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Web Design & Productivity
Review: Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium
5/29/2007
Also keep in mind that with so many mature products tied together with so many integrated features, there feels like there is a considerable amount of bloat inherent in the product line as a whole. None of the programs could be considered light or nimble on their own, though there are no specific performance issues to speak of once the individual programs have been launched and are running. All are very responsive and generally well behaved, with comparable performance on Mac OS X, Windows XP, and Windows Vista. It does bother me, especially on the Mac side, how Adobe sees fit to throw files all around the system that are both difficult to track and move/remove without going back to the Installer or resorting to a cleanup script, but the sheer number of products and the integration involved (not to mention all the activation bits, which is another conversation entirely) make the need to hook into the host system at least understandable, if not likable. I also found it perplexing that there is no way to leave the helper apps (Bridge, Stock Photos, etc.) out of the initial install, effectively sticking you with the aforementioned "potato" dishes whether you want them or not.
Now, when you have a product with the size and scope as CS3 Web Premium, it's almost worthwhile to compare whether or not to purchase or upgrade the suite to the purchase of a music CD. Granted, that would be one expensive album, but the forthcoming analogy holds up pretty well. For me, the rule of thumb is that if an album has at least three really good tunes and one or more OK ones, I'll go ahead and get the whole CD (or the full album from the iTunes Store, or what have you). The same economy of scale applies here: If the suite has enough worthwhile products with enough good features to represent a savings versus buying or upgrading the individual products separately, it's a worthwhile proposition, even if you're technically paying for stuff you may not really want. CS3 Web Premium, in case I haven't made it clear enough by now, is a mixed bag, but, overall, the bulk of the great new features went into most of the "star" products (Photoshop, Illustrator, and Flash). Dreamweaver should have been included here, but it was largely left alone, which is disappointing, but Dreamweaver is still Dreamweaver, and it is still quite useful as a site-building application, updated or not. So, using the CD analogy, by my count I have three really good tunes (Flash, Photoshop, Illustrator) and one OK one (Dreamweaver), so there you go.
It's time to hand out grades, and Adobe CS3 Web Premium earns a split mark: it gets a B+ as a new purchase, and a B as an upgrade. If you haven't yet bugged the decision maker in your department for a copy, you'll need to know the following purchase costs and upgrade paths. As a new purchase, CS3 Web Premium will set you back $1,599. As far as upgrades go, be prepared to shell out $499 if you own Macromedia Studio MX or later or Adobe CS Standard or later. You can also get that price if you own individual copies of Dreamweaver MX, Fireworks MX, and Flash MX or later. (You have to own all of them.) There's also a $1,399 upgrade for single product owners (Photoshop 7 or later, Illustrator 10 or later, Flash MX or later, and Dreamweaver MX or later). Of course, check your usual outlets for specific educational pricing.
K-12 licensing for the Web Premium Edition provides 500 seats for a single site, including teacher home use rights and home use on student computers that are owned or leased by the school, for $7,499.
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Kevin Schmitt is a freelance designer and writer based in Waynesboro, VA. He can be reached at 1105@ksdd.com.
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