CS5 Design Standard or Premium

[hoffstriker]

Just checking for a recommendation on which I should buy. I have to buy one or the other for school and would like to know if any one really uses the additional software included with Premium? I need Indesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop (don't need the extended for the classes) and the Standard will run US $199. The Premium is US $349, but is it really worth the extra money? From what I can see it basically includes programs for web creation and 3D imaging along with video editing. All of which I don't believe I need, but wanted to check with the rest of you if these became useful as you increased your knowledge in photography.

Thanks all.

[Davey]

I personally get by just fine with standard, none of the 3d or extra web features are really that useful to me. From image and illustration pov those 3 should do you uness you are doing a lot of website work but even then you could manage depending what exactly you're doing. Don't forget you get acrobat pro too and that I do find useful for drafts and so on but even if you have no use for it it comes with both standard and premium so is not deciding factor. I guess the only one who really knows if you'd use the extras is you but from a photographic, illustration and page layout POV you prob wont use the extras much if at all in my opinion.

If premium were your budjet but you only use the 3 base programmes perhaps better plan is getting standard and using the money saved on gear or software you'd use (eg. better tablet (tilt is handy with bristle brush in Illus), new lens etc etc). Just a suggestion though and if it's money saving your after not the best one hence you'd be shellign out the same albeit for somethign you'd find more useful. Hope it helps.