Adobe has launched its Creative Cloud suite of apps, completing the transition from boxed software and one-off payments to a cloud-based subscription service.
In a press release, David Wadhwani, senior vice president and general manager of digital media at Adobe, said the suite's features "increase productivity, streamline the effort to build mobile content and showcase some stunning new imaging and video science”, adding that the apps are now also connected to publishing and community features. He added that Adobe’s new model will bring “more great updates […] throughout the year”.
Beyond making a controversial shift to subscription payments, Adobe has also entered a period of upheaval regarding its web design offerings. As reported by .net in May, Fireworks has been axed and, although it will remain available, no more updates beyond major bug fixes are forthcoming. Instead, Adobe is pushing its Edge Suite (see ‘Devs respond to Adobe Edge suite’), for which the company said the industry can “look forward to significant advances”.
Right now, Edge Animate is out of beta. The app enables you to create web-standards-based animations. The standout feature, motion paths, provides the means to move animated content on curves rather than purely in a stiff, linear fashion. Additionally, RWD tool Edge Reflow (pictured) and IDE Edge Code are now accessible to Creative Cloud subscribers, but remain in preview.
Of Adobe’s heavyweights, Photoshop CC gained Smart Sharpen and editable rounded rectangles. Dreamweaver CC received an updated fluid grid tool, which is a bit reliant on fixed breakpoints (mobile, tablet, desktop). In addition, an impressive CSS Designer panel speeds up working with complex CSS in a manner similar to (and sometimes better than) browser developer tools.
UK pricing at the time of writing was £46.88 (including VAT) per month for Creative Cloud. Existing customers get discounts down to as low as £17.58 (including VAT) per month. It’s also possible to subscribe to individual apps.
