kudos to SanDisk

After using Windows ReadyBoost, I cannot recommend it:  I did not notice any performance enhancement...
 
I was using ReadyBoost on a SanDisk Cruzer Micro USB Flash Drive.  I decided to cease using ReadyBoost, and use the drive for storage.  I was unable to format the drive (I suspect ReadyBoost may have written to the drive too much:  as with other types of storage, flash drives have limitations as to how many times they can be written to).

I contacted SanDisk for assistance.  We traded a few messages about troubleshooting back and forth.  After not being able to get it to work, I was told to send the drive to them...and they would pay for shipping!  (I had to print the label, and package the drive.)

I always tell people, BEFORE purchasing something, inquire as to the return policy.  I recommend you consider SanDisk for your memory and storage needs:  I was not put through "support-hell"...I gave them the benefit of considering their suggestions, and they trusted I had done reasonable effort to resolve the issue.

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When I plugged the new drive into a Windows XP computer, the U3 software launched...and seemed to be causing my computer to become unresponsive.  I was able to remove the software, but it did not go very smoothly.  I have an identical SanDisk Cruzer Micro USB Flash Drive with U3 software, and have had no problems with it.

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Adobe Creative Suite 3

Web Premium

So I finally decided to install the Web Premium Creative Suite 3 package I received a couple of weeks ago. The complete installation took about 4o minutes. What you get in the suite is One (1) complete DVD with Adobe Bridge, Adobe Contribute, Adobe Device Central, Dreamweaver, Flash Professional, Flash Video Encoder, Illustrator, Fireworks, Acrobat 8 Professional, Version Cue, Stock Photos, Adobe Connect, PLUS a bonus Video Training Workshop and all the help documentation with all the products.

Once I started installing it, I was anxious to find out what new features came with the product.

Here are some of the new features I got a chance to look at:

Adobe Bridge CS3 -
In the new Adobe Bridge CS3 program they've intergrated "Adobe Connect"... Essentially what you can do with this is "Start a Meeting"... which allows you to quickly solve design issues on your screen with colleagues and clients, you can easily collaberate on any design document, across platforms and applications, and enhance the creative process by engaging virtually anyone at any time through online collaboration. This new feature cost $39.00 a month, but if you're a business owner, or designer, it is well worth it.

Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended -
In the new Photoshop, one of the nice features they've added is you can now set your workspace area to what you are currently working on... For example, if you are working on "web design", you set your workspace to "web design" and the palettes which you are most like going to use appear on your workspace such as, color, styles, swatches, layers, etc. Some of the other workspaces include, "Automation," "Color and Tonal Correction," "Image Analysis," "Painting and Retouching," "Printing and Proofing," "Video and Film," and "Working with Type," plus you have your "basic" and "default" workspaces.

The feature that I found most exciting to work with was "3D Layers"... With the new Photoshop, they've added some "Goodies" you can use... You can place some great "3D Models" in the document you are working with. You can manipulate that 3D model by rotating it, rolling it around, dragging it, sliding it and scaling it... You can also change the texture of the model by opening up the "texture" layer and changing it to a new "texture". Once you change the texture to what you want, you save it and it applies it to the model. You can also "view" the 3D model from different directions like the left, right or bottom. You can change the appearance of the model by adding light to it such as blue lights, day lights, red lights, cube lights, etc. You can also "cut" the 3D model in many different ways with a feature called "cross section settings".

Below is a "box" image I created with the Techtalkradio logo. All I did was change the "texture" of the box, changed the light a bit and added an "orange" outline around the lid of the box...
Another one I created looks like the CD is coming out of the CD cover... I used the "cross section setting" feature in Photoshop to "slice" the CD so that it looks like it's coming out of the cover..

Photoshop has also integrated some "animation" into it's product. You can open up an image in Photoshop and animate it. When you open the image and unlock it... Photoshop automatically creates a "timeline" for you in the Animation window. There you can "manipulate" your image and apply animation to it. You can also take the images you created and "import" them into "flash" to animate them.

Photoshop has also added another tool on the "tools" palette called "quick selection"... This allows you to quickly “paint” a selection using an adjustable round brush tip. As you drag, the selection expands outward and automatically finds and follows defined edges in the image. You can quickly select a section of your image and manipulate that section.

The intergration between all of the Web Premium products seems fairly easy to use as well... Once I get a bit more familiar with the new features, I'm sure I'll be utilizing all the products together.

In conclusion, I rate the Adobe Creative Suite CS3 Web Premium package an A+. Even though I haven't had a chance to utilize all the new features, so far, I like the new features that I have been able to use and have some fun with.

Thumbs Up for Adobe!!