By: Aseem Gaurav, April 11, 2011 (New Delhi)
Software firm Adobe has launched version 5.5 of its Creative Suite of design and art applications across print, digital and motion media – thus putting it much deeper into the heart of content development for smartphones and tablets with improved Flash authoring and HTML5.
Adobe says the primary focus of this update is on digital publishing as well as mobile devices, video tools and additional capabilities that will cater to handheld devices. The company will continue to keep on updating it more regularly to keep pace with the development of mobile operating systems.
The timing of Creative Suite 5.5 reflects the explosion of Internet-connected mobiles phones and computer tablets and the way the content is developed and consumed on these platforms.
Adobe says CS 5.5 should allow for faster migration from existing apps to mobile iterations. It also enables visualization on different devices before publication, as well as tools to tweak look and feel to the different strengths of each product, and other software to analyze and target behavior and ads.
The suite will be available in different versions, including Production Premium, Web Premium and the Master Collection, which comprises all 15 packages.
Adobe also announced three new iPad applications that demonstrate “the creative possibilities of using tablets to drive common Photoshop workflows” – Adobe Color Lava for Photoshop, Adobe Eazel for Photoshop and Adobe Nav for Photoshop.
The company says the CS5.5 Web Premium Suite includes innovations in both HTML5 and Flash authoring tools, thus, allowing users to easily create and publish their own smartphone and tablet apps.
Adobe has also launched Flash Builder 4.5 Premium (which is also available as part of the Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium package) and the Flex 4.5 framework, which are aimed at developers that want to build mobile applications many Android, BlackBerry Playbook and IOS devices coming in the latter half of the year. Flex 4.5 has been updated for Android now, while support for Blackberry Tablet OS and IOS is expected to be available by Mid-2011.
Adobe revealed that 131 million smartphones installed the Flash Player software by the end of 2010, making updates to Flash authoring an important part of this software suite.
Creative Suite 5.5 Design Premium Suite builds upon Adobe’s recent product innovations in digital publishing, already deployed by leading magazine and business publishers to create stunning digital editions for tablet devices. Using Adobe InDesign CS5.5, in combination with the integrated Folio Producer toolset, designers can add new levels of interactivity to their page layouts targeted to tablet devices. Documents can include video, audio, panoramic views, 360-degree object rotation, pan and zoom of images, integration of HTML and HTML5 content and other interactive overlays, leading to a much more robust and engaging reading experience. Creative Suite 5.5 complements Adobe Digital Publishing Suite to support publication, sale and analysis of content on an array of tablet devices.
For video and audio professionals, Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium Suite delivers breakthrough performance, workflow improvements, creative innovations and powerful new audio editing capabilities that build upon the huge customer momentum Production Premium is experiencing with broadcasters, filmmakers and video professionals worldwide. In just one of the innovations, the powerful Adobe Mercury Playback Engine, introduced in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5, broadens its graphics processing unit (GPU) hardware support to include laptops and more supported cards, allowing users to open projects faster, get real-time feedback and work more smoothly at higher resolutions.
Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 products are scheduled to ship within 30 days, with availability through Adobe Authorized Resellers. Estimated street price for the suites is expected to be US$2599 for CS5.5 Master Collection, US$1899 for CS5.5 Design Premium, US$1799 for CS5.5 Web Premium, US$1699 for CS5.5 Production Premium and US$1299 for CS5.5 Design Standard. Upgrade pricing and volume licensing are available.
