Jeeze. . .maybe a little better planning on your part might have helped you avoid your "difficulties" huh? Nothing like waiting for the last minute and finding you don’t know what you are doing huh? Well at least you can upgrade from f to PS CS. . .what you jumped 4 versions?
Wait till you learn how to use PS CS. . .
🙂
really jeff!
jburke, you got the product, spent what 10 minutes on the phone, weren’t hassled (maybe they found your name and HAD your previous serial # as registered in their system) and are up and working. And to top it all off, as jeff says, you jumped for versions for 169 bucks. try that with any other company. jeez louise.
and you ARE going to love CS!
now get outta here and start enjoying your new software! 🙂
have fun and happy photoshopping.
dave
Wait until you try the Shadow/highlight tool.
I don’t know whether to congratulate or moan about that tool. Now, everybody can become Ansel Adams.
Well, I wouldn’t be in such a big hurry to congratulate Adobe on this one. It didn’t take me me just ten minutes. It was two hours (mostly on hold) with three people (two of whom were way confused) the first time, not so bad the second time when I had to call again to install on the laptop.
But still, it’s a case of probably unintentional false advertising where they say one thing on the box and another inside the software. Kind of a drag to eat the unanticipated hassle and have to repeat it every time you get forced into a reinstall. (It’s not like activation where you get 30 days.)
But hey, the program’s worth it, so what the hell. Adobe’s track record compared to some outfits seems almost admirable. At least their software (mostly) does what it claims.
The software and box are quite consistent – you CAN upgrade from any version of Photoshop. But some older versions will require you to call Adobe. And you shouldn’t have to call to reinstall – they did issue you a new serial number.
Chris,
I’m sorry to say you’re wrong. The software installation dialogues say very clearly that the upgrade is only good for 5.0 and above. Believe me, I’ve been through it repeatedly now and can’t believe my eyes every time I see it. What’s more, after you’ve gotten error messages on all three ways of getting the software to verify the existence of a qualifying version, they don’t really give you any sort of reasonable clue that it’s just a matter of calling and maybe getting to sit on hold with three people for two hours.
Also, I have now been told by two reps that I would have to call each time and that the code required would be different each time. They were right. The desktop code which the rep generated did not work for the laptop. When I called on the laptop, the rep confirmed, yes, doesn’t matter what my situation: There will be absolutely no way to perform a reinstall without having a rep on the other end of the line accepting the randomly generated code from using the "unlock" protocol on your CS disc and then giving you the correct corresponding code to enter to break loose the installshield process. Period.
In short, they did screw up through false advertising. But it’s not worth having a hernia about. My own thought is they should just provide a disc to those of us thrown into this position so that we’d get 30 days to complete a new "activation," but I don’t see that happening. Adobe cares, but they don’t care that much, even when you can prove it’s their fault.
Cheers,
Mitra
Well all, I did do the research. And NOTHING told me to the pre-5 update problems. I don’t care what time of day I buy or try to install software. It should install as stated on the package. I also don’t think that having to call a company, no matter how good a deal is, to install and upgrade is outrageous. As for the privledge of getting such a great package for the price…I have been using Corel PhotoPaint, in the CorelDraw suite, for nearly 10 years and thought I would give PS a second chance. For someone used to the Windows paradigm of customizable tool bars, and dockable windows, using PS is like an American driving a car in England. I miss being able to put my favorite and most often used commands on a dockable bar at the top of the screen that doesn’t interfere with or float over an image.
The bottom line is the upgrade was a good deal. For $179, I wanted to and will try PS and some of it’s unique features, but will likely go back to PhotoPaint or even Paint Shop Pro because of ease and speed of use. At least PS isn’t quite as clunky to use as Fireworks. 🙂
IOW, "I own a Porche but I don’t drive it. I drive this here Hyundai"
You’re making a mistake if you don’t learn PS. <shrug>
Yeah, but you should see the gas mileage he gets with his Corel PhotoPaint!
I miss being able to put my favorite and most often used commands on a dockable bar at the top of the screen that doesn’t interfere with or float over an image.
