CS4 Release In October…Ouch

Archive for the ‘Just a Thought’ Category

CS4 Release In October…Ouch

Sep
2008

While it’s all wonderful and great that new releases of software arrive just in time for holiday giving, it’s an abomination to me that such an expensive program doesn’t just get some good updates and call it a day.One such product is Adobe’s CS4, which is planned for release in October. (For those of you that don’t know about it, it’s a mainstay tool for many graphic and other media professionals.) Really, I’m all for “bigger and better”, but if a tool is as expensive as this one, it should really make my work easier and have a very intuitive interface, which I would say has never been the case with this product. It should also have “knock your socks off” enhancements, not just little stuff that you’d expect any way or reasonably believe should be in an occasional free update. Instead, folks will have to take some more classes to learn the new tricks and others that are already behind the curve to begin with will have to decide if plunking down the extra dough is really worth it. To me, it’s a travesty for the small/boutique designers who don’t have the tremendous resources to throw after yet another version. Updates and new version are for the big shops, certainly not the little guy. The price tag? Take a seat, then read:

Design Premium US $1,799
Design Standard US $1,399
Web Premium US $1,699
Web Standard US $999
Production Premium US $1,699
Master Collection US $2,499 (according to the Adobe Website.)

Read more / No Comments

Follow or No Follow-What’s Your Take?

Sep
2008

Dave Taylor blogged today about what has obviously been nagging him a bit, or maybe others been nagging him because he does reciprocate 100% of the time on Twitter follows. It’s a blog you should check out and see how your answer lines up with others or with his.

Sometimes I find myself coaching people on the use of Twitter, but I am by no means an expert…I’m working on that part. What I learned early is that I could not possibly keep up or be interested in every single person that followed me. It would be silly to try and really, what would be the ultimate point? For me, the point of using it at all – the reason I get so sucked in sometimes – is because I want to gain knowledge, share ideas, and stir people to thinking about things that they might otherwise overlook or not know about. I also want to connect with people and friends, and help connect others. Sometimes my microposts are just silly, talking about coffee or hockey, but other times I like to think I’m helping someone find information or helping to inspire someone to take a step toward a goal they have personally or in their work. It is a community there for sure, but just like in the physical, palm-pressing one, I won’t be inclined to reach out to just anyone; I have my criteria. I am annoyed with spammers and people pimping who knows what – I think this violates the purpose, but I do always check their profile before deciding if they’re someone I want to follow, and this is a great part, I don’t have to follow them and can even block them if I choose to.

Read more / No Comments

A Tribute of Sorts

Sep
2008

Today there will be a lot of somber activities devoted to the casualties and horrific incidents surrounding 9/11/2001. Many know people that were impacted by this, but as a nation, we’ll never really shake the images or feelings of the event. In everyone’s lifetime, they are part of an event that is part of a historic “collective”. Where were you when the Space Shuttle crashed, where were you when President Kennedy was shot?

What I’d like to point out today is that while I feel it’s a beautiful, necessary thing to stop and pay homage, I’m embarrassed that in this election season, political candidates will use 9/11/2001 as a platform for why they would be a better choice, why they will truly protect us from harm. They’ll pull heart strings, cast fear, and paint a picture of security with them at the helm of this nation.

Read more / No Comments

Grumpy People Need Not Apply

Sep
2008

On several occasions over the last couple weeks, I’ve had some great examples of bad service, I just needed a little time to calm down. (Okay, that’s not true, I just needed to clear my plate a bit.) Exhibit A, I call into Comcast to ask why my service seems to be dragging. The female on the other other end had a very abrasive tone, and I could envision her wagging a finger at me in the air saying, “You DIDN’T just ask me that, did you?” It was horrible. I asked her about it and she replied, “That’s the way I talk, I don’t know what to tell you.” Click. It’s a call center for crying out loud, I’ll call back and get someone else a little more pleasant, and I did.

The other occasion was a local walk up restaurant counter; as Spicoli would say, “It was the full crowd scene.” Two lines were formed, but were really long. The counter person handling one of the lines – let’s just say if she reached under the counter and pulled out a gun, I would not have been surprised in the least. She had the biggest scowl I’ve ever seen on the face of a person working. I left, thinking I might have just spared my own life, and no sandwich is worth that.

Read more / No Comments

What The Bluejay Figured Out

Aug
2008

Anyone who’s been to my house probably considers me the “crazy bird lady” on the block. It’s almost true, I probably spend way too much time feeding and observing the birds here, but this week, the bluejays taught me something: if you find something special, broadcast it only if you want everyone to know about it and use it all up.

Case in point: I have a hanging peanut tray and the bluejays love it. Generally when I fill it, they carry on, making noise for all their friends, letting the entire neighborhood know about the restocking of said tray. What often happens, though, is squirrels and grackles also show up, and these varmints are wasteful and tend to bully the jays away. The grackles will also bully smaller birds off all the other feeders and basically take over the entire property. The peanuts are gone, the birds are gone, the yard is quiet. Yuck.

Read more / No Comments

Are We All Olympians?

Aug
2008

Okay, I admit, I’m a junky for the Olympics. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not glued the entire time, letting dust bunnies take over my home or allowing the cats to eat tuna all day, but I like to catch as much as I can. What dawned on me this morning is that while there are amazing stories throughout the Olympics, there seems to be a common theme on how these athletes arrive here: perseverance. Another thing that occurred to me is “sacrifice”, and not just for the athlete, but for their families or whomever has seen this goal culminate in an Olympic appearance. Obstacles, time, money, all these things, big and small, could prevent just an average athlete from becoming a really great one on the world stage. The athlete has to have the drive, heart, and yes, access to what they want to make it happen. How much one digs in and how much one commits in every way will pave the path to regular guy and “guy with the medal around their neck.”

Are you the average business person, allowing something to keep you from your own success? Make it a day where that “something” is in the past and eliminate a hurdle every day. Do this every day and you’ll see that goal come closer, faster.

Read more / No Comments

All Graphics are Not The Same

Jul
2008

This will just be a short post, mainly as a response to what I’ve been managing of late. Several clients have forwarded nifty artwork and logos for use in their projects. Please keep in mind that not all graphics are ready for primetime. What this means is some graphics are “web ready” and some are “print ready.” This all has to do with resolution – the higher the resolution, the better quality the picture or graphic. The standards?