Upgrade Fatigue: The tools keep changing every 18 months
Today FedEx delivered yet another version of Photoshop
Artists using digital tools have to be prepared to go through frequent upgrades of every tool they work with. Today I got the 11th major revision of Photoshop. It is called Photoshop CS4. Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Adoble Lightroom 2 are the essential software programs that allow me to create my art.
About every 18 months I have to upgrade or replace my:
- Computers
- Computer Programs
- Cameras
- Printers
The hardware and software upgrades were something that I used to look forward to; sort of like a kid at Christmas. My enthusiasms for upgrades has faded over the years. There is always a lot of new controls that have to be learned (and unlearned). Often there are software bugs that mess things up.
Until I have mastered all the new features, my work is slowed down. I prefer to work when I know the tools so well that I don't think about what I am doing; then it is intuitive.
Life would be much easier if I had remained a painter. The basic tools (brushes, paint and canvas) would not have changed over my entire career.
One option that I chose to ignore is skipping the upgrades. The software and hardware would continue to work for many years if I just left them alone. However, at this point I think the power of the new tools justifies the hassle and cost in time and money.
I wonder if the improvements (such as doubling of computing power every 18 months) will ever stop...? To read about Moore's Law click here.
Henry, I have to agree with you...and had actually made my mind up NOT to upgrade from CS3 to CS4..UNTIL I saw some of the new features that CS4 offered. I ended up upgrading, and I'm pleased..but now waiting on some of the plug-ins that have come to be essential to my workflow to also be upgraded. Hardware wise, other than recently purchasing a new monitor after my LaCie CRT finally gave up the ghost, I'm content for now with my two year old PC; when I had it built, I spec'ed it out to be a bit of "overkill" at the time..and I'm glad I did. No issues with speed or file handling to date. And I'm loving the NEC 2490 monitor...far superior to ANYTHING I've ever used. Highly recommended, particularly with the NEC colorimeter and SpectraView software that calbrates the monitors LUT rather than the video card..VERY accurate color response.
Posted by: John Storjohann | October 19, 2008 at 10:38 AM
Yes, hardware and software upgrades are very troubling, imo doubly so if you teach the d*mned stuff. There is never enough time to learn it all. The most troubling is that students think that mastering software makes them an artist- it's difficult to explain that software is a tool like hammers and saws- it's learning what to do with them that matters- and unfortunately is something that few of them understand.
Posted by: vaughn wascovich | October 19, 2008 at 03:07 PM