Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection

Other products by Adobe

Product Features

• Design across media using a comprehensive, integrated creative environment; Work deeply in one discipline, such as print, web, video, or audio, and then move your skills and content to another medium efficiently
• Create eye-catching vector graphics in Adobe Illustrator CS4, produce powerful images in Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended, and lay out visually rich documents for print and digital delivery in InDesign; showcase design work in dynamic PDF Portfolios
• Prototype and create leading-edge digital experiences, including interactive websites, applications, user interfaces, presentations, and mobile device content, using Adobe Fireworks CS4, Dreamweaver CS4, Flash, and many other tools in Master Collection
• Work with a highly efficient pre- and post-production toolset to do video and audio editing, still and motion graphics, visual effects, and interactive media design, and then deliver for film, broadcast, and DVD as well as Blu-ray Disc and mobile authoring
• Use the indispensable tools in Photoshop Extended more efficiently: Pan and zoom on images smoothly, rotate canvas to any angle, and resize images without distortion using new Content-Aware Scaling; paint, composite, and animate 3D models

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.7 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B001EUCTPE
• Item model number: 65023429
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 23, 2008
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,587 in Software (See Bestsellers in Software)

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  #38 in	Software > Video & Music > Digital Video > Video Editing
  #56 in	Software > Graphics > Professional Design

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Create visually rich content for virtually any media--print, web, interactive, video, audio, and mobile--using the tightly integrated tools and services in Adobe Creative Suite 4 Master Collection software. From producing printed pages to distributing engaging content online, on film, on air, and on device, you get the ultimate design environment to keep pace with your imagination.

Leverage the familiar InDesign environment and your existing expertise to deliver design in more media. Just one example: Export an InDesign layout as XFL, open it in Flash, edit text and graphics, and then add interactive elements to produce a compelling dynamic document. Click to enlarge.

Drag a Photoshop image into a Dreamweaver page to create a dynamically linked Smart Object. If the source file changes, a badge shows that the Dreamweaver version is no longer current. To update the image, simply click the Update icon in the Properties panel. Click to enlarge.

In Illustrator, create and arrange up to 100 artboards of differing sizes, and then save them in a single, multipage PDF file or export them as sequentially numbered files. Click to enlarge.

In Photoshop, rotate canvas and image together to any angle for convenient viewing and editing. Click to enlarge.

Design across media

Ultimate creative toolset
Design across media using a comprehensive, integrated creative environment. Work deeply in one discipline, such as print, web, video, or audio, and then move your skills and content to another medium efficiently. For example, export rich interactive documents from Adobe InDesign as SWF or PDF files or as XFL files that you can open and edit in Adobe Flash. Or, import live Adobe After Effects compositions into Adobe Flash to add interactivity.

Industry-leading graphic design tools
Create eye-catching vector graphics in Adobe Illustrator CS4, produce powerful digital images in Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended, and lay out visually rich long and short documents for print and digital delivery in InDesign. Showcase design work in dynamic, customizable PDF Portfolios, and prepare PDF files for high-end printed output.

Efficient creation of websites, applications, and digital experiences
Prototype and create leading-edge digital experiences, including interactive websites, applications, user interfaces, presentations, and mobile device content, using Adobe Fireworks CS4, Dreamweaver CS4, Flash, and many other tools in Master Collection. Exchange creative content between designers and developers without rework.

A complete pre- and post-production toolset
Work with a highly efficient pre- and post-production toolset to do video and audio editing, still and motion graphics, visual effects, and interactive media design, and then deliver for film, broadcast, and DVD as well as Blu-ray Disc and mobile authoring.

New dimensions in image editing
Use the indispensable tools in Photoshop Extended more efficiently: Pan and zoom on images more smoothly and rapidly, rotate your canvas to any angle, and resize images without distortion or pixelation using revolutionary new Content-Aware Scaling. Paint, composite, and animate 3D models using familiar tools.

Rich animation
Produce animations for virtually any screen with the utmost control in After Effects, or create rich interactive animations with new easy-to-use, object-based controls in Flash.

