Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended

Although there have been different versions of Photoshop for years (Photoshop versus Photoshop LE versus Photoshop Elements), as with the prior release of Photoshop, Adobe is offering two different versions of Photoshop CS4. Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended both have all of Photoshop’s powerful image-editing, vector-drawing, painting, and type capabilities. Photoshop CS4 Extended also includes some very specialized, highly technical features for use in science, research, and video editing, and for use with 3D modeling programs.

So, if you have Photoshop CS4 rather than Photoshop CS4 Extended, should you feel cheated or like a second-class citizen? Nope! Unless you specifically need those extended features, there’s no real reason to purchase them. But what if you got Photoshop CS4 Extended as part of a Creative Suite or Adobe Bundle package of software — did you pay forsomething you don’t need? Well, sort-of-yeahbut-not-really. The folks who’re really paying extra for the extended features are those who purchase Photoshop CS4 Extended as a standalone program. The additional cost they pay funds the research and development of the extended features.

So why didn’t I get to choose between Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop CS4 Extended when I ordered my Bundle or Suite? Buying software shouldn’t be as complicated as, say, ordering a cup of coffee. (Caf, de-caf, half-caf? Latte, espresso, cappuccino? White, brown, or raw sugar? Cream, half-and-half, milk, or skim? Small, medium, large, super, or el grosso maxmo?) It could get quite confusing. Imagine trying to wade through all of the thousands of products if Adobe marketed every possible combination as a separate Bundle or Suite or Studio! You’d spend so much time trying to find your perfect bundle, you’d never get to use the software.