Want the whole Adobe CS3 Master Collection?
You can get the Design or Web suite now, and then pay the difference in price to add the video production tools when they ship this summer.
Adobe's recent release of Creative Suite 3 should make design folks happy (with the new Photoshop, InDesign, and suitemates) as well as please Web developers (with rebranded and rebundled Flash, Dreamweaver, and friends from Macromedia). But video production folks are still patiently waiting for the new After Effects, Premiere Pro, and companion tools, which are due to be released this summer.
But the whole point of this suite is that today's developers need the full integrated set of applications -- to work on stills and video and animation -- and then deliver across documents, video, and the Web.
So what you really want is the full CS3 Master Collection -- some 13 applications, plus 6 additional technology components, bundled into one package for US $2499. And you want to get started with them now.
So how can you buy the shipping part of the package now, and upgrade to the video production tools when they become available?
The answer from Adobe is that you can do just that -- buy a CS3 Design or Web suite now, and then you will be able to step up to the full Master Collection for the difference in price (Adobe's estimated street price). This offer holds for both new purchases at full price and upgrades.
What to buy now
If you're a designer, the best bet for getting your hands on the most useful tools now is the CS3 Design Premium suite, which contains all the non-Production tools except Contribute and Fireworks.
Or if you are focused on Web design and development, you can start now with the CS3 Web Premium suite, which also includes all the design tools except InDesign.
See Adobe Creative Suite 3: Summary for an overview of the applications, suites, and pricing.
Upgrade pricing
For example, if you are buying Photoshop and the design tools new, you can buy the Design Premium product now for $1799, and then upgrade to the Master Collection for $700 (since the full price for Master Collection is $2499).
Or if you are upgrading Web tools from the previous Creative Suite or Macromedia Studio 8, you can upgrade to Web Premium now for $499 and then step up to the Master Collection for $1500 (since the upgrade price for Master Collection is $1999). (There's also a $1399 upgrade if you have two of Creative Suite, Production Studio, and Macromedia Studio.)
Other details (provided by Adobe)
This offer is good for the entire lifespan of Creative Suite 3 and applies to Creative Suite 3 Design Premium, Design Standard, Web Premium, Web Standard, or Production Premium. Basically at any time, a customer can purchase one suite and then decide that they really wanted to get Master Collection without incurring unnecessary additional costs. They only pay what they would have originally paid for Master Collection.
At this time, the best avenue is probably to choose the suite edition-Design Premium or Web Premium-that has MOST of the tools you most want, and then switch to Master Collection as soon as possible after it ships.
To be eligible for this upgrade to Master Collection (and contrary to Section 5 of the End-User License Agreement for Master Collection), the customer must surrender all rights to and license for the original edition of Adobe Creative Suite 3 and uninstall that software. This offer is only available directly from Adobe Customer Service, except for volume license customers who can contact their Adobe License Center or Authorized Reseller.