Cutting-edge web technologies and industry standards
Prototype in Fireworks and build standards-based websites and applications in Dreamweaver, whether you're working with client-side HTML/XHTML, CSS, and XML; server-side application languages like Adobe ColdFusion, ASP, and PHP; or advanced JavaScript and Ajax. Get consistent cross-browser-compatible results with virtually any development platform.

Project intelligence with XMP metadata
Track, manage, automate, and extract more value from your design and video assets by embedding XMP metadata as you create your projects. For example, use new Speech Search technology in Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 and Soundbooth CS4 to turn spoken dialogue into metadata, making it easy to find particular clips as you edit and your video assets searchable when posted online.

Collaboration with clients and colleagues
Access the Adobe ConnectNow service to review creative ideas online in real time with colleagues or clients. Find answers to technical questions with Adobe Community Help. Share color harmonies online with Adobe Kuler. Access improved Resource Central to find new assets, and quickly find news and inspiration in Bridge Home.

In InDesign, sort by any column and easily scan the thumbnails in the enhanced Links panel to view detailed, customizable information about linked content. Click to enlarge.

In InDesign, quickly create a compelling interactive document by using the new Page Transitions panel to add animated transitions such as Page Turn. Then export the document as a SWF file that anyone with Adobe Flash Player or a web browser that supports Flash can conveniently view. Click to enlarge.

Creating a basic Flash animation is now a simple two-step process: Select an object and choose Create Motion Tween, and then drag the object. The resulting motion path can be easily edited using Bezier curves. Click to enlarge.

Paint directly on 3D objects in Photoshop Extended and view the results immediately. Click to enlarge.

Quickly and reliably test mobile content in a variety of simulated lighting environments by controlling test settings for backlight, reflections, contrast, and more. Click to enlarge.

Search for spoken dialog, make video clips searchable, and access rights management information and other types of project intelligence thanks to new support for XMP metadata across Production Premium. Click to enlarge.

Mobile designs for millions
Deliver compelling content to mobile subscribers worldwide. Use Adobe Device Central CS4 to create, preview, and test mobile content easily on an extensive selection of devices under simulated real-life conditions directly from your desktop.

Combines:

• Adobe InDesign CS4
• Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended
• Adobe Illustrator CS4
• Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro
• Adobe Flash CS4 Professional
• Adobe Dreamweaver CS4
• Adobe Fireworks CS4
• Adobe Contribute CS4
• Adobe After Effects CS4
• Adobe Premiere Pro CS4
• Adobe Soundbooth CS4
• Adobe OnLocation CS4
• Adobe Encore CS4

Adobe InDesign CS4--Design professional layouts for print and digital publishing

Publish persuasive content
Create high-impact, personalized content and long documents tailored for unique audiences in less time and with fewer steps.

Experience fluid workflows
Design with ease using customer-inspired enhancements to your everyday toolset and a more flexible layout environment.

Create rich interactive documents
Create dynamic documents for playback in the Adobe Flash Player runtime as well as engaging PDF content that both include professional typography and top-quality page design.

Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended--Discover new dimensions in digital imaging

Easily access full editing power
Take greater advantage of all that Adobe Photoshop Extended software offers with a more intuitive user interface and nondestructive editing freedom so you can achieve the highest quality results.

Work more efficiently
Be more productive by taking advantage of smooth integration with other Adobe software and enhancements that leverage the power of today's faster graphics processors.

Edit 3D and motion-based content
Enjoy breakthrough enhancements that now let you paint directly on 3D objects and unleash the editing power of Photoshop software on 3D content. Plus, edit motion graphics for video with enhanced control for speed and precision.

Perform advanced image analysis
Extract quantitative information from images, count objects or image features, track and log your work, and volume-render DICOM files.

Adobe Illustrator CS4--Explore new paths with the essential vector tool

Explore new features
Powerful additions such as the Blob Brush tool and transparency in gradients inspire new creativity. The highly anticipated multiple artboards feature prompts new ways of working.

Discover hidden gems
Existing features have been polished, and hidden functions have been uncovered to reveal usefulness and depth, enabling you to learn more quickly and take better advantage of the power of Illustrator.

Work efficiently
Illustrator CS4 offers improved interaction with options and tools, plus you can do more directly on the artboard. Innovations with Smart Guides and Isolation Mode plus new panel behaviors enable a smoother, more efficient workflow.

