Photoshop CS3 Beta : Review 1

Adobe has recently released Photoshop CS3 beta for Mac & Windows. The beta doesn’t have many feature improvement of CS2, but the notable interface changes are worthwhile checking, they have made life easy

The UI of Photoshop has new icons, & they are no longer using the CS2 “Feather” theme, which is good touch as all Adobe applications are now incorporating a new docked UI, & no longer palates, which was bad anyway
On first look, u will find that Photoshop CS3 is 95% like CS2, adobe bridge is 100% changed, seems like they took lessons from ACDSee. The thumbnails are real time, they update on the fly. The UI of Photoshop & Bridge is really fast now, quite good update.

If you have a file open in Photoshop then u can no longer click on the file’s maximize button to maximize it, u have to click on the “Change screen mode” button found at the lowest part of left side toolbar. I M myself using the 2nd docked interface a lot

New features in this version are a few only right now, such as quick select tool, which is like enhanced magic wand, now u click on many sections & depending on pixel similarity it selects those pixels. Like in one case, on my bike’s pic, it selected black color of fuel tank, but not the highlight glaze created by the sunlight.

Camera RAW is updated to 4.0, well…I don’t use it & have no idea, don’t even have a RAW file based camera here, just a K750i

Still adobe doesn’t have an inbuilt noise reduction tool as effective as Noise Ninza, they should give one, and it’s going to be a boon for those who take Pics from digital cams & mobile cams

Seems like they want to give that functionality to light room, which is like Photoshop for Digi cams

More than the words, u should look at the screenshots. As u can see, on top there are no changes other then the UI, but inside there are a few changes

Photoshop CS2 like Workspace



Photoshop CS3 code name redpill



Docked UI



Adobe bridge

[tinku dhar]

thnx

[goobimama]

I'm gonna get this one tomorrow... Good bye rosetta i say...

@ goobimama

u can register on Adobe Labs & download a native version for Intel Mac, Photoshop CS3 is now a universal binary

[goobimama]

I know, I know. Just that my internet was kind of screwed for the past few days. I already have an adobe ID...

[tinku dhar]

dawn .... ,

i think we suld wait for the final version when will it be out !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ax3]

yes wait 4 FINAL version ...... beta`s r crapp ..........

Looks like Adobe is all set to use the 2D acceleration lead from Matrox

Just like Adobe Reader 8, Photoshop CS3 also supports 2D GPU acceleration, using DirectX 9c, which means u will need a Geforce 6 or Geforce 7, Radeon X18xx or Geforce 8 series graphics card to use it. This feature might not be available in Windows XP yet, but u can check if it is available or not using

Edit-> preference->performance->"GPU Accleration" section, there should be a checkbox

Now, all the color gamuts, Palates & effects are rendered on screen using the DX9c GPU hardware

Lets see, 2D/3D Acceleration in Adobe Reader8 , check. Video acceleration already there on Premiere Pro 2 & After effect 7, check. Audio acceleration in Adobe audition from a long time, check.

[hash!!]

cs3's a lot faster from what i've read.... waitin waitin waitin...
hoping they dun do massive changes to the interface like what they did to flash after flash5 to flashmx... that wuz ugly...

[goobimama]

I'm getting GPU accelation on my mac.

I must say though, the interface is amazing, especially when it comes to managing palettes and such. Good job adobe.

GPU acceleration is available on Windows Vista too, with latest forceware drivers even on my FX 5900XT. Now if only adobe could relese a CAD & CG desigining software.....I wish they buy modo or mudbox

Goobimama, what does it says in Preference->performance? it says here, Dedicated video card FX5900XT,SSE2

[ranjan2001]

Have been using CS3 fromthe day it was launched & its a great improvement in UI, loads faster that CS2, has great improvement inusing adobe bridge & camera raw 4.0 is faster.
It has many new features such as smart filters which help u to be more creativly apply these filters now.
There are new other feature too , its a great try out & worth trying.

uhhhh, what r the requirements?

[ranjan2001]

1GB ram, XP SP2 minimum required.