I've heard rumors that Photoshop CS4 will be available on October 1st.
Being eligible for the student pricing I'm wondering if I should get CS3 now or wait until CS4 arrives.

I currently have a Powerbook G4 (15", 1.67GHz, 1.5GB RAM, MacOS 10.4.11) and worry that it won't work on my setup (or perform so poorly that it's not worth using) that I should get CS3 while it's still available.
Then again, if it does work on my current setup it'll be silly to buy CS3 and upgrade to CS4 a month later (there are no stundent discounted upgrades, so I'll have to buy the software again with a student discount).

I'm contemplating about selling my Powerbook G4 and getting a MacBook Pro at some stage (probably in 6 months to a years time), but in the meantime I have to have a working Photoshop on my G4.
There's no information about CS4 at Adobe's website as far as I can see.

Tyegrr,

A rumor is just that: a rumor. Those who truly know are under NDA. And even they can be wrong. There will be an official Adobe announcement a few weeks before the release date. If you need the software now, you buy it now. If you don't need it now, then wait.

Skipping past all of that, your old PowerBook is marginal at best for CS3. Not enough horsepower for the cpu; not enough RAM (no idea about how much free hard drive space you have). I doubt that CS4 would be any gentler on your PowerBook. This regardless of what any "minimum system requirements" are on the box.

Neil

Tyegrr,

Here are the Mac requirements. But take these with a large grain of salt.

PowerPC® G4 or G5 or multicore Intel processor
Mac OS X v10.4.8-10.5 (Leopard)
512MB of RAM
64MB of video RAM
2GB of available hard-disk space (additional free space required during installation)
1,024x768 monitor resolution with 16-bit video card
DVD-ROM drive
QuickTime 7 software required for multimedia features
Internet or phone connection required for product activation
Broadband Internet connection required for Adobe Stock Photos* and other services

Neil

I didn't know my Powerbook was so underpowered by today's standards. How does a current MacBook compare for everyday Photoshop CS3 use in comparison to the 1.67GHz Powerbook?
Will a MacBook be sufficient as a photographer's computer?

Like I said, I'll probably trade in my Powerbook G4 for a MacBook some time in the not too distant future, but not right now.

Where did you find those Mac requirements? Are those rumors as well, or were you just referring to the release date?
If the specs are correct then CS4 will work on my Powerbook, and will be a worthwhile investment to go with my MacBook purchase instead of wasting my money on CS3 right now, and upgrading in a few months time.

Tyegrr,

My comments about the usability of your G4 PowerBook are based upon general discussions on hardware we've had in this Forum.

A new MacBook, tricked out with RAM and large hard drive would make a good, but not perfect field or second computer for a professional photographer. For speed, expandability, flexibility, and most accurate color, go with a desktop system and good large monitor or two. There are topics here you can search for further details.

The Mac requirements are for CS3 and are on the Adobe.com Website. I didn't search for CS4 requirements, and don't know if you can find reliable info on that yet.

I'm amending my previous post to avoid any further confusion about the software version.

As for the actual CS4 release date, the best we can do is tell you that Adobe has recently been doing about an 18-month (or so) release cycle for their software. CS3 was released in early spring 2007. So, maybe October 2008, maybe November, maybe December. But I'm just guessing, based upon past history.

Neil

...maybe October 2008, maybe November, maybe December...




Exactly. That is fairly soon, so wait as best you can before buying PSCS3; maybe make do with (cheap!) PS Elements v7 in the meantime. Once Adobe announces CS4 (Q4 2008 very likely) a purchase of CS3 should include a cheap upgrade path to CS4.

I owned the same laptop you have and ran CS2 and CS3 on it. Adequate performance for a laptop, and since Adobe has already advised that Mac users will not receive 64-bit with CS4 my expectation is that most of CS4 will run similarly on your G4 PB. In any event you can do a free trial.

Good luck!

it is almost inconceivable that Adobe will not have CS4 announced by Mac
Expo in early January




I don't recall exactly when CS3 was announced (maybe it was Mac Expo '07), but it wasn't available until about April 2007.

Neil

Don't waste your money on Photoshop Elements. It's not worth even $5.

As a stop-gap measure, install the free GIMP. It beats the pants off Photoshop Elements.

If you have to get a laptop, get the MacBook Pro, not the regular flavor of the MacBook.

I speak from experience, frustration and disgust with both products.

Though, I don't have any pirated software myself, in the last two weeks I've seen leaked beta builds of CS4. I would NOT be surprised by an October release and a September announcement.

Just speculation. ;)