Free Photoshop

Effects

It's an old version but it's probably still better than any other free programs a lot of people might be using.

www.adobe.com/cfusion/entitlement/index.cfm?e=cs2_downloads&pid=4485850

Might be suffering from a lot of people trying to access the page at the moment,

ScumLord

Not that old considering. Nice move by Adobe to get people on the photoshop ladder.

magicbastarder

i know people still using PS7; CS2 probably has 90% of the functionality of the latest version, as regards most people's requirements.

Necronomicon

Service is down at the moment, hope I haven't missed the boat.

Would this be superior to a new PhotoShop Elements despite being older?

ScumLord

Necronomicon wrote: »

Would this be superior to a new PhotoShop Elements despite being older?

I'm going to assume it is far superior. In many ways you'll find tutorials based on CS2 still knocking around and the major difference between CS2 and the newer versions seems to be smart tools like the new quick selection and refine edge.

You'll certainly be able to learn the basic and complex techniques that still underpin photoshop today.

WheresMyCamera?

I wonder does this mean you could then just pay the upgrade price to get the full version of CS6 instead of the full price? Or is CS2 too old to upgrade from?

ScumLord

WheresMyCamera? wrote: »

I wonder does this mean you could then just pay the upgrade price to get the full version of CS6 instead of the full price?

I doubt it. Although if your on they're mailing list when the next version comes out they'll probably offer some sort of special offer to entice you to upgrade.

It's undoubtedly an advertising/recruitment campaign on their part.

Syferus

Amazed they're offering CS2 free. It's an incredibly powerful program and it instantly becomes the best free (or even sub-300 Euro) photograph editor/a thousand other things on the market. It's a very aggressive tact for Adobe to take and it's great for users but surely it's going to cannibalise both Elements and the pro-sumer market.

dirtyghettokid

WheresMyCamera? wrote: »

I wonder does this mean you could then just pay the upgrade price to get the full version of CS6 instead of the full price? Or is CS2 too old to upgrade from?

it's too old. i have cs3 which i bought in 2007. i got a mail there in december from adobe basically saying i had until 31st december to obtain "special upgrade pricing" it just means if i want to upgrade now, i'll have to pay full whack!

Ben D Bus

Did anyone actually manage to get CS2?

Seems it may have been a bit of a misunderstanding...

http://www.forbes.com/sites/adriankingsleyhughes/2013/01/07/download-adobe-cs2-applications-for-free/

Kenny Logins

Ben D Bus wrote: »

Did anyone actually manage to get CS2?

Seems it may have been a bit of a misunderstanding...

http://www.forbes.com/sites/adriankingsleyhughes/2013/01/07/download-adobe-cs2-applications-for-free/

Ah, they're not giving it away, but it is possible to take it and use it?

I've downloaded the suite, but haven't installed anything yet.

Syferus

From what that site says they're providing downloads (they do for every title anyways, but without serial numbers) and serial numbers to boot because they've shut down the activation servers for CS2 but that you need to buy the license to make using the serials 'legal'?

Are Adobe planning on operating Ye Old Honour System piracy prevention?

It seems to me like a sideways swipe at the rampant piracy by trying to entice those people away from downloading cracked versions of CS6 by leaving CS2 unguarded on their website.

This is even stranger now than it was to begin with, if it's really just a migration program for CS2 owners why would they set it to dispense serial numbers like candy? Totally shamblolic if this isn't some sort of experiment to see how people react.

Necronomicon

So ostensibly those links and serial keys are only meant for people who own the software but need to reinstall it, but there's nothing other than a sense of moral obligation to stop the whole world from using it too?

Kenny Logins

Necronomicon wrote: »

So ostensibly those links and serial keys are only meant for people who own the software but need to reinstall it, but there's nothing other than a sense of moral obligation to stop the whole world from using it too?

Yes.

flyingsnail

Necronomicon wrote: »

So ostensibly those links and serial keys are only meant for people who own the software but need to reinstall it, but there's nothing other than a sense of moral obligation to stop the whole world from using it too?

