will be a major departure from their traditional product channels, but a necessary move in the ever more competitive online application environment. It clearly makes sense for Adobe to make such a shift based on the likelihood another start-up or internet powerhouse, such as Google, might make a competitive offering that takes an early gain in marketshare. There are several other online competitive offerings already available such as Picnik, Google's Picasa, and PXN8, and Fauxto. These start-ups have largely developed as a supplemental to popular photo-sharing sites like Flickr and PhotoBucket. Adobe hopes to bring their brand recognition and franchise domination in the area of photo editing to the masses.
But if you are a professional designer, Adobe will continue to offer Photoshop in a desktop application that will fully integrate with the line of Adobe products. You can download Photoshop CS3 (beta) now for free from Adobe Labs.
Overall, I think this is good news for the industry and Adobe. It seems Adobe has gained some web savvy know-how through talent acquired in the Macromedia acquisition.
Additional Resources:
- CNet News.com: Adobe to take Photoshop online
- TechCrunch: Adobe Photoshop: Online Edition
