As a long time user of Macromedia’s Dreamweaver and related line of products, I was a little concerned about their recent acquisition by Adobe. Although Adobe makes great products, sometimes things change when new versions are released shortly after transition. I am happy to say that the latest Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium edition adds continuing value by offering the best features and tools from Macromedia and Adobe.

Creative Suite 3 comes in a variety of versions, each targeted at a specific group of development professionals. In all there are six versions, two for print, two for Web development, one for Video production and one called CS3 Master collection which appears to include just about every tool in Adobe’s arsenal so that developers and designers can create output across virtually any media including web, print, video, mobile. Although rather pricey, it includes all of the software from the Web, Design and Production suites and offers the ultimate in development capabilities.

The Web and Design suites consist of both standard and Premium versions which are then tailored to each group. The Premium additions are Web Premium, Design Premium and Production Premium. CS3 Web Premium includes all of the tools that you need to build a great website including:

• Adobe Dreamweaver CS3

• Adobe Flash CS3 Professional

• Adobe Illustrator CS3

• Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended

• Adobe Fireworks CS3

• Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional

• And Adobe Contribute CS3.

Note: Purchasers of the Design Premium Edition do not receive Adobe Contribute, or Fireworks however they do receive Adobe’s InDesign CS3. Both packages include a variety of stock photos as well as a Video workshop DVD.

Adobe’s CS3 packages allow developers to easily organize, browse, locate, and preview the files that you need every day through the use of Adobe Bridge CS3. Performance has been improved and the enhanced software offers a wide variety of professional level features.

Be prepared to allocate a fair amount of time for installation as numerous packages are installed. My installation took over an hour and then locked up my computer prior to completion. A call to Adobe’s technical support department resolved the situation; however it may be best to turn off antivirus, spyware and other programs including Google’s toolbar prior to installation. I was impressed by the quality of technical support which in this case appeared to be coming from a knowledgeable individual located within the U.S.

I tried the Web Premium suite and began my review with Dreamweaver CS3. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the interface remained familiar from the previous versions. The latest version is an excellent choice for any Dreamweaver user who wants to create the latest CSS-based code. In addition, it offers robust integration with the other packages in the suite including Photoshop, Fireworks, Acrobat, etc.

Dreamweaver has a wide variety of menus and toolbars that can be intimidating to new users, however existing users will find them to be relatively familiar. The robust feature set and integration capabilities in CS3 offer web developers the most complete set of tools on the market.

Advanced integration is a major focus across Adobe Creative Suite Web Premium, giving users a faster, more productive workflow across the applications; this allows for seamless transition between prototype, design, and development efforts.

One nice feature is Adobe Device Central, which allows users to preview pages as they would appear on mobile phones and other hand held devices. In addition, developers can ensure that their site displays consistently across operating systems, browsers, and platforms using the new "Browser Compatibility Check" in Dreamweaver along with the Adobe CSS Advisor website. And of course, you can develop your site using your choice of either a PC or Mac while knowing that the output will remain consistent.

Dreamweaver includes a new graphic interface for Adobe's "Spry Framework". This application is comprised of JavaScript code snippets for displaying dynamic elements such as collapsing menus, database items, or XML feeds.

Flash has been upgraded with a variety of new features including: the Pen tool, shape primitives, new filter effects, and advanced video support. This de facto standard continues to offer the best choice for creating interactive video, animation, and graphics plus high-quality text rendering. It also makes for easy prototyping of web layouts and designs.

With Illustrator CS3, developers can easily create editable and scalable vector artwork for web, mobile, and interactive platforms.

Using Adobe Contribute CS3, end-users can update website content with ease. This feature includes true WYSIWYG authoring capabilities and allows contributors to make updates in a timely fashion without the need for a webmaster or technician.

For those who are not yet ready to invest in one of the complete packages, I would recommend purchasing individual applications. For web development and design professionals who can afford the Suite versions, the integration and feature sets will spoil you like driving a Bentley after being used to a Ford.

Adobe has once again proven that they are the dominant application provider in the areas of web development, design and video creation across multiple platforms. Although other packages may be easier for entry level developers to learn, none are as robust or state of the art as Adobe’s CS3 suites. If you are a serious developer or designer, CS3 is the toolbox of choice.

Suggested Retail Pricing

Adobe Creative Suite (CS3) Design Standard ($1,199)
Adobe Creative Suite (CS3) Design Premium ($1,799)

Adobe Creative Suite (CS3) Web Standard ($999)
Adobe Creative Suite (CS3) Web Premium ($1,599)

Adobe Creative Suite (CS3) Production Premium ($1,699)

Adobe Creative Suite (CS3) Master Collection ($2,499)


Manufacturer: Adobe

http://www.adobe.com/products/creativesuite/

System Requirements for Adobe CS3 Master Collection*

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