Shop for graphics and publishing

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 8 reviews

The Bottom Line: This update should be worthwhile for security-minded businesses and creative firms. With Acrobat 9, Adobe brings new Web relevance to print-ready PDFs by enabling embedded video and animation. Forms, security, and overall ease of use are also enhanced. Read review

Specs: PC, Creativity application

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 71 reviews

The Bottom Line: If you're an advanced photographer and don't have Photoshop yet or if you need natural paint tools, version 7.0 is a must-have; otherwise, version 6.0 will do the trick. Read review

Specs: PC, Creativity application

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 1 review

The Bottom Line: Adobe CS4 Design Premium contains nearly every tool for editing digital images and layouts for print and the Web, as well as for crafting interactive animation and desktop apps. If you don't need video editing, pick this over the Master Collection and save $700. Read review

Specs: PC, Creativity application

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 7 reviews

The Bottom Line: If you work with 3D, Photoshop Extended is a must-have upgrade; ditto if you think you'd use more of Standard's tools if the interface were less opaque, if you need to upgrade other suite applications, or if you qualify for an academic discount. All things considered, while Adobe Photoshop CS4 makes some improvements over CS3, it might be worth skipping this generation and waiting for the next. Read review

Specs: PC, Creativity application

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: PC, Creativity application

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 2.0 stars out of 13 reviews

The Bottom Line: Microsoft Expression Web is a solid Web site layout program that replaces FrontPage and offers tools for dynamic designs, although we'd like more help for newbies. Read review

Specs: PC, Creativity application

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 1.5 stars out of 19 reviews

Specs: PC, Creativity application

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 1 review

Specs: PC, Creativity application

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: PC, Utilities

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 26 reviews

The Bottom Line: Adobe improves its popular midrange nonlinear video editor with real-time previewing, a new titling tool, audio effects, and DVD authoring. Read review

Specs: Creativity application, PC

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.8 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: Adobe CS4 Design Standard serves designers who edit digital images and layouts for print, but many will find Design Premium a better deal for bundling the interactive potential of Flash, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks for $400 more. Read review

Specs: Creativity application, PC

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: Creativity application, PC

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: Creativity application, PC

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: Creativity application, PC

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 reviews

The Bottom Line: Best for coding and design pros, Adobe Dreamweaver CS4 is perhaps the sharpest, swiftest tool for developing and editing dynamic Web sites. Read review

Specs: PC, Creativity application

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 4 reviews

Specs: PC, Utilities

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0.5 stars out of 10 reviews

Specs: PC, Utilities

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0.5 stars out of 1 review

Specs: PC, Utilities

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 2.0 stars out of 6 reviews

The Bottom Line: Adobe built this deluxe software package for creative professionals seeking to make content consistent across the Web, in film, on handheld devices, in print, and elsewhere. Read review

Specs: Creativity application, PC

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: PC, Creativity application

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 18 reviews

The Bottom Line: Ulead has greatly improved VideoStudio with tools for all levels of users, though it's not without its problems. Read review

Specs: Creativity application, PC

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 13 reviews

The Bottom Line: If you're a professional or ambitious amateur digital artist, we highly recommend Adobe Photoshop CS2. Read review

Specs: PC, Creativity application

• CNET Editor rating:
  0.0 stars

  Overall score: 0.0 (0.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: Expression Studio includes Microsoft's FrontPage replacement and three other new applications for creating and managing images, Web sites and rich media applications. Read review

Specs: Creativity application, Mac, PC

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 28 reviews

The Bottom Line: Photoshop CS remains the choice for professional image editing, and it's worth the upgrade, although some new features could be better implemented. Read review

Specs: Creativity application, PC

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 1 review

The Bottom Line: Adobe CS4 Web Premium is a good deal for interactive designers who don't need tools for video editing and sophisticated print layouts. Read review

Specs: PC, Creativity application