Is Photoshop 8 Worth The Upgrade?

[DIGISCRAP101]

posted by Kayla Lamoreaux

If you are wondering if Photoshop 8 is worth the upgrade, get your answer in the following video by Linda Sattgast, owner of Scrappers Guide.


If you decide to upgrade, the best deal out there is found at Costco (mid-October in stores and online now). If you buy from Costco, you get the added free bonus of Linda's training DVD which includes over 6 hours of PSE8 training. Keep in mind that Costco is only selling the PC version :(, so Mac users who want the training will need to buy it from Scrapper's Guide here.

There are several more videos from Linda worth watching on Photoshop Elements 8...

Photoshop Elements 8 User Interface

People Recognition on Photoshop Elements Organizer (only available ...

Recompose Tool

Photomerge Exposures

If you are looking to continue to learn digital scrapbooking in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, I highly recommend Scrapper's Guide Premier Membership - it is amazing high quality instructional content (downloadable video instruction, written instruction and the kit materials to work with) for less than $10 a month.

I am a bit partial to Linda's site because I am a tutorial instructor for Scrapper's Guide... However, after seven years of doing digital scrapbooking, I can honestly say with all that I have spent in learning what I know, I know a good educational value when I see it. I openly promote Scrapper's Guide here because I believe in what they are doing and feel confident that their membership is more than worth the cost.

Now just for curiosity's sake, I would love to know what version of Photoshop, Photoshop Elements or other digital scrapbooking software you are using. Also, do you upgrade with every new release, every other release, etc.?

As for me, I am still working with Photoshop CS3 and Photoshop Elements 7. I have both the Mac and Windows versions. I know CS4 is worth the upgrade (runs faster on my Mac) but the need to upgrade hasn't quite hit the threshold to justify the expense yet.

I think if I weren't doing tutorials, I would probably be working with an older version just because I am such a bargain hunter. However, I will be picking up Photoshop Elements 8 (at Costco nonetheless) just to get familiar with it for a class I am teaching in 2010. The feature I am most excited about so far is the People Recognition which comes on the heels of iPhoto's Faces feature. It is a great tool in helping one organize their photos by the people in them.

What do you think? Please share your upgrade status and what features make it worthwhile to you to upgrade your software.

[Mary Trogg]

Just picked it up at Costco for $79.99 + tax, came to 86.47. Now to try and figure it out.

[Dawn]

Currently I'm scrapping with CS2 but it's glitchy with 64-bit Vista. I used MS Digital Image Pro for a few years and still have that on our x32 Vista computer and love it. I uninstalled it from my laptop in order to force myself to learn Photoshop CS2. I want to upgrade to CS4 but I simply cannot afford it, so I am considering Elements 8. I'm searching the web for comparisons of the two (or at least pros and cons.) Thanks for this information!!

[Connie Miles]

I use PSE6 for Mac and I can't wait for the update to 8. I purchased CS4 but it is so intimidating that I haven't done anything with it. I feel fairly competent with PSE so I continue to use it. I have tried the people recognition in iPhoto and finally turned it off as it seems to get hung up in a loop and is non productive. (I assume the problem is the user's lack of understanding.) I really appreciate Linda's tutorials/videos. I wish Costco would stop treating Mac users like the evil stepchild and sell Mac versions in their store. I am a born-again Mac user after using PCs since conception - (PC's conception not mine). :)

[eDee Bruns]

Don't every one yell at once, but I've been playing around with GIMP for a few weeks and I'm sold on GIMP now. I've been using PSE6, maybe if I had CS2 I'd feel different, but PSE seems clumsy. I can't get the objects exactly where I want them plus there are to many "stupid" options. Like "Organizer" I can do that just fine without PS and those "stupid" options sloooooooow down the computer so.

If I could learn how to create people (like the ladies on the momdot.com logo) I'd consider updating.
Other than that I think I'm sticking to GIMP - just wish they'd change the name.

[kimBinAK]

Hi Kayla :) I currently use PSE 6 on my desktop at home and at work and I use PSE5 on my laptop. I had intended to wait until "8" came out before upgrading, but now am wondering if there is a significant difference between "6" and "8" -- I use ACDSee for organizing my photos and have never used a PSE Organizer.

Are there other benefits to using the newer software that make it worth my while? On a similar note - my DH and I plan to upgrade out computers/laptops when the new Windows 7 becomes available -- how would that factor into my continuing to use PSE6 (if I choose not to upgrade)?

Thanks for all your info thus far :)

-- kimB

[Roberta]

I use PSE 6 and CS2 and will definately upgrade to PSE 8. I've used PSE since ver3 and upgrade about every other year - except for the year Vista came out and I had to buy both 5 and 6 in the same calendar year :P. PSE and CS2 battle with each other for my attention but it usually comes back to PSE. I'm not a designer and PSE is simply more "user friendly" than CS2 for me. I am hoping/praying that Adobe has strengthened Organizer in this version. I love the concept of Organizer but it simply won't "play nice" with me. My photos are organized in Organizer but my scrapbook "stuff" is all in ACDSee because Organizer can't seem to carry the "weight". I've watched all of Linda's video's and not seen any mention of change to Organizer. Has anyone heard anything??

[Kayla Lamoreaux]

It is that price online and at the store! :)

[Diane (diney)]

I am a PSE6 user...purchased right before 7 came out. I didn't upgrade at that time, but want to upgrade to the 8, for the main reason of People Recognition. Heard it is also better to skip every other time for corrections to be made to previous problems.

When PSE8 is on sale at Costco mid October, do you need a coupon or is it just that price on line and in the store?