Has anyone else had enough of these “Microsoft Acrylic is the [Photoshop/Flash/Illustrator/FreeHand/Fireworks/etc.] Killer!” articles? Is the technology press so bored that they have to invent conflicts?

If I were Microsoft, I’d be deflecting these assertions like crazy. Why? Because they set unrealistic, misleading expectations that end up reflecting poorly on new products.

Background: When InDesign 1.0 was in development, it got dubbed by some Adobe’s “Quark Killer.” (This was before my time here, so I don’t know the origin of the phrase, but I do know that I’ve never heard anyone here use it.) When the 1.0 product shipped and didn’t “kill” an app that had been established for more than a decade, it was assumed to be a failure. Well, 5+ years later, InDesign is doing just fine, thanks.

It’s also false to assume that new apps need or want to kill others. I was a Flash developer in the late ’90s, so when Adobe offered me the chance to work on LiveMotion, I jumped at the chance. Did I want to “kill” Flash? Of course not! I enjoyed working with the format enough that I wanted to make the ecosystem of authoring tools bigger and better. But hey, sure enough, LiveMotion got dubbed the “Flash Killer,” setting up conflict and disappointment. (And now, that unfortunate moniker has now passed to another unreleased product.)

So, back to the subject at hand. I think Macromedia’s John Dowdell said it well: of course Microsoft will create tools to target its next-gen OS; it’s not a zero-sum game; and different strokes serve different folks.

As Max Fischer would say, “The killin’s gotta stop, ese.”

With all the action surrounding the launch of Creative Suite 2, it was easy to overlook what I think is a very cool new service: the Adobe Photographers Directory. The Directory is designed to put clients in touch with the right photographer for a task (say, fine art in Chicago).
I mention it now because the new Adobe Stock Photos 1.0.3 update has just been released (check “Updates” from the Help menu in Photoshop or Bridge), and it adds a link to the Directory to the Bridge Favorites panel. For now the link launches an external browser, though in the future we plan to display the directory directly inside Bridge, as shown here. (Speaking of which, Photoshop News has created its own little installer for ading a PS News link to the same area; see story.)

So, it’s time I stepped up and got this blog of mine rolling. First, a basic intro: I’m John Nack & am insanely lucky to work as a product manager for Adobe Photoshop. (If I wake up to find I’m actually still slinging breadsticks at the Olive Garden in South Bend, Indiana, well, it was fun while it lasted.) Prior to joining the ‘Dobe five years ago to work on LiveMotion 2, I was a Flash and graphic designer at AGENCY.COM New York.
What’s my plan? I’ll blog as often as seems useful on things relating to Photoshop, imaging, and the Suite. I aim to be brief and keep things interesting (All Killer, No Filler). Updates are likely to be erratic for a while at least, so subscribing to the RSS feed seems like a good idea.
Being new to all this, I’d be grateful for your input on what you’d like to see in this space. Comments should be up and running, or you can drop me a note: jnack {at} adobe.com.
Now, let’s begin.
J.

So, it’s time I stepped up and got this blog of mine rolling. First, a basic intro: I’m John Nack & am insanely lucky to work as a product manager for Adobe Photoshop. (If I wake up to find I’m actually still slinging breadsticks at the Olive Garden in South Bend, Indiana, well, it was fun while it lasted.) Prior to joining the ‘Dobe five years ago to work on LiveMotion 2, I was a Flash and graphic designer at AGENCY.COM New York.
What’s my plan? I’ll blog as often as seems useful on things relating to Photoshop, imaging, and the Suite. I aim to be brief and keep things interesting (All Killer, No Filler). Updates are likely to be erratic for a while at least, so subscribing to the RSS feed seems like a good idea.
Being new to all this, I’d be grateful for your input on what you’d like to see in this space. Comments should be up and running, or you can drop me a note: jnack {at} adobe.com.
Now, let’s begin.
J.