Deliver almost anywhere
Print delivery is more reliable with Separations Preview. And with new user interface similarity and shared formats among Adobe Creative Suite tools, work across applications is virtually seamless.

Using Live Preflight in InDesign, you can open the Preflight panel to be alerted to errors as they occur rather than when the presses are just about to roll. Click to enlarge.

Live View lets you see exactly how your pages will appear in a web browser directly from within Dreamweaver, so you can quickly tweak the code right then and there. Click to enlarge.

Live View lets you see exactly how your pages will appear in a web browser directly from within Dreamweaver, so you can quickly tweak the code right then and there. Click to enlarge.

To allow you to work smoothly and swiftly within components and to move effortlessly among them, Design Premium offers several elegant, cross-component interface enhancements, including N-up view, an application bar, an application frame, and tabbed documents, and task-based workspaces. Click to enlarge.

Multitrack support lets you quickly assemble all your audio elements, and save them as an ASND file that can be shared with Adobe Flash CS4 Professional, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, and Adobe After Effects CS4 software. Click to enlarge.

Adobe Media Encoder lets you use any combination of sequences and clips as source files and encode to an extensive variety of formats. Click to enlarge.

Navigating nested compositions in Adobe After Effects CS4 is made easier by the Composition navigator along the top of each Composition panel (right). A Mini Flowchart (below) reveals the nesting organization of related compositions Click to enlarge.

The new Cartoon effect in Adobe After Effects CS4 allows you to convert live action footage (left) into stylized imagery (right). Click to enlarge.

Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro--Protect documents and accelerate information exchange with PDF

Deliver professional documents
Easily organize content from a variety of sources--including documents, e-mail, images, spreadsheets, and web pages--in a single searchable PDF Portfolio, compressed for easy distribution. Use professionally designed templates that can be branded with your company logo and colors. Quickly integrate content, define navigation, and add polish to communicate clearly and effectively. Share information with anyone using free Adobe Reader software.

Create and manage forms
Simplify the creation and completion of forms to efficiently analyze and use data. Convert Word and Excel documents or scanned paper to PDF forms with automatic recognition of fillable fields. Or use Adobe LiveCycle Designer ES software, a professional form design tool included with Acrobat 9 Pro software, to further customize and automate dynamic XML forms. Extend Acrobat functionality to Reader users so virtually anyone can participate in the workflows you initiate. Use the Form Tracker to see when forms have been completed and who has completed them. And easily export data to a spreadsheet for analysis and reporting.

Manage document reviews
Accelerate the exchange of ideas with colleagues, extended teams, and customers. Through easy-to-manage electronic document reviews, participants can see and build on other reviewers' comments as they are being made, so you can quickly gain the input and consensus you need to efficiently develop and complete work. Enable virtually anyone using free Adobe Reader software to participate in reviews, and use the Form Tracker to monitor progress and participation.

Help protect sensitive information
Control access to and use of PDF documents, assign digital rights, and maintain document integrity. Set document permissions to define whether a file can be printed or changed. Apply passwords to help restrict document access. Use redaction tools to permanently remove sensitive information. Digitally sign and certify documents to validate they came from a trusted source. Create and reuse document security policies to precisely manage who can print, save, copy, or modify a document.

Flash CS4 Professional--Create and deliver rich interactive content

Design with ease and efficiency
Quickly create and modify animations while retaining a great degree of control. Powerful new object-based animation, Bezier controls, and motion presets make working in Flash easier and more intuitive.

Explore new creative possibilities
Express your creative vision in innovative ways with exciting new design tools. Animate 2D objects through 3D space with 3D translation and rotation. Use the Bones tool to easily create chain-like effects or distort shapes. Add the expressive power of patterns to your designs with the Deco tool.

Collaborate across workflows
Collaborate smoothly across designer and developer workflows. Easily import content into Flash from Adobe InDesign and After Effects software using the XFL format. Enjoy common user interface elements and tools across the Adobe Creative Suite 4 family.

Deliver for a wide reach
Deliver interactive experiences that reach audiences across platforms and devices. The latest technologies, such as XMP for mobile and delivery to the Adobe AIR runtime, are right at your fingertips.

