Adobe kills low-end Photoshop, urges users online

Photoshop.com offers online image editing and sharing.

(Credit: Screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET)

Adobe Systems is discontinuing Photoshop Album Starter Edition, the lowest rung on its ladder of image-editing software products, and the company is nudging its users toward the online Photoshop.com site.

Adobe launched Photoshop Album Starter Edition in 2003 as a free, bare-bones image cataloging and editing package. Adobe discontinued the line, though, and support for it ended June 30.

So what's the alternative? In a customer note, Adobe puts its online service front and center.

"As part of our commitment to providing customers with a free photo-editing solution, we have created Photoshop.com, an exciting new online service that lets you upload, organize, edit, store (up to 2GB free), and share your photos," the note said. Afterward is a list of steps for exporting photos from the software to the Web site.

The move reflects the growing importance of Web-based applications even for software powerhouses such as Adobe. Web applications, even when using relatively sophisticated technology such as Adobe's Flash, are typically primitive compared to what can run on a computer, but they offer advantages in sharing, maintenance, and remote access from multiple computers and mobile devices. And of course the Web is gradually growing more sophisticated as a foundation for applications.

It should be noted that Adobe's note also encourages customers to "consider an upgrade to Adobe Photoshop Elements 7," the consumer-oriented software that right now costs about $37 including a $20 rebate on Amazon. Adobe also sells the combination of Photoshop Elements 7 and a one-year Photoshop.com Plus membership for $90. The Plus membership offers subscribers up to 20GB of storage, tutorials, album templates, and "creativity-inspiring ideas."

[ghaff]

It's not clear to me that photo editing is an especially good SaaS application--too much data being moved around for one thing. At least my experience to date has been generally underwhelming beyond doing very basic tasks (which admittedly is all a lot of people care about). Album is no loss but Elements is pretty good. Given that Lightroom is my main application these days I'm not even sure I'll bother upgrading my full Photoshop when I next have to for whatever reason; I may well just downgrade to Elements instead.

[Mr. Dee]

Photoshop.com is too slow on my GPRS connection. Oh, well, happy with Adobe Photoshop CS3 anyway.

[ATOBDavis]

Or you could just use GIMP.

[nrg.dude]

I don't have $700 for the CS version and find SaaS to be inconsistent. Since all I need is some simple tools to tweak photos, I prefer the free Photoshop Album SE version. It is still available through CNET Downloads.

[john55440]

I suspect that, if you currently only have Photoshop Album Starter Edition, you probably also have a dial-up connection. So much for photoshop.com.

I currently use Photoshop Elements, and have zero interest photoshop.com, or any similar cloud service. Some applications are just best-suited to usage on a local computer.

[shycelticwitch]

Hallelujah! I always said you should have to have a license to drive Photoshop! Owning photoshop doesn't make you a pro, but it sure makes a lot of people think they are. They are every bit as frustrating as those who think CoreDRAW, PAINT, PrintShop, PowerPoint, Publisher and MS Word are graphic design programs. They are not, and that is why most printing companies and design agencies won't accept "graphics" from these programs in native format. One of my contracts is a 32-page newspaper that is 60% advertising. At least 50% of the "submitted" ads I get from "graphic designers" are not suitable for use in print. Most of them do not know the difference between 72dpi and 300dpi, and get nasty with you when you try to explain. Not to mention that most of these "I did it myself" ads look exactly like they did it themselves. Nuf said.

[pentest]

Wow a program makes you feel superior? Pompous much?

[sanenazok]

@shyceltic: no customer is going to say "I'm visiting xyz store since it has the slickest ad." Some of the pro-designed advertising is unbelievably convoluted. I want to know what brand of bread is on sale, not an ad to invoke complicated feelings. Next time I see a snooty and over-polished ad I'll know the type of person it comes from! All you have to do is explain your technical requirements and everyone will get it. Just don't be a witch about it.

[eadeguzman]

shycelticwitch:

So a $600 is what you call "license" to drive Photoshop? I have 600, so I'm now an expert in Photoshop?

Only folks who don't know what they're saying don't know how different Photoshop is with CoreDRAW, PAINT, PrintShop, PowerPoint, Publisher and MS Word... You're not just comparing apples to oranges there, you're comparing apples to a fruit basket.

CorelDraw! is a graphic design application. It does not compete with Photoshop. It competes with Illustrator.

Doesn't this look like something a graphic design application can do?

http://coreldraw.com/media/p/63614.aspx

Let's see how your work looks like.

The thing is those are just tools you use to draw or paint. You don't say "what a great painting drawn using this brand and type of brush", you'd say "what a great painting by Picasso". It's the person, not the software.

I bet that there are genius kids out there can draw or paint better than you using MS Paint than you would using Photoshop.

In summary, I agree with what pentest's rhetorical question. :-)

[shycelticwitch]

LOL perhaps you had better check out my portfolio before you go comparing me to a amateur with Paint. ROFL. I look at it this way. When you need brain surgery, do you do it yourself? When a company needs to compete, it does so through advertising, yes? DUH! I landed one of the largest pizza chains in the country because of my ability to innovate and improve. It is unwise to enter into a battle of wits when one is unarmed...

here is my portfolio... enjoy. I actually have two. The other one has the last Penthouse calendar I did on it... I could go on, but you'll get the idea after you have a look.

http://homepage.mac.com/ipopngraphics/PhotoAlbum8.html

[shycelticwitch]

@eadeguzman... CorelDRAW is great for beginners with all the little plug-in graphics and such... But it has NO competition with Illustrator whatsoever. Illustrator is far more advanced, and works in conjunction with Photoshop to create some of the most beautiful illustrations you will ever see. And FYI, I create a great deal of vector art in Photoshop that I export to Illustrator, but it seems that you are unaware that is possible... Can you say "paths"?

