Illustrator CS5

[pauland]

Is it worth upgrading? It really all depends on what you do with the software. My advice would be to try out the 30 day trials before you go ahead and upgrade, then you can decide for yourself. There is no problem with keeping CS3 installed and installing the trials. Remember, though that if you do open a file you created in CS3 - don't save it back using CS5 or you may be unable to open it again if you decide not to upgrade. There's a ton of online stuff that tells you about the new CS5 featues if you go to the adobe site.

I think there is little value to upgrading two programs from the suite seperately - I think the total will be just about the same as upgrading the whole suite.

If it makes you feel better, the upgrade is even more expensive outside the US.

The suite upgrades are basically designed to move you up one level in future upgrade revenue. Of course the other way to look at it is that you have the use of the other suite programs at a discounted rate.

Whether the upgrade is worthwhile is entirely dependent on what you intend to do with the software and whether you can afford the cost. In my case I was forced to upgrade because as a freelancer, my clients were using CS5 and they couldn't send me files in formats less than CS4. Adobe knows how to make people pay out..

[Oh, I've never had a problem re-installing software on my machines - through machine upgrades or HD replacements ]

[Albacore]

Adobe don't bother people with older versions of their software at all and if you do have problems just use the help number given with your software they are very helpful. I don't upgrade just for the sake of upgrading but the one that I would do is PS as this piece of software gives you the rights to upgrade all other programmes in the Suite. I think now, this year, is the last time you can upgrade from PS CS(1) without paying the full whack price just the upgrade price which means you get around 10 years at the upgrade price if you can understand that.

Yes you can just upgrade the one bit of software and in the UK to upgrade Illy to CS5 for me would be around the £200 mark. I am happy like you just with Illy CS 3 and I get my freelance clients to send any work to me using the PDF format which they are all happy to do. It means it is a bit extra work for me if they have used some of the new gradients but all the rest works well even the new transparency type brushes and perspective grids.