Photoshop Express

The wait is almost over. Ever since Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen's announcement last September of an online version of Photoshop, the web has been a buzz about what this will look like, what will it feature, etc. Adobe since this announcement has already launched an online version of Adobe Premiere, called Premiere Express. (You can try it out here on YouTube's Mashup. ) I look at this as the trial run for Photoshop Express. Both are built using the Adobe Flex application which means these apps are completely run via your web browser and computer, not a remote server.

Here is what we know so far. Adobe plans to launch Photoshop Express in the first quarter of 2008. It is not meant to replace any existing software (you Elements users can exhale now), instead it will bring "Photoshop to the masses".

You will be able to use familiar items, such as the healing tools, crop, and liquify commands. This also has a limited history so there are undos! The one downside is that it has a lot of "auto" corrections instead of the familiar menu options. The way this will work is you choose what you want to change in your photo, such as saturation, then the application gives you a drop down with several options of varying degrees to click on. Convenient but limiting.

No matter what the final version of this Rich Internet Application (RIA) holds, it is bound to place Adobe as the leader for online content and innovations.

If you want to learn more about Flex, RIA, or the future of web applications, be sure to check out the upcoming Flex presentation on Feb. 7 at WCTC. Check the pipeline for more info!