While all-in-one packaging is a good idea for Adobe and a somewhat good idea for users, I can't help but feel quite overwhelmed in having to learn all the upgrades at once. (Heck, I haven't even loaded OSX yet.) I hope Adobe keeps in mind that we all can't take a month off to learn how everything works together and offers us some comprehensive CD tutorial training to get us up to speed. As a businessperson I can't say I am very happy either with having to shell out the upgrade money all at once. Still, I can see why adobe made the decision they did.

I would love to be able to take advantage of the Photoshop $579 upgrade deal for all the products. However, I doubt my company will pay $579 ($840 Cdn) x 2 for myself and my co-worker. The company will probably pay for one product upgrade-how do I choose which one? Photoshop, InDesign, Illustator? Aghhhh!

"If the price alone isn't enticement enough to purchase the complete suite, Adobe sweetens the deal with a simultaneous, single-serial number install for the included products. For those of us struggling to locate rogue serial numbers, the simplicity of a single-installation effort may be worth it."

Once you purchase the Suite, can you then upgrade individual programs or are you forced to purchase the Suite upgrades forever after??

It seems unfair to ask only Windows users to activate and not MAC's. Can I use Photoshop Cs on my three computers?? I'm the only user and only one at a time.

Why? Because I've been wanting to switch over to InDesign from Quark. I save in the long run because I would have upgraded my PS, AI and Acrobat by year end anyway. This way I save on the expense of buying InDesign as a stand alone package.

Name: CS is ugly. And it turns to be awful with Acrobat named 6.0 Pro and its companion applications named CS. Hope Adobe does not follow a CS Pro 2005 in next version...

Pricing: CS policy seems logical, but Adobe must crate upgrade tracks to users who have multiple single-product licenses.

Applications: improvements on Photoshop and Illustrator are great, but my horsepower is InDesign, which CS version is highly expected and seems to be really outstanding. Although I still wait for more long-document features, ID already become the "Photoshop" of DTP field.

Bad news: GoLive CS has good improvements, but this Dynamic Content module was removed. Strange not to see any reference in the article about this. Many users are claiming against this "downgrade" in Adobe forums, aside other Internet sources.

The Dynamic Content feature will be available from third-party developers and may also be improved. But Adobe's strategy fails when one remember Dreamweaver brings this same feature into its core application and the users does not need to pay more for it.

I've talked to a number of people and the general consensus is that Adobe's upgrade policies with the Video Collection, and now with the CS Suite, send a message to existing customers that Adobe is more interested in bringing new users on board than they are in rewarding existing customers for years of loyalty (and upgrade dollars).

Because of this, I for one have decided not to upgrade most of my Adobe software this year (Photoshop being the only exception). Had Adobe offered exisiting customers with multiple applications an incentive to upgrade, I would have probably placed an order to upgrade all of my applications.

If Product Activation is the way Adobe chooses to go I think I'll check out PaintShop pro.

Adobe is adopting the same upgrading policy as Macromedia: as long as you have ONE product, you can get the bundle upgrade (check the new MX 2004 policy) and too bad for those who upgraded two, three or four Macromedia products during a few years.

But Macromedia, at least up to now, does not catch you in a all-or-nothing hole for the next versions.

Users should start looking seriously for alternatives to the two monopolistic companies. And as a Mac user, I will probably upgrade to Photoshop CS, period. Adobe's attitude towards Mac users has been despisefull if not arrogant with their Windows mostly video bundle (and Atmosphere).

Finally, never forget that these companies are there to make money for their shareholders very first of all. They will do anything they can think of to achieve that goal, no matter how much grunge their users post on forums. The only thing they would listen to would be a massive switch to Ulead, Corel, Wildform, and other minor companies... which is not something for the near future.