PS. On weekends I teach advanced Adobe CS software techniques to newly graduated art students. So I get paid for what I know about design... do you? I looked at the art you posted... nice, but looks like every other vector car on iStock and BigStock... you'll understand what I mean after you visit my site. If you can tell what's vector and what's not, I might concede that you know what you're talking about.

[rodLX]

shycelticwitch, jumping to those conclusions based of the software people use is just arrogance. You say you are a design professional. So am i, for 15 years, and guess what: used both Freehand, Illustrator and Corelldraw, and picked the last one. And guess what again: you wouldn't know that in the final work. In fact, what really matters in this job is the ideas behind the tools, and thankfully we have plenty of tools to realize them. As to image editors, although i prefer Adobe Photoshop CS3 (offline), when it comes to online editors i would recomend FotoFlexer (fotoflexer.com).

[shycelticwitch]

@RodLX... you're missing my point. Photoshop doesn't give you creativity. When it is used by non-professionals it creates headaches for those who are professionals. If you prefer CorelDRAW that's fine. Some cannot grasp the finely tuned technical workings of Illustrator, and prefer a program with built in graphics libraries and presets. I prefer to create my work from a blank page, developing all elements including color palettes on my own. No presets, no clip art and original fonts. Corel just does not allow me to do that with the speed that I am accustomed to.

I have yet to receive an image from an amateur designer that meets the standard full color printing specifications required by most prepress processing software.

Computational geometry notwithstanding, my portfolio is still proof of my experience with this type of software.

[superthings]

shy witch? I don't think so.. You sound like you know everything about your software, but I think your hardware is a little miss managed. Your crass judgements and witchy words are not taken to mean you are an understanding and patient person are they? Working with you sounds more of a nightmare than a herbaly tea.
Also looked at your website, too bad you can't design a good web sight, really spoils your work. Also maybe you should do some research on web design resolution. What a mess. Can't even get close ups of your work. Just a jumble and the aliasing, ever hear of smooth type super pro?
And as for recieving media from other designers that is not suitable, you're pobably talking about recieving media from your clients that is not properly formatted. Not a wise thing to publish online don't you think?
So before you start casting your judgement upon all artists, which is really pushing it. Maybe you should comment nay or yea and leave it at that. These kind of critiques are not useful in a busy mindful world.

[pentest]

Stupid move by Adobe. This will be a boon to the Gimp which has more then the vast majority of the people that use the low end photoshop need.

[llungster]

It's too bad gimp isn't better known to the masses. Maybe this will help change that.

[mooney101]

Adobe products are to expensive they need stuff like this. Free and simple to use because as long as they keep putting out new version about every year with hardly any updates and expect people to pay the ridicules price of their Creative Suite then people will continue to pirate their software.

[shycelticwitch]

I have no issue with Adobe's prices. What I pay for software is less than .01% of what I make off it. If you're not making enough to support the tools you use, then you need another career. There are professionals out there who demand top notch, integrated software to create, and I am one of those. Keep up the great work Adobe.

[wanorris]

@shycelticwitch,

There are plenty of people who are not professional graphic designers (i.e. they derive no income from graphic design) who enjoy using Photoshop in their hobby as amateur photographers. For this market, which has long been one of the mainstays of Adobe's sales base (along with professional designers and photographers, of course), the price actually is significant.

The idea that only professional designers should be allowed to use the software makes as much sense as IT folks demanding that you be able to properly maintain a database cluster before you are allowed to use a computer. There are plenty of amateurs that know the difference between 300dpi and 72 dpi, and some of them actually understand the math of computational geometry, unlike most graphic designers. Most of the people who WROTE Photoshop and Illustrator don't design logos and flyers for a living, they write software.

I realize it must be frustrating to be a professional graphic designer when so many people think their nephew who's "good with computers" can do everything they need. But your attitude in these comments is really unpleasant.

[Orion Blastar]

I'll just use The Gimp or Paint.net instead of Photoshop. There is also Gimpshop that is The Gimp with Photoshop type menus.

[sanenazok]

I am glad that someone else mentioned Paint.net. It's a really great app and has a much smaller footprint than The Gimp.

[cube3]

When tAdobe launched this "online service" they claimed ownership of all work done with it. just google the outcome...
like facebook, they TRIED to own all IP, but got caught with their lawyers pants down.

Those who use tech tools to create, read the TOS very carefully. The tide is not turning in your favor of owning your works copyright protections.:)

[TX-Sunset]

You know, considering that most people's upstream speed is a fraction of what their downstream speed is and the larger file sizes for the modern high megapixel cameras, I think going online for photoshop is a stupid idea. Many DSL users will be reduced to the upload speed of a 56k modem while many Cable users will not be much higher.

[jigmeg]

Cloud computing is a byproduct of climate change, and needs to be stopped before clouds cover the earth and kill everything living there. Stop this digital climate change by dumping all Adobe products. Oh, I forgot, u need Photoshop to produce false science to support the claim, or to sell software in Poland. Gimp can't handle 3D layers and does not have content aware scaling, so that's no good. I guess ur locked into 300$ CS upgrades per year for life. But no fret, at least you get an SUV full of bloatware to haul around town. Uh oh, gotta go, Bridge just fell into the river and crashed my system...