I wonder how much different it really is from current versions.
I’m still using CS5.1 Photoshop. I used a newer version about a year ago and short of a few things moved around, it was pretty much the same.
Maybe there is some back end, under the trunk changes that make it more intelligent in how it does something, but I never noticed.
For what I use it for, I don’t foresee myself using anything else until it stops running.
After using CS6 since 2012, I finally found a proper working crack for CC (the 2024 version, specifically). The only difference I really noticed was the addition of the AI stuff (which I can’t even use because it requires an Adobe account). There were other differences I’ve noticed too but they’re so minor that other than HDR support, I can’t think of any of them (and I can’t even get HDR working in PS, despite having a 10 bit display).
The jump from Premiere CS6 to CC 2024 was much more useful for me, but only because I needed support for more modern video codecs.
I honestly think commercial software offerings peaked in around 2010, and that’s why they’re all seeking rent now. They realized nobody wants to buy an annual new copy for incremental updates, but they also wanted more profit, not less.
There’s still cool things happening in software, but now it’s all incredibly niche, or FOSS projects that sometimes aren’t all there yet, BUT do cool things that commercial software won’t. Or incredibly niche FOSS projects.
I actually checked it out last year because I was curious about the whole AI autofill in Photoshop, where you can give it a cropped art piece and it’ll fill out the remainder.
If your experience with Photoshop is from CS5, you’ll hate this new version. They removed a lot of the tooling that I was used to. Maybe they simplified the toolbar and everything is tucked into different things. I struggled to modify my art piece and remove the background.
I found myself going back to Photopea immediately.
As for the AI autofill thing? It’s a shit gimmick. It barely works most of the time. And honestly, if I was to use a tool, you’re better off using a AI art tool and then “Photoshop” them together. Then use whatever the hell Adobe cooked up.
Up until they started adding AI features it’s pretty similar. I’m ambivalent about those features. They’re handy as hell, but the SaaS model eats dead donkey asshole, and they’re tied together. I always find a client who will just pay for my CS subscription for me, so it’s not really like I’ve suffered much, but what a stupid fucking tax just to get CA-delete.