The folks over at adobe.com have announced the release of the newest version of Creative Suite, 5.5 coming in May. Of course, the first question is “Why a new version so soon?” Along with the announcement of the new version, Adobe also announced that instead of an 18 month cycle of new releases, there will be a 24-month release cycle with a 12 month mid-release. The mid-releases will offer some new features along with bug fixes. The 24-month, or “milestone”, release will be the major upgrade. Since all this is a new way of Adobe making their releases, we’ll see in 12 months how much of a milestone the new releases are.
You can find out about all of the new features of CS5.5 over at Adobe TV’s 5.5 channel. They have over 4 hours of video about the Design, Production and Web Premium Bundles. One of the great things about Adobe TV is that instead of a list of features, you get to see those features in action.
A new feature that Adobe is also rolling out is a subscription service for CS5.5. If you don’t want to pay out the large cost of one of the Adobe bundles, now you can lease the bundle or piece of software you need. The chart below are the prices listed on the Adobe site:
There’s no word (yet) on whether the subscription service will incorporate educational pricing or volume discounts. Also, as of now, you can’t “rent-to-own”. I’m hoping that this changes, because this would be a huge service for Adobe to provide. After paying out $570 for six months worth of Design Premium, you should have the option of purchasing the software at something of a discount. This being a new service, I would guess that some of the kinks will be worked out before this rolls out in May.
There’s a lot more information at adobe.com about what each of the bundles includes. For a great visual of the new features in each, check out the videos at Adobe TV.