Adobe Dreamweaver CS4--Design, develop, and maintain standards-based websites and applications

Create next-generation web experiences
Work in a real-world view of your rich CSS, JavaScript, SWF, and dynamic content directly in Dreamweaver. Quickly integrate third-party web widgets from the most popular JavaScript frameworks into your pages.

Learn best practices
Visually design with CSS best practices aided by jargon-free explanations of practical concepts. Create Ajax-driven interactivity while supporting best practices.

Take control of your content
Design your pages in Dreamweaver so your clients can make updates to their web pages directly from the browser using the Adobe InContext Editing online service. Add dynamic data to your site without a database or complex coding.

Adobe Fireworks CS4--Rapidly prototype and design for the web

Take prototyping to the next level
Rapidly prototype websites, application interfaces, and other interactive designs with Fireworks CS4 software. Create, edit, and optimize web graphics more accurately and quickly than ever before with an enhanced toolset. Demo your designs to clients live on the web or e-mail a PDF file generated from Fireworks. Integrate Live Styles and the improved Common Library for continual leaps in productivity.

Collaborate more smoothly
Work faster and smarter with the accelerated performance of Fireworks CS4. Leverage the uniform user interface and core functionality, such as consistent text handling, across Fireworks and other Adobe Creative Suite 4 components, including Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Adobe Illustrator CS4.

Design once, deploy to many platforms
Output your Fireworks designs to HTML, Adobe AIR, Flash, or Flex software. Craft custom skins for Flex components with the superior design tools of Fireworks. Design within Fireworks and, when you're ready, export web standards-compliant CSS to Adobe Dreamweaver CS4 software. Create HTML-based Adobe AIR prototypes directly from within Fireworks to provide layout design and to display user interaction before developing your application.

Save time on every project by dynamically linking content between select components of Adobe Creative Suite 4 Production Premium. With Adobe Dynamic Link, you can see and hear updates instantly--without rendering--as you refine your project's assets. Click to enlarge.

Use the powerful new Speech Search feature in both Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 and Soundbooth CS4 to automatically generate metadata that makes video searchable by linking the spoken word to timecode-specific text. Click to enlarge.

The redesigned user interface puts all of the controls for Adobe OnLocation on a single screen, while the Shot List (inset) lets you input vital information, comments, and more. Click to enlarge.

Robust timecode display options throughout Adobe Premiere Pro give you the ability to work with SMPTE or frame-count timecode. Click to enlarge.

Adobe Contribute CS4--Simplify web content management

Delegate work while retaining control
Delegate content publishing to content owners without compromising the integrity of your websites. Define and enforce custom publishing workflows to meet your organization's review and approval requirements for published content.

Engage users
Empower end users to quickly and easily publish content to static and dynamic websites through true WYSIWYG authoring. Give users the choice of editing websites directly from their favorite browsers or composing and publishing web content from within Microsoft Office applications. Enable easy collaboration between users in the content publishing process.

Work with a compatible, affordable tool
Publish to the web in almost any computing environment thanks to compatibility with existing web and IT infrastructures and cross-platform interoperability. Contribute CS4 is affordable and works on Intel and PowerPC based Macs and on Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista systems.

Adobe After Effects CS4--Create motion graphics and visual effects with the industry standard

Innovate visually
Enjoy creative control over virtually every element in a highly responsive 2D and 3D compositing and animation environment. With After Effects CS4, you can create virtually whatever you envision.

Work with efficient tools
Easily handle a wide range of post-production tasks--from keying and motion tracking to color correction, rotoscoping, and more--using flexible tools in a user interface optimized to help save you time.

Deliver to virtually any screen
Easily create output for delivery to a wide range of media formats and platforms--from traditional film and video to the web and mobile devices--from a single project.

Adobe Premiere Pro CS4--Capture, edit, and deliver video online, on air, on disc, or on device

Discover new post-production workflows
Work with the formats you want, from DV and HD to 4K and beyond. Support for industry standards enables you to interchange more easily with other industry-standard tools. Powerful new metadata management features help you deliver video content to virtually any screen.

