Adobe changed how they do things.....they are no longer selling boxed programs, instead they are doing Adobe Creative Cloud....you can download and use Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5 for $9.99 a month or for $49.99 a month you have access to all of Adobe's programs.....

http://www.adobe.com/products/creativecloud.html

You can still by the disk, but the Creative Cloud actually does offer a few brushes and filters that are not available on the hard copies. I had just purchased the latest version of Lightroom before they offered the $9.99 deal. There are some advantages to the CC including some cloud storage along with the brushes. Thanks for the information!

not sure how i like it yet, we used to just buy Creative Suite....liked actually physically having the program instead of renting it.....on the otherside i do now get to play with all the products on a whim instead of just the 4 or 6 included in CS.....havent been able to justify buying their audio and video software in the past for what lil i do but now i can as the wife has to pay the $50 cause she needs Indesign and not just Photoshop....

I have several friends that love it. I pretty much only use Lightroom and CS6.

If you use lightroom you soon realize.. you can't not use lightroom...it's just that good.
I'm also using Capture One 7 which is an altogether different beast..but phenominal...

This

I'm on the Adobe "Cloud" at work for creative purposes. At home, where I only work on fun photography, I use Lightroom a ton!

Photoshop is great for working in layers and such, and for photo correction work but for straight-ahead photography needs that simply need to "pop" Adobe Lightroom is simply incredible . . . and very easy to use once you learn the basics (unlike Photoshop, which operates in a totally different manner vs. Lightroom).




Lightroom does great with JPEGs but becomes incredible when used with RAW files.

I agree about LR being great. Have been using 3, then 4 and really like them. About a month ago I bought into that deal where you get LR5 and PS both for $9.99 a month. Pulled a file into PS to try it out and immediately wondered what on earth is this!? I foresee a long learning curve. LOL

Yes, Photoshop indeed DOES have a large learning curve. Then again, nothing has as many tools as that program has . . . you just have to learn the Adobe "logic." Until then, you'll be like I've been many times . . . feeling mighty "stoooooo-pid" when you get hung up occasionally.

That being said, Lightroom is entirely different and can kind of "screw up" long time PS users with its totally different "logic." LR is also pretty darn easy to learn though, so pretty soon you'll be doing some incredible post-processing work with LR.

They are totally different in layout and such, but interface extremely well together and you can bring the same image in and out of both programs to get the unique benefits of both! Pretty cool. Don't let LR scare you at all! Great tutorials for free too on youtube to help you solve those moments when you are scratching your head!