Kenny Logins wrote: »

Yes.

Hmm, I somehow I don’t think that is going to work

Ben D Bus

The simple fact that the link is back working would suggest Adobe has chosen to allow the free downloads to continue.

My reading of the terms mentioned in the link below tell me it's legal - the software and activation key have been obtained from Adobe itself.

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1130893?start=0&tstart=0

The only official statement I've seen contains the statement

But to ensure that any customers activating those old versions can continue to use their software, we issued a serial number directly to those customers. While this might be interpreted as Adobe giving away software for free, we did it to help our customers.

It doesn't actually say they are not giving it away for free. It simply says they took this step to help customers. That quote could easily have been rephrased to say 'No, it is not free'

So I'm happy that Adobe is happy for me to have a free copy of CS2

5uspect

Also bear in mind that CS2 is incompatible with OS X 10.7 (Lion) and higher.
You'll need to revert to Snow Leopard for PowerPC support.

Also for those running 64bit Windows Vista/7/8 be careful where you install it.
http://forums.adobe.com/message/4715553

These incompatibility reasons are probably part of why adobe are happy to effectively 'abandon' CS2.

hunglikeaflee

It worked fine for me. I have CS5 at home but downloaded this in work on an XP machine and it is perfect.

I used an old login for Adobe and put in the wrong password at first and it would not let me login but when I put the correct password in, I could login and download it so it is a genuine Adobe site.


OP Thanks for the Link.

Alzar

Installed CS2 on Windows 8 Pro today. No problems to report I'm glad to say
Just need to learn how to use it now.

Al.

Paulw

Just wondering ... if you download this free CS2, can you then purchase an upgrade to CS6?

Kenny Logins

Paulw wrote: »

Just wondering ... if you download this free CS2, can you then purchase an upgrade to CS6?

No. You haven't purchased a licence for CS2 ( these downloads are meant for licence holders).

Lotsafish

My thinking is that they messed up and then realized it and the knee-jerk reaction was to disable the link, which they did. Then they saw what a PR nightmare was facing them and/or that they just had a few thousand people register with them so they could get it, some converts of which, at some point in the future will buy a new up-to-date version.

And so they re-enabled the link.

There are no super-official announcements from Adobe (the one everyone is quoting is a forum response), no alert on their homepage and most importantly, no "STOP!" message on the download page. Any of those measures would take seconds to put up. I think they messed up initially and are rolling with it.

All considered I am happy to download and use this in good conscience.

ScumLord

Lotsafish wrote: »

My thinking is that they messed up and then realized it and the knee-jerk reaction was to disable the link, which they did. Then they saw what a PR nightmare was facing them and/or that they just had a few thousand people register with them so they could get it, some converts of which, at some point in the future will buy a new up-to-date version.

I thought it was just a good long term marketing ploy.

If you give a free copy to a 13 year old in 10 years time he could be setting up his own media company. At the end of the day if everyone is using photoshop it encourages others to buy it too.

The thing is most of the upgrades in the later versions of photoshop are automating tasks. So if someone wants to switch to using photoshop commercially they'll want the latest version to reduce their work load. There's not much they couldn't do with CS6 that they couldn't do with CS2 it'll just take them longer and might not look quite as good.

Syferus

Still an excellent suite though. I've been using versions of it since I was a kid and it wasn't until the last few years that I even attempted to take the 'photo' part of Photoshop seriously. I'm so invested at this point it's likely only Abobe going bankupt that'll stop me using the program, you get to the stage where you know so many of the short cuts and where everything is that switching seems like a pointless excersise.

I really wonder how many of the new converts will buy through, though, because this whole situation is probably going to get bedroom programmers on the trail of fixing most of the main compatibility issues with CS2 and its life could be extended far beyond what anyone thought it would be.

Necronomicon

CS2 is working like a charm for me, but Premiere isn't. I have it installed but it won't open, it just flashes the loading screen and then does nothing.

ScumLord

Necronomicon wrote: »

CS2 is working like a charm for me, but Premiere isn't. I have it installed but it won't open, it just flashes the loading screen and then does nothing.

