Quark and Photoshop Versions for the OS X Environment

O

Ormly Gumfudgen

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Hi guys. I recently purchased a 20" iMac to replace my 1999 G4 tower.

Now begins the task of updating the programs I had been using in the classic mode all these years. Namely SoundEdit16, Quark and Photoshop.

Here is my question for you pros who keep up on this stuff...

What were the first versions of Quark and Photoshop released specifically for OS X?

The kind of work I had been using these programs for were only for myself, friends and family- nothing whatsoever related to a business. Because of that, I wouldn't need the lastest versions of these programs because I don't need all the new bells and whistles that make working in the business world easier. And if I can save a few bucks by buying an "outdated" program, even better. I hope.

Any help is appreciated.
 
Quark 6 was the first QuarkXPress version to be Mac OS X-native, for the PowerPC processors.

PhotoShop 7 was the first PhotoShop to be Mac OS X-native, for the PowerPC processors.

Depending on whether you have a G5 iMac or an Intel-based iMac, later versions of those pieces of software may do you better... on an Intel-based Mac, those programs would run through a sort of "emulation" layer to convert PowerPC code to Intel code when you run them, making them perform slightly worse on Intel-based Macintosh computers versus PowerPC-based Macintosh computers.

PhotoShop CS3 was the first Intel-native Mac OS X version of PhotoShop.

QuarkXPress 7.0.1 was the first Intel-native Mac OS X version of QuarkXPress.
 
Great information, Jeff. Thanks so much!

I have the new Intel-based iMac so it sounds like I should look into the latest versions of Quark and Photoshop, if only for the improved performance over their predecessors. Have I got that right?

Ok, thanks again.
 
If you intend to do only extremely light Photoshopping and "Quarking", then you may be able to get away with the non-Intel-optimized versions.

I would recommend going for the latest and greatest, though, as that will provide you a better upgrade path in the future. Plus, there's a lot of benefit to using software that's optimized for your processor, the greatest of which is speed.

The latest versions of both Photoshop and Quark will set you back a pretty penny, though -- around $600 and $1000, respectively, if my memory serves me correctly. If you do have previous versions of these pieces of software, though, I do know that both Adobe and Quark offer "upgrade" options and you can get set up with the latest versions for a discount.

There are other options out there that may suffice for you as well -- a good, if not stripped-down, replacement for Photoshop could be Pixelmator (available at http://www.pixelmator.com). A completely FREE substitution would the the GIMP (available at http://gimp-app.sourceforge.net). As for Quark, the main competitor is InDesign from Adobe, which integrates well with Photoshop and I believe is available for less than what Quark costs. If you only use Quark for simple page layouts, you may want to check into Apple's own iWork package, which comes with Pages, an application for basic word processing and basic page layout... it's only $79, and as a bonus, you also get a spreadsheet program (Numbers), and Keynote, a great PowerPoint substitution. Apple has a 30-day trial of iWork available at http://www.apple.com/iwork.

I hope that helps!
 
Thanks for the additional info, Jeff. Very helpful. And yes, the Adobe programs aren't cheap. In fact, they would be more than the cost of the iMac itself.

And because my only real need for Quark is just for creating pages with text, maybe I can use one of the Office apps instead, and save some money by doing so. I'd just have to figure out which Office app would do the trick.

My only dilemma then would then be whether to bite the bullet and purchase the latest Photoshop Suite or continue to work in the classic mode on my old system for now until I can find a more affordable copy somewhere on Amazon or Ebay.

Thanks for your advice. You already saved me $1,000.00!!

... although I'd guess Adobe wishes you kept your opinion to yourself. (ha ha)
 
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