As an independent designer/developer, I was very disheartened to see the price tag associated with Adobe’s Master Collection. Even with the upgrade price, I would still be shelling out over $1600.00 for the upgrade to receive the current versions of the software that would work with the new laptop running Vista (Not to mention the price on upgrading MS Office as well).

I have to admit I felt like I was being betrayed after years and years of loyalty to both Adobe and Macromedia. I decided I would look at the Open-Source alternatives to my current work flow.

I have been praising the Open-Source initiatives for years having seen and been a part of its birth. I began by downloading package after package to explore alternatives to address the primary needs in my workflow. This included web, video and graphics. I spent close to a month working with programs, evaluating the results and refining the process.

To make a long story short, in my humble opinion, nothing comes close to the way Adobe Master Collection pulls it all together.  Although the price tag is steep for many small firms and consultants, I believe it is well worth the money for anyone who professionally deals with development for clients.
There are so many improvements in the actual workflow and product use that I can’t ever image finding a better set of tools for individuals or teams working on web, print or video production or even more so in situations where combinations of those workflows are used.