Work with efficient post-production tools
Edit faster with a broad selection of professional editing tools and tighter-than-ever integration with other Adobe software. Maintain pristine quality across the production process with an efficient tapeless workflow, find specific areas of your content faster with the innovative Speech Search feature, and stay focused on your work with background batch encoding.

Achieve creative excellence
Maximize your creative options with powerful enhancements that help you bring new dimensions to your work. Achieve your vision with professional color correction, quick and precise multicam editing, and much more--all from within a familiar, customizable interface. Tap into a wealth of tutorials, stock footage, visual effects, and more to elevate your production quality, and connect to the creative community to share ideas. From acquisition to delivery, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 offers tools that help you deliver excellent results.

Adobe Soundbooth CS4--Create and edit audio with ease

Rapidly enhance and edit audio
Take command of the audio in creative projects with task-based tools that help you create, clean up, and polish sound. Multitrack support and automatic volume matching give you more flexibility and control. Visually remove unwanted noises with the editing tools available in Spectral view.

Work with ready-to-use audio assets
Personalize your soundtracks with the enhanced Soundbooth Score editing workflow. Download Soundbooth Scores from Resource Central, and use new multitrack support to customize, combine, or layer multiple scores. Add effects to adjust the mood, or stretch or shorten the file to alter duration.

Use intuitive, task-based tools
Tackle everyday audio editing and cleanup with the power of nondestructive editing in the new Adobe Sound Document (ASND) format. Quickly and easily heal sound, match volume levels, create sound effects, and choose from a library of high-quality audio filters and streamlined mastering tools.

Enjoy tighter integration
Eliminate the need for intermediate rendering and streamline the process of editing audio in Soundbooth while working in various Adobe Creative Suite components with features such as new nondestructive roundtrip editing and Adobe Dynamic Link.

Adobe OnLocation CS4 for shooting direct to disk and monitoring footage

Adobe OnLocationCS4 is powerful cross-platform (Windows and Intel-based Macs), direct-to-disk recording and monitoring software that helps you shoot better and faster. The completely redesigned interface puts control of all functions on a single screen and features the familiar look and feel of other Adobe creative applications. Use the professional on-set monitoring tools to calibrate your camera, set levels, and monitor signals to obtain the best quality video and audio and avoid time-consuming and potentially costly problems.

Shooting and capturing video directly to disk lets you record a two-hour event as a single clip or shoot as many takes of a scene as you need to get it right--no changing tapes, no solid-state memory time limits, no missed action. It's a director's dream come true--but when you're editing, finding that one perfect take among dozens of outtakes can be difficult. To make it easier, Adobe OnLocation CS4 offers a Shot List that enables you to re-record multiple takes of the same scene retaining the metadata automatically from the original master shot. When you edit the footage in Adobe Premiere Pro, you can search for a favorite take simply by searching for metadata logged while you originally recorded the footage. Or, run the speech-to-text feature in Adobe Premiere Pro, which uses new metadata support to find words spoken by the talent.

Adobe Encore CS4

Use Encore to create DVDs and high-definition Blu-ray Discs, and with one click, easily save projects you designed to be delivered to disc as interactive content compatible with Adobe Flash Player for the web.

While on location, use Encore to output SWF file versions of your dailies to post online.

Choose Your Edition

With the tightly integrated tools and services in Adobe Creative Suite 4 software, you can create visually rich content for virtually any media--print, web, interactive, video, audio, and mobile. Find the one that's right for you:

Adobe Creative Suite 4 also allows you to access features and services that are hosted online, such as Adobe Community Help, Adobe Kuler, Adobe ConnectNow (a service on Acrobat.com), Adobe InContext Editing, and Bridge Home.*

* This product may allow you to access certain features that are hosted online ("online services"), provided you have a high-speed Internet connection. The online services, and some features thereof, may not be available in all countries, languages and/or currencies and may be discontinued in whole or in part without notice. Use of the online services is governed by separate terms of use and by the Adobe privacy policy, and access to these services may require user registration. Some online services, including services initially offered at no charge, may be subject to additional fees. For additional details and to review the terms of use and privacy policy, please visit www.adobe.com.