Try reinstalling it. Première can give problems. I've had to reinstall it a few times due to a codec problem where half of them are missing and it constantly tries to update itself.

Necronomicon

ScumLord wrote: »

Try reinstalling it. Première can give problems. I've had to reinstall it a few times due to a codec problem where half of them are missing and it constantly tries to update itself.

I tried reinstalling and the same thing is happening - had a look online and seemingly there are compatibility issues with Windows 7. Oh well, I'll keep the programme in case I happen upon a workaround.

angeleyes

It worked fine for me - so well happy thanks to the OP for posting this

Hootanany

Any tips for a mac having no joy downloading .
Many thanks in advance.

5uspect

Hootanany wrote: »

Any tips for a mac having no joy downloading .
Many thanks in advance.

It won't work on 10.7 and newer. You need an older PowerPC mac or one with Snow Leopard and Rosetta.

angeleyes

Hootanany wrote: »

Any tips for a mac having no joy downloading .
Many thanks in advance.

I am having difficulty with the Mac version as well. Any ideas tips?

5uspect

5uspect wrote: »

It won't work on 10.7 and newer. You need an older PowerPC mac or one with Snow Leopard and Rosetta.

angeleyes wrote: »

I am having difficulty with the Mac version as well. Any ideas tips?

As stated, CS2 is only compatible with Macs using IBM PowerPC processors. Or if you're using 10.6 (Snow Leopard) on an Intel Mac through Rosetta.

In other words, unless your mac is more than a couple of years old you can't install this version of Photoshop.

angeleyes

Bummer but thanks 5uspct.

Hootanany

Ive a 2008 mac running 10.8.2 will it work on this one.

Kenny Logins

Hootanany wrote: »

Ive a 2008 mac running 10.8.2 will it work on this one.

No...

5uspect

Hootanany wrote: »

Ive a 2008 mac running 10.8.2 will it work on this one.

Only if you go back to Snow Leopard.

Hootanany

Thanks for that is there any other good editing suites for a mac

Paddycrumlinman

This is great Stuff from Adobe. Just got Adobe CS2 installed on Windows 7 64 bit no problems at all. Downloading all freebies right now. Great move Adobe on these free applications.

Go home Adobe your drunk!

melekalikimaka

Hootanany wrote: »

Thanks for that is there any other good editing suites for a mac

no


lightroom/photoshop is about all there is, gimp is alright i suppose... but its called gimp

5uspect

Apple's Aperture is pretty good I hear.

Farmlife

This might sound stupid, but when i go into the link at the to it gives me all these options, which do i need to download for the standard CS2? Thanks

Creative Suite 2
Acrobat 3D 1.0 for Windows
Acrobat Standard 7.0
Acrobat Pro 8.0
Audition 3.0
GoLive CS2
Illustrator CS2
InCopy CS2
InDesign CS2
Photoshop CS2
Photoshop Elements 4.0/5.0
Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0

Kenny Logins

Farmlife wrote: »

This might sound stupid, but when i go into the link at the to it gives me all these options, which do i need to download for the standard CS2? Thanks

Creative Suite 2
Acrobat 3D 1.0 for Windows
Acrobat Standard 7.0
Acrobat Pro 8.0
Audition 3.0
GoLive CS2
Illustrator CS2
InCopy CS2
InDesign CS2
Photoshop CS2
Photoshop Elements 4.0/5.0
Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0

Photoshop CS2?

Photoshop CS2.

yoyo

Farmlife wrote: »

This might sound stupid, but when i go into the link at the to it gives me all these options, which do i need to download for the standard CS2? Thanks

Creative Suite 2
Acrobat 3D 1.0 for Windows
Acrobat Standard 7.0
Acrobat Pro 8.0
Audition 3.0
GoLive CS2
Illustrator CS2
InCopy CS2
InDesign CS2
Photoshop CS2
Photoshop Elements 4.0/5.0
Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0

The top one is the Creative Suite, or you could download Photoshop/Illustrator etc individually if you don't need the other products.

Nick