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I'm using a fairly old version of Photoshop, but it IS a very powerful tool and I can do everything I need to do.

The question is, are there new things in CS6 that I don't even know about, or new things that I would want to do if I knew they were there. What would be some serious benefits to moving up to the latest and greatest?

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    \$\begingroup\$ Even if there were no new tools, newer versions of Ps run faster and with more stability. \$\endgroup\$
    – ElendilTheTall
    Commented May 16, 2012 at 16:36
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    \$\begingroup\$ +1 for common sense, however this is not always the case. Newer versions are often designed on newer hardware, therefore require more HP to run. Many times I have seen newer programs bog down systems more than their predecessors. Microsoft is a shining example of that with their Office Suites. \$\endgroup\$
    – Chase Florell
    Commented May 16, 2012 at 16:40

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Well, it's not just what's in CS6. It's what's in CS4-6. You can look up the feature lists and comparison's on Adobe's site to help you decide. We can't tell you if the value is enough for you to move forward. But some helpful things...

  • Content aware actions are extremely helpful
  • Camera Raw is much more capable and works with the modern cameras
  • Speed has improved greatly
  • Access to much more memory with a modern 64 bit machine
  • Lots of new features such as the healing brushes, patches, and similar
  • More filters and more useful filters
  • Better algorithms for things like auto color, levels, brightness, contrast, etc.
  • and much more.

Is it enough for you? Maybe. Maybe another tool like Photoshop Elements, PixelMator (Mac), or something else would work better. Your best bet is to download the trial and give it a run and if it works then buy it.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks for the list. We definitely do not want Elements or other, PS is needed for our photography business. We primarily use Lightroom, but PS is needed for heavy lifting edits. I like the 64bit support. CS3 runs poorly, probably for this fact alone. \$\endgroup\$
    – Chase Florell
    Commented May 16, 2012 at 16:46
  • \$\begingroup\$ Content Aware in CS5 is awesome. Just saw the improvements with Content aware patch and move and that will make it amazingly better. I might even go back and fix up some old photos. Not sure if the "DRAG IN PHOTO" for various adjustments was introduced after CS3 but that is an awesome feature too. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jakub Sisak GeoGraphics
    Commented May 16, 2012 at 19:00
  • \$\begingroup\$ +1 - Content aware features are great and now improved in CS6. I can also attest that CS6 is a speed improvement, I just upgraded from CS5 the other day. It's not only faster at doing things, it starts a heck of lot faster too! \$\endgroup\$
    – Joanne C
    Commented May 16, 2012 at 23:19
  • \$\begingroup\$ The cool part is that it should scale with the hardware. So upgrading the machine will make it even better. Still, for a photographer, the content aware features are enough to justify an upgrade from a version as old as CS3 to me. But from CS5 it's a little more tricky to decide. Although with Adobe's policy changes that may force people's hands... \$\endgroup\$
    – nwcs
    Commented May 17, 2012 at 13:13

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