Thanks for letting me join, I will have plenty of prepress questions in the near future, but right now my biggest stumbling block is my software.

I have the Adobe Design Collection which includes Photoshop 7.0, Illy 10.0, Indy 2.0 and Acrobat 6.0 Standard. PLEASE tell me I have options to upgrade to CS2 or CS3! I really can't afford new full versions! I'm afraid of the answer....

Call Adobe Customer service by phone is easiest way to find out. I am not sure, I upgraded my software long ago to CS2 and that was no problem. So, i think it will be a qualifying (previous version) product for the upgrade. Good luck, please post the answer back for the next person because after surfing around Adobe's site, I could not confirm this. It would be good info to have searchable here. Good luck, let us know.

Adobe Customer Service
800-833-6687
7 days a week
6am-8pm(Pacific time)
_________________
JoePostscript -- support administrator

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Wind Turbine Buyer's Guide


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And calling Customer Service is exactly what I did! After thoroughly confusing the outsourced-person, she transfered me to U.S. Sales.
According to Cameron in Adobe Sales, the Adobe Design Collection (put out circa 2002) is a bundle of four different software applications, each with individual serial numbers. Since Adobe has introduced the Creative Suite, or CS for short, they've put all these programs into one piece of software, with one serial number. Therefore, you can only upgrade the software included in the Design Collection piece by piece. You have to have an older version of Creative Suite in order to upgrade to Creative Suite 3. It would be cheaper for me to upgrade my software piece by piece (about $759), to the equivelence in programs included in CS3 Standard, but then I would never qualify to upgrade to CS3 Premium or Master Collection, which I aspire to do someday. Premium and Master include software that would be pricey-er purchased individually than in these packages. So I'll shell out the full $899 to upgrade from one piece of Adobe software (from my antique Design Collection) in order to be eligible to upgrade CS3 in the future. At least I already have The Design Collection saves me $300; the full price of CS3 Standard is $1199.00.
But in the meantime, I'm taking full advantage of the FREE 30-DAY TRIAL Adobe offers before I buy- download any (or all) CS3 programs and enjoy fully-functional versions to play or work with for 30 days. A great "free" alternative to sticker shock- if you don't mind the "Cinderella Effect"!

Adobe has a Print Service Provider program which provides 4 Full Licenses for CS3 Premium (2-Mac, 2-PC) for only $595 total.

Eligible companies include commercial printing companies with electronic prepress capabilities, color prepress houses, service providers, digital printers, photo labs and sign shops with digital output capabilities, and commercial facilities providing Adobe Acrobat® Capture® scanning for outside businesses.

Here is a link to get more info on this partner program: http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/partnerportal/index.cfm?event=aboutPartnerships&loc=en_us