CS3 worth the upgrade?

[Claytoniss]

So would it be essential to upgrade to CS3 in my department? I will be getting a new mac pro, our other three macs are g5's running CS2. I know about the intel chip and what not, and I would be purchasing 4 upgrades(maybe only 2) and one full version. Trying to keep all of our software the same so if needed we can swap projects between our computers. Any thoughts...? i would like to get it, but you know....$$$ is always a thing. worth the price?

 

[ATD]

So would it be essential to upgrade to CS3 in my department? I will be getting a new mac pro, our other three macs are g5's running CS2. I know about the intel chip and what not, and I would be purchasing 4 upgrades(maybe only 2) and one full version. Trying to keep all of our software the same so if needed we can swap projects between our computers. Any thoughts...? i would like to get it, but you know....$$$ is always a thing. worth the price?

I like CS3 a whole better than CS2. For what ever reason CS2 was unstable on my computer (a quad PPC). I was also wanting to buy Flash, buying the upgrade was cheaper than buying Flash alone.

 

[Blue Velvet]

I think so, particularly if you use InDesign or Illustrator a lot. I don't think we'll see such a short time period between CS3 and CS4 as there was between CS and CS2.

But I really think you should register over at Adobe.com and download and tryout some fully-functional 30-day trials of each of the apps. This is what I've done with InDesign and even though we are going to purchase the entire Design Premium package for four Macs anyway, doing this has only whetted my appetite.

http://www.adobe.com/special/try_buy/trial_availability.html

 

[Claytoniss]

I think so, particularly if you use InDesign or Illustrator a lot. I don't think we'll see such a short time period between CS3 and CS4 as there was between CS and CS2.

But I really think you should register over at Adobe.com and download and tryout some fully-functional 30-day trials of each of the apps. This is what I've done with InDesign and even though we are going to purchase the entire Design Premium package for four Macs anyway, doing this has only whetted my appetite.

http://www.adobe.com/special/try_buy/trial_availability.html

of course I would love to induldge in the new CS3! Especially since i will be on a intel chip the first time! Of course it is to the powers to be! We and I would like to keep all of our software on the same version, this includes our two webbies, and our three graphic designers. Of course I stress money is an issue because I work for a non-profit. (we do get special prices), but seem like I will be running CS2 on my new MAC PRO. If I can find the premium package not in french canadain.

Do you think there will be a significant difference running rosetta on my Mac Pro with 2 gig ram on a 2.66gz processor. Sometimes my psd files run close to a gig.

 

[Blue Velvet]

Do you think there will be a significant difference running rosetta on my Mac Pro with 2 gig ram on a 2.66gz processor. Sometimes my psd files run close to a gig.

Yes. I'm still running CS on my MBP 2.33 with 2gb RAM and it's pretty awful. Flaky too, unreliable... although I can still get work done on it, the fans go crazy and it bogs down with any tif or psd file over 100mb or so.

I do not recommend it in a production environment. I also work for a charity and we'll get the edu versions of CS3 for our dual 2.5 G5s in a month or two, one of which will also go on my home machine as per the license.

From what I've seen, CS3 is a must-have, more so than CS2 which we never purchased.

 

[ATD]

Sometimes my psd files run close to a gig.

I know money is an issue but with files that big a little more RAM might help too.

 

[jono_3]

if youre going intel and can afford it go for cs 3

 

[Claytoniss]

if youre going intel and can afford it go for cs 3

True, but I will have to upgrade 4 g5's and get a full version on a new MAC PRO, so its not just upgrading one computer....
(its also convicing an old school Quark user to do this....)

Plus I would like to upgrade all 5 computers in october for the leopord. But thats nott too expensive. So I will be getting an upgrade, just waiting to see when. I am just hoping they won't find a version of CS2 so I can get CS3.

 

[Blue Velvet]

(its also convicing an old school Quark user to do this....)

Know where you're coming from. I have two of those at work and it's starting to do my head in as any option of change is resisted, at cost of every Quark license which eats into money that could be spent on other things.

I enjoy working in Quark because I know it pretty well; it's like a comfy but old pair of shoes, but I also recognise that InDesign CS3 is a far superior piece of software and is also the growing trend... I don't want to end up like those died-in-the-wool Pagemaker users.

 

[Claytoniss]

Thats what I feel with InDesign. I am a shortcut junkie, when I go back to quark to work on files from 1990 its a stuggle to use the mouse so damn much. Quark has its purpose....to open all those damn old files with gradients and starbursts

 

[oscuh]

Quark is dead, Gawdblessem ...

Go for the upgrade if you can, it'll be worth it. I have some serious flakiness with INDD on a iMac CoreDuo ... can't wait until new iMacs finally deliver so I can upgrade across the board ... not to mention getting Dreamweaver in the suite as well so I can finally learn it

 

[dpaanlka]

CS3 is worth the update cost for sure, for me anyway.

Quark is dead

Quark is far from dead.

 

[Blue Velvet]

Quark is dead, Gawdblessem ...

Nice one... I better tell that to each and every one of the agencies that we send work to, probably about a dozen all told. Sometimes I do wish it were dead... but that day is not here yet. On the other hand, I don't want to see anyone — even Adobe — with a complete monopoly on page layout software.

 

[oscuh]

Quark is far from dead.