Product Description

CS4 MASTER COLLECTION 4 WIN CROM1U

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Big One from Adobe (great deal for media students!!), January 19, 2009

By	Mr. Ben "ctsamurai" (mid-michigan) - See all my reviews

Adobe has made a push in recent years to integrate all of their creative programs into an enormous suite of high powered tools that you can use in combination to create broad accessible content.
In one box you get some creative powertools: (among many others) Premiere, After Affects, Flash, Illustrator, Dreamweaver and of course, Photoshop. There are many other programs that I didn't necessarily have interest in, but they are handy to have in a pinch plus they will give me something to build more skill in.

This is a true professional suite of programs, and whats great about this is that there are enough similarities between the programs that you'll be able to understand the layouts between the programs with relative ease.

Two warnings: This is overkill, chances are you only really want a few of the programs (in my case Photoshop, Premiere, After Affects and Dreamweaver) but if you have three Adobe products on your "wishlist" then you might want to consider the whole shebangabang of the Master Collection since the other programs are then kind of a bonus and will give you something to work on.

The other warning (coming from someone who got this with the amazing academic/student discount) is that you better have a strong system to run Premiere, After Affects and the other video/Premiere related programs. I definitely need a memory upgrade(and ideally a new computer!) to accommodate that behemoth.

But finally, I would say, while four figures is a high price for software you are getting a tremendous package and if you are able to qualify for an academic discount you should jump on this. Adobe's price is around a fifth the price of the retail version. As a student who is trying to develop marketable skills this is a package that will make you a master.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CS Is Adequate - Is there competition?, January 27, 2009

By	P. Findlay - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Overall, a great product. Im not one for reviewing things so bear with me. In the title I say CS4 is adequate. I say that because really, I think its a good tool, but because I dont have anything to compare it to I cant really say if its better than anything else.

OK. Firstly. I live in both the US and the UK. I purchased this product from Amazon in the US for about £800 cheaper than I could in the UK. Whats up with that?

Installation took hours, not a big problem, but when your used to MX studio which I have been using for 6 years and which loads in 5 minutes, you notice it.

I work on a HP laptop and it has a credentials manager. Although I didn't know at first, this caused Dreamweaver CS4 to repeatedly crash during FTP operations including testing a new connection, very frustrating when you have what is some very expensive new kit.

There was also a problem with editing images from Dreamweaver with Fireworks as when Fireworks was launched it crashed as you could only open it in administrator mode. This appears rectified now since I have disabled the credentials manager (a HP thing).

Personally, I have never liked CSS and used it sparingly. However, your forced to use it in Dreamweaver CS4. You cant just select some text and set a font/size property, grrrrrrrrrr. I can sort of live with that as CSS seems so important these days. However, I generally only create small sites of about 10 pages and feel more comfortable managing fonts directly. You can only do it by editing the code directly. Combined with the fact that you cant use the toolbar to insert a background image, gggrrrrrr, Dreamweaver doesn't shorten my workflow, it makes it more difficult. Im not attacking Dreamweaver as I intend to adapt, and having had CS 4 for only a few weeks its too early to attack it, plus I am sort of happy with it in a fashion.

However, this is the full kit. And theres all the other products. OK. Im still learning, but what I was most looking forward to was InDesign because I had read that it was a great tool for prototype designing web sites. NOT. I dont understand what you can do in InDesign that you cant do in Fireworks, but thats just me. If you think you can create a web design in InDesign and export it was a CSS site your wrong. So for me its pretty useless.

OK, anything positive? Loads, but i've yet to eally get to grips with most stuff.

Photoshop, which for me has only been useful for adjusting shadow and using the healing brush now offers an easy to use curves function. If your a Photoshop part timer like me you'll have played with the curves features before and wound up with psychodelic photos a million miles from what you wanted, but now the curves feature has a mouse that you can select and can then use to grab a colour in your photo and brighten or darken the image. I do alot of studio photography of objects like metal things that are shny chrome, but if you then photo a black object, say the same object but instead of being silver, its black, a digital camera will go mad and the backdrop will be a totally diferent brightness. However, I (accidentlly) discovered that using the new curves feature I can easily correct this effect so that when shown as a collection of images in a table for example, the backgrounds look more uniform. Nice, but worth the extra $$$$?? I dont know.

