Pricing is exhorbitant at full retail, with Adobe Creative Suites 4 Web Premium listing at $1699 (students can get it for $599). You get a lot for that price, but you'll go hungry trying to make the payments.
Here are some much more affordable options:
- Don't buy the "latest" version. Grab a not-quite-the-latest set of Adobe Dreamweaver and Photoshop disks off eBay. It's legal, and vastly more affordable. I have 2 machines with 2004-era versions of Dreamweaver and Photoshop. The programs work JUST FINE, and there are no real compatibility issues. Dreamweaver 8 (circa 2006-8) can be had for under $100 (Dreamweaver MX 2004 is also good), and Photoshop 6 (which works just great!) runs just over $100 on eBay. Make sure that you're not buying a "training dvd" or a book, that you're getting real versions with codes (not "upgrade" disks), and that you buy for Mac or Win, depending on your home computer.
- Go Craigslist.org and ditch eBay. I did a quick search in my "area" and found a guy selling Adobe CS3 (the software in the lab) for $100. That's an INSANE price. On eBay that package is still going for more than $300. You get Dreamweaver, Photoshop, ImageReady, Illustrator, Flash, Acrobat, and a whole, whole lot more. Crazy. If you search in New York City you'll find it for less. Just use caution and get real disks with real activation codes.
- FREE! Go OPEN SOURCE. We're using Dreamweaver and Photoshop, but you don't have to. There are really good html editors (with a visual interface) available free, and Gimpshop is an open source graphics editor that has menus laid out just like Photoshop. (Why do this? You have to review some software or interface tool as part of the course. Why not get some decent software on your machine, use it, and then do your review. It costs nothing but a little hard drive space, and some time.) I'll work with you if you choose this option.
- Put Adobe's free 30-day trial to use. Download Adobe Creative Suites 4 Web Premium and try Dreamweaver and Photoshop for 30 days. After that you'll be locked out unless you buy the suite, but you can uninstall at that time.
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2 comments:
OK Professor I will give it a try.I will download the trial version in adobe's website. I would really love to have the program, but it is just to expensive for me to buy. Thank you for your suggestions.
Okay, I am really gonna see how this works. I am very excited. I cannot wait until my son hears this. All he wants is photoshop. When I get home from work, Craigslist here we come! Thanks
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