Much like a deer that I've just shot, it's pretty much dead, it just doesn't know it yet ...

Quark missed the boat on an OSX conversion and they've never recovered. Couple that with outsourcing their programming and Adobe's strong push into the design market taking advantage of the Quark 6 delay, Quark will never recover their position at the top oif the heap.

Will they stay around and continue to have diehards that will use it? Yes.
Is it fundamentally a good product? Yes.

I love Quark, but I'll never go back to using it. No one I deal with uses it as a matter of course, and even fewer will even accept Quark files. Their best hope is to have Adobe buy them just like they did Macromedia.

"Resistance is futile. We will add your technological distinctiveness to our own." -Adobe

 

[hsotnicaM]

I've had my CS3 upgrade on the shelf for four weeks. I'm waiting for my MBP to arrive. My G4 MDD won't run the 3d Photoshop. I'm really looking forward to the upgrade simply for Flash. InDesign and Photoshop, yeah, but Flash Pro...

 

[oscuh]

Nice one... I better tell that to each and every one of the agencies that we send work to, probably about a dozen all told. Sometimes I do wish it were dead... but that day is not here yet. On the other hand, I don't want to see anyone — even Adobe — with a complete monopoly on page layout software.

I probably should have specified here in the States and from what I'm seeing, anyway.

I don't want to see it either ... we're already seeing what Adobe will do since they're acting like they're the only game in town with $2000+ design suites. BUT I'd still pay that much for the bundle of software that fits all my needs rather than pay $800+ for Quark and then buy Creative Suite on top of that.

 

[hsotnicaM]

Much like a deer that I've just shot, it's pretty much dead, it just doesn't know it yet ...

Quark missed the boat on an OSX conversion and they've never recovered. Couple that with outsourcing their programming and Adobe's strong push into the design market taking advantage of the Quark 6 delay, Quark will never recover their position at the top oif the heap.

Will they stay around and continue to have diehards that will use it? Yes.
Is it fundamentally a good product? Yes.

I love Quark, but I'll never go back to using it. No one I deal with uses it as a matter of course, and even fewer will even accept Quark files. Their best hope is to have Adobe buy them just like they did Macromedia.

"Resistance is futile. We will add your technological distinctiveness to our own." -Adobe

I used to use Quark all the time, but when InDesign replaced Pagemaker, I couldn't resist how easy it was to integrate the Adobe products. Now with CS3 it's supposedly easier.

 

[dpaanlka]

No one I deal with uses it as a matter of course, and even fewer will even accept Quark files. Their best hope is to have Adobe buy them just like they did Macromedia.

I still see Quark all over the place, at magazines and news agencies that I've visited. Lots of people still use Quark. And Quark does have it's advantages over InDesign.

Also, Quark was first (way ahead) with an Intel native version. I don't like the way Adobe treats Apple users as second class citizens, whereas Quark seems devoted to Apple as they always have been.

There is always going to be room for both on my hard drive.

 

[Blue Velvet]

...whereas Quark seems devoted to Apple as they always have been.

Not quite. This was widely reported at the time and was an ongoing issue with dear Mr. Ebrahimi:

Indeed, these witnesses attest, audience questions about Mac OS X provoked an Ebrahimi tirade of Old Testament proportions: Quark’s Dear Leader told his squirming guests that “the Macintosh platform is shrinking,” and that “publishing is dying.” He suggested that anyone dissatisfied with Quark’s Mac commitment should “switch to something else,” although he insisted that making the move to Adobe’s long-Carbonized InDesign package is “committing suicide.”

“Everyone was stunned, and most folks left by noon,” one attendee reported. “It was awful.” Although many of Quark’s hapless visitors were lured to the gathering by a promised demo of XPress for Mac OS X, Quark provided precious few details and no time line. Ua fa’atagito’ia, Mr. Ebrahimi!

http://www.macedition.com/nmr/nmr_20021126.php

 

[kitki83]

Ouch! Either way Quark is still being used, I had a project where Agency sent me designs in Quark but my press company uses only InDesign. So I had to do the transferring of one software to the other.

 

[ATD]

Not quite. This was widely reported at the time and was an ongoing issue with dear Mr. Ebrahimi:
http://www.macedition.com/nmr/nmr_20021126.php

That's a good one. I always thought they were just being lazy about the OSX commitment, this puts it in a much different light. I don't use layouts programs much anymore but I use both ID and Quark equally when I do. My interest in Quark has been fading for a long time because after almost 20 years of using it they have done little to nothing as far as advancing the UI. It's the same clumsy program it's always been.

 

[bluetooth]

Long time Quark fan here. Just upgraded to CS3 myself. I have to say, the ability to copy and paste info from one Adobe app into another or drag layers from PS into Il or ID improves productivity 10 fold. Add the Adobe Bridge and it is almost like you are just using one program with different features in CS3.

Nonetheless, I am still a Quark fan and have Quark 7.0 and think it is a great stand alone program. I do think the days of Quark are numbered, especially with the way that Adobe has integrated the 3 core design programs into one effecient suite. I just can't see Quark being able to compete with that as there will always be a need for PS and Il in design. I think their best bet is to keep up with the trends and push to hold onto their market share that are brand loyal and already comfortable with the Application. I honestly can't see them attracting designers new to the industry.