Improved handling of templates, tracing, text and layers along with new table support, but ultimately X4 disappoints

An improved working environment and ground-breaking colour handling make Illustrator fresher than ever.

A shift of focus to advanced CSS and JavaScript handling, but Dreamweaver is beginning to look old-fashioned

Photoshop moves beyond photo editing to conquer completely new territory.

With its improved interface, colour handling, image adjustments and brush-based artistic creativity, DrawPlus moves onto a new level.

A new interface, drawing engine and programming language, but surprisingly little new power.

Adobe Photoshop is so dominant when it comes to print and Web-based bitmap-editing that, in many ways, it has come to define the whole field...

With Flash media handling and integration with Acrobat.com the Acrobat platform embraces the Internet – at last

New multiple page support and improved text handling, but the program’s main strength remains its underlying speed.

Still heavy going, but a raft of improvements means it’s the most comprehensive drawing package on the market.

Adobe builds on its print strengths to take its rich design mission online. And it has made a success of it, too.

Improved media handling, Flash video support and greater interactivity see Captivate extend into new areas of training.

Efficient photo management and sharing, but let down by some surprisingly underpowered editing.

The new interface plus PDF and AIR export sees Fireworks CS4 fully integrated into the Creative Suite.

With its enhanced interface, support for transparency and new collaboration features, it’s the best release in years.

FreeHand has had a long, distinguished career since its launch 15 years ago, but time has caught up with it. While Macromedia concentrated development on its Web-oriented MX applications, FreeHand was put on the back burner and fell seriously behind its main rivals CorelDRAW (see issue 60, p54) and Adobe Illustrator (see issue 51, p88). So, is this latest release evidence of further decline, or has FreeHand finally risen to the challenge?

A period of transition as Adobe deals with its Macromedia inheritance and the changing nature of the web.

Advanced long document functionality and screen-based publishing via Flash contribute to another Quark-bashing.

When you think of photo editing, the chances are you think of Adobe Photoshop. However, the majority of non-professional users don't need Photoshop's high-end power and can't justify its cost. That's where Paint Shop Pro (PSP) comes in. Its low price is definitely its initial attraction, but that has never stopped it aiming high. At times, as with version 6's introduction of vector layers, it has even left Photoshop trailing behind. However, version 7's minor fiddling was a serious letdown and as time passed, it began to look as if PSP had run out of steam. Version 8, though, shows this isn't the case.You begin to realise how fundamental the overhaul has been as soon as you load the application.

Microsoft prepares to march into Adobe territory with its forthcoming suite of graphics and web development software.