Adobe CS5 launched

Adobe Systems, Inc. today announced the latest version of their Creative Suite — Adobe CS5. The updated applications are expected to ship in mid-May, and you can see might be able to view videos that highlight the new features on Adobe TV.

As with earlier versions, CS5 will come in different flavors. For the print media designer, there’s Adobe CS5 Design Premium (US$1,899, upgrades from $599), which includes new versions of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash Catalyst and Professional, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Acrobat 9 Pro, and Bridge and Device Central.

If you’re primarily working in the Web design world, you’ll want to pick up Adobe CS5 Web Premium ($1,799, upgrades from $599). It features Dreamweaver, Contribute, Flash Catalyst, Professional and Builder, Photoshop Extended, Illustrator, Acrobat 9 Pro, Fireworks, and Bridge and Design Central.

Video professionals will swoon over Adobe CS5 Production Premium ($1,699, upgrades from $599), made up of Premiere Pro, After Effects, Photoshop Extended, Soundbooth, OnLocation, Encore, Flash Catalyst and Professional, Dynamic Link, and Bridge and Design Central.

Of course, you can always max out that Visa card and get the whole shootin’ match — AKA Adobe CS5 Master Collection ($2,599, upgrades from $899). This includes everything that you could possibly want or need, except for the octo-core Mac Pro you’ll need to run all of this.

During the breathless and “Flashy” livestream event this morning (a livestream of something that was obviously pre-recorded), Flash Player 10.1 was also announced. Adobe is still hopeful that they’ll be able to let iPhone and iPad users join in on the fun through content developed in Flash Pro CS5 and run through Packager for iPhone, although Apple has other ideas.

For creative professionals, today’s announcement definitely provides excitement in terms of new features and functionality for the suite, but also creates the dilemma of how to afford the pricey software and upgrade their hardware to run the applications at a decent speed. In the past, many designers have waited to upgrade Adobe’s Creative Suite until the inevitable bugs have been quashed. How about you, TUAW readers? If you’re in the design world, are you going to pick up CS5 as soon as you can?

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