Adobe Posts Beta Downloads from Creative Suite 4

[VelMurugan]

Adobe Systems has posted download previews of Dreamweaver, Fireworks and Southbound from Adobe's upcoming Creative Suite 4 package. Photoshop and Illustrator from CS4 will not be released as beta previews. Adobe's David Burkett said CS4 has "radical work-flow enhancements," including a Live View Mode.

Adobe Systems released beta versions of three key applications from its upcoming Creative Suite 4 package of graphic, Web and multimedia software on Tuesday. Preview versions of Dreamweaver, Fireworks and Southbound are available for download.

Adobe did not say when beta versions of Photoshop and Illustrator may be available. David Burkett, vice president of product management for Creative Suite, suggested Photoshop and Illustrator will not be released as beta previews like the other three applications. "Dreamweaver, Fireworks and Soundbooth are the major applications we're unveiling as public betas before the next release of Creative Suite," he said.

Current customers of CS3 can use the beta software until the final CS4 package ships. New users will only have 48 hours to try out the new programs. The final version of CS4 is expected in the last quarter of 2008 or the first quarter of 2009.

'Radical' Changes

CS4 has "radical work-flow enhancements," Burkett said, "as we redefine how designers and developers collaborate to deliver standout digital experiences."

The new version of Dreamweaver emphasizes integrating design and development functions, reflecting the reality that modern Web pages are dynamically built from database-stored content Relevant Products/Services and features from remote servers. "Dreamweaver no longer acts like an old-style HTML editor with modern features tacked on," a PC World reviewer said.

For instance, the new Dreamweaver features a "related files" toolbar and a code navigator that lets authors access linked CSS files, JavaScript documents and integrated XML data. A new properties panel allows users to toggle between controlling HTML tags and controlling CSS tags. "For me, this makes Dreamweaver finally usable as a day-to-day Web-site editor, because CSS is at the heart of every web page I edit," Edward Mendelson wrote for PC World.

Soundbooth Turns Up the Volume

Another key Dreamweaver feature is called Live View Mode, which is based on the open-source rendering engine Webkit, which is the basis of Apple's Safari browser. "It enables users to see content in real-world, real-time environments without having to leave Dreamweaver to preview in a browser," Adobe said.

The new version of Soundbooth also makes major strides forward, said a review in Macworld magazine. The beta "demonstrates that Adobe has its ears open to the needs of those who demand more from an audio editor," Christopher Breen wrote in Macworld. The new version offers multitrack editing for the first time, as well as a slew of features, including nondestructive editing, the ability to create restore points for later editing, automatic volume matching, MP3 compression preview, and a speech-to-text feature.

"We're excited to begin formally developing within the new Creative Suite environment," said Matias Penela, director of technology for AgencyNet. "Our day-to-day development can be more effective and we'll be further empowered to push the boundaries of creative design and technical innovation for our clients."