Really? I hate having any tools on my screen while I work. That’s why you hit [F] twice, then [Tab}. {shrug}
Matthew is right about the mileage from Corel. For the same price (upgrade and full) you get PhotoPaint and CorelDraw, along with some other stuff. I love the vector based CorelDraw for doing flyers, business cards, and graphics for presentations. I used to use PS and PhotoPaint equally, but found the interface on PS too much in the Mac paradigm for my taste. Silly little thinks like the keyboard shortcut for undo being different, and the way it handles windows and customizations…all of which have not changed As far as being a Hyundai, I may have to argue that one a little. There has been almost nothing I miss by not using PS. Sure, things like healing brush and image stitching are cool, but the core features are the same and it takes PS plugins. It costs less, looks like a Windows programs, and installs easily no matter what version you are upgrading from. My last "full" purchase was 5.0 and I have upgraded each time…to 10 so far. I am still upgrading off of the 5.0 full version effortlessly…no matter how many times I rebuild or buy new systems and have to reinstall, despite the fact that it is a version that is somewhere around 8 years old.
Like I said, I paid for it and am going to lean to use it, but the "cool new features" aren’t so completely cool over what I have had before as to blow my socks off. They lessen the pain of what I consider to be an arcane interface and so far little more. Most of my photo work is minor retouching and post processing, and even Paint Shop Pro does that well.
For the same price (upgrade and full) you get PhotoPaint and CorelDraw, along with some other stuff.
For ~550 dollars you can upgrade any version of photoshop to Creative Suite standard. That’s photoshop, illustrator, indesign and versio cue. add 200 more for the premium suite and get golive and acrobat pro.
but the "cool new features" aren’t so completely cool over what I have had before as to blow my socks off.
tried shadow/hilight yet? 🙂
Matthew is right about the mileage from Corel.
I never said that!! I HATE HATE HATE Corel. I fart in the geral direction of anyone who uses it. (Especially if they send me .cdr files. Heretics!!!)
I love the vector based CorelDraw for doing flyers, business cards, and graphics for presentations.
Eeewww!! Learn to use Illy and you’ll never go back.
mattie and coral draw sittin’ in a tree….
muwahahaha!
<Homer> Why you little… </H>
Mitra, Chris was right. You in fact HAVE upgraded from Photoshop 4 to Photoshop CS — you installed the upgrade package, right? You didn’t have to buy the full version, right? You therefore DID upgrade from Photoshop 4 to Photoshop CS. The upgrade is fine with Photoshop 4 (and even earlier); the message is telling you that the INSTALLER can only be used with Photoshop 5 and later serial numbers.
Those who upgraded from Photoshop 4 to Photoshop 7 also had to call Adobe to get a new serial number, I do believe. The serial number format changed, eliminating the letter characters and going to all numerals. A whole lot of things have changed since Photoshop 4 was released…what, seven years ago now? Wow!
Pete Bauer
Help Desk Director
National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP)
JBurke does have a point though. Adobe should do something for those who legally upgrade so that they don’t need to call every time they have to reinstall. I’d suggest they be issued a new serial # so that they can perform their own installs. It CAN’T be that hard to make it happen to ease the life of loyal, legal customers!
Matthew: CorelDraw beats Illustrator hands down in so many ways, it’s boggling that Adobe has never tried to bring Illustrator up to Corel’s standards. My motto is "If Illustrator can’t CorelDraw can". Too bad, you lose with such a bad attitude.
Dave – they shouldn’t have to call. They are supposed to be given a new serial number and they shouldn’t have to call.
My motto is: Yeah, whatever mate.
They are supposed to be given a new serial number and they shouldn’t have to call.
I know that was the routine in the past. Maybe he just got a clueless operator?
Correction: TWO clueless operators. No big. Why gripe? I like the software and felt happy to get on board with that old a product.
Once I heard there’s a 24-hour number to bail me out on unexpected installs, figured I could just let it pass and focus on learning what I’ve got.
Between IDCS, PSCS, an older version of AI I’ve never understood, and Acrobat-5 which I only got happy with three upgrades into it, the biggest deficit is in my learning curve, not the software.
Mitra
I’ll second that.
But I do wish Corel would add AICB support. It would make my life a lot easier getting graphics from Draw to InDesign.
Bob