Keen on the video stuff. In the past I have been confined to editing video in quicktime so this is functionality that will send me to the moon. Allows for nice video joins as standard and includes an external feature, Device Central?, for converting video for other applications such as Flash. Basically I brought the Master Collection because I want to use this video software. Generally I take video on a digital camera and impotr it into flash for 2-3 second flash animations in the top of websites, for example, a guy welding. I was doing ok with Quicktime and Flash MX, but now I hope to be able to take my service portfolio to the next level. What I was really hoping for was to generate easy to download video, streaming? as most of my stuff feels quite bulky, but im yet to get into all of that as of yet.

In conclusion, as im getting bored, id say that for me, buying the Master Collection was mainly to take a step up from Studio MX which I brought in 2003? Price wise, I got a good deal buying in the US but even so, as a web designer with hundreds of clients its not a devestating expense and hopefully it will put me in a good position for the next 5 years. However, to be honest, it hasn't 'revolutionised' anything I do. In fact, changing platform from what i've been used to day in day out for the last 5 years has been very time consuming. Any there is nothing in Dreamweaver, my main tool, that is noticably different. If anything Dreamweaver is less intuitive to use. I am now so much more reliant on external resources, for example, create a spry element and it creates a folder with about 4 files that you have to upload as dependent files. I now have style sheets to wory about. A small issue that im sure i'll figure out... eventually... is that with style sheetsif I have a word followed by the BR html tag and then a paragraph, as I have been doing for years, when I convert it to CSS the paragraph will not justify. I have tried a few things, div, span etc but not comprehensivly, and I still cant replicate the format that I use in many of my existing sites. This is just a little thing, and like I say, maybe i'll figure it out, but things like that just loose time.

Anyway, I have given CS4 5 stars just because it looks soooo nice. I think once I learn it i'll be ok, but I do feel like a kid that got his Xmas present that he had been waiting all year for and found that it was too complicated to play with. Like I say, InDesign just doesn't do what I thought it would. CS is not intuitive. I was hoping for more common sense. I did think that Adobe might have damaged what was a good product, Macromedia. Forexample, most software in the world, you do crtl z to go back. But not in Photoshop... I discovered that with Photoshop in 2006. I thought that was stupid. Well, maybe its Adobe thats stupid and now they have infected Dreamweaver with similarly stupid logic.

Please dont take this all the wrong way. Essentially the software has tons of functionality, and im still exploring it with excitment. Just last night I went to bed with my bed laptop and googles Whats New In Dreamweaver CS4 to find out new stuff, and it was this moring I got the e-mail from Amazon asking for my review. I think the most exciting thing is that I have a nice big toolkit for doing what I do. And it all works pretty well, so dont hesitate to buy it, just be prepared for a few stumbling blocks and the pain of a new learning curve, which you'll soon get over, maybe sooner than I did, lol.

I'll leave it there as I have a tendency to waffle on and on. 5 out of 5.

5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Selling THIS SOFTWARE SHOULD BE A CRIME! LICENSE TIMES OUT!, September 4, 2009

By	Unhappy Mac User! "Unhappy Mac User!" (Hollywood, California) - See all my reviews

This is a direct quote from the Adobe staff on CS 4. AMAZON should pull this product until the "new" version is released because knowingly selling it in its present condition is a FRAUD ON THE CONSUMER!

In our next version, the design of the license expiry workflow has been altered to effectively tackle all the issues in CS4 handling of license expiry.

In our next version, when the product is launched the check for license expiry is performed. If the serial number associated with the license has expired, the user would not be displayed a hard-stop alert as was done in CS4. Instead, the module responsible for licensing of the product would bring up a user interface. This license expiry user interface screen would

Inform the user that the license in use has expired with an error message.
Additionally, it would provide an option to the user to enter a new serial number to renew his expired license.
This is like a 'bonus launch' of the product as the product is giving a bonus opportunity to the user to renew his expired license by entering a new serial number. This eliminates the need for previously used workarounds, to bring up the user interface (serialization screen) for entering an alternative serial number in case of license expiry.

BOTTOM LINE: BUY THIS PRODUCT NOW AND GET SCREWED!