NEWS FLASH – Adobe has just announced a free public beta release of the eagerly-anticipated Photoshop Lightroom 4, with new tools and advancements to enhance and share your digital photograph library:

“Available as a free public download from Adobe Labs for Windows and Mac, the Lightroom 4 beta is a preview of new features and capabilities that will be offered in the final release of LR4, expected in early 2012.

The beta features refined technology for superior shadow and highlight processing, expanded management capabilities including enhanced DSLR video support and the ability to create beautiful photo books from within Lightroom. Adobe encourages photographers to try the beta release and provide feedback to the product team.”

The news comes six years to the day from the very first beta release of Lightroom 1 on January 9, 2006, where it all started…  Lightroom is Adobe’s digital photography workflow solution helping amateur and professional photographers quickly import, manage, enhance and showcase their images.

And great news – some long-requested new features are here now in LR4…

New Features in Lightroom 4 Beta

• Highlight and shadow recovery brings out all the detail that your camera captures in dark shadows and bright highlights.
• Photo book creation with easy-to-use elegant templates.
• Location-based organization lets you find and group images by location, assign locations to images, and display data from GPS-enabled cameras.
• White balance brush to refine and adjust white balance in specific areas of your images.
• Additional local editing controls let you adjust noise reduction and remove moiré in targeted areas of your images.
• Extended video support for organizing, viewing, and making adjustments and edits to video clips.
• Easy video publishing lets you edit and share video clips on Facebook and Flickr.
• Soft proofing to preview how an image will look when printed with color-managed printers.
• Email directly from Lightroom using the email account of your choice.

LR4 Beta Download Availability

The free Lightroom 4 beta program is open and available to the public. Anyone with an Internet connection can download and test it out in full. You do not need to own (or have tried) a previous version of Lightroom, and there is no serial number required. The Lightroom 4 beta will not overwrite or interfere with any existing installation of Lightroom 1, Lightroom 2, or Lightroom 3.

You can download the beta immediately and use it freely until the product expires at the end of March. Please see this detailed post for the minimum system requirements and installation instructions, as well as more information on the new features and known issues. One possible hiccup for some users is that Lightroom 4 is not supported on Windows XP systems.

Also be sure to give your feedback to the Adobe developers…

Introduction to Lightroom 4

And here’s a great video series on what’s new and to get you started…  Afterwards, explore more on the differences between Lightroom 4 vs. Lightroom 3.

For Lightroom 3, the Current Release

Related Posts

• Adobe Lightroom 3.5 and Camera Raw 6.5 – Final and Free Updates
• Adobe Lightroom 3.4 and Camera Raw 6.4 – Final and Free Updates
• Adobe Lightroom 3.3 and Photoshop CS5 12.0.3 – Free Updates Out
• Adobe Releases Final Version of Lightroom 3.2 – A Free Update
• Adobe Lightroom 3.2: Bugs Fixed, Speed Boosted, Facebook Added

Adobe’s Creative Suite 5.5 has been out since May, and has generally been well-reviewed and even lauded as a must-have release…  Nevertheless, some folks are still looking for or require older versions of the software, like CS5.0 or CS4.  Why?

Two common reasons are the higher system requirements – 64-bit for some components of CS5 like After Effects & Premiere Pro, as well as cases where the rest of a customer’s site is still running an older version and would like to add a new setup with the same compatibility. And occasionally some folks say they prefer the earlier, simpler versions over newer ones with more features.

The challenge is, once a new release comes out, Adobe no longer officially sells the older version. So if you need a prior release, what do you do?

If you want the trial version to use for 30 days, that’s easy – Adobe actually keeps most older original trials still available for download on their servers – including all of CS4 and CS5, plus earlier releases of Acrobat, Lightroom, Elements, etc… You can find those trials all linked for download here.

But how about when you want to actually buy CS4 or CS5.0?

If you ask Adobe, they’ll usually tell you to check their official list of authorized resellers & retailers to see if someone still has the version you want in stock. The problem is it’s inconvenient to search as often those stocks are thin or sold out, and no longer available.

So, do you turn to other random sources like eBay or Craigslist?  If you’re smart, definitely not – we strongly advise against eBay et al.  So what do you do?

The Solution: Order “Prior-Version Software”

Fortunately, there is an easy solution. It’s little-known, but Adobe actually sells a special type of license that can be “downgraded.” These unique products come from the Adobe Business Store (and are also known as volume licenses) – but you don’t have to be a business to get them, or even buy more than one copy, and they can be easily purchased online instantly with a credit card.

So these “business” licenses have this helpful capability which allows you to order the latest release (like CS5.5 or Acrobat X) but then optionally receive and use the prior version instead (like CS5.0 or CS4, or Acrobat 9).  Here it is spelled out:

Backward licensing policy
Adobe allows program members to order a current-version license but to use a prior version. These members can contact Adobe Customer Service to request a serial number for the earlier version if they do not already have one.

Prior-version software is available via Electronic Software Delivery [download from Adobe]. The program member must follow all guidelines of the current-version EULA.

Adobe has a name for this program (which again, anyone can buy from) – it’s called the Transactional Licensing Program (TLP) and it doesn’t cost extra – in fact customers typically get discounts off the regular price. And there are other nice features of these licenses as well, including the ability to run your software multi-platform on both Windows and Mac OS – which is also not possible elsewhere.

So if this is what you need to do now, then you may want to check this out.

Related Posts

• How to Install or Run Adobe CS5.5 on Both Windows PC and Mac OS
• Any Problems Downloading or Installing Adobe CS5 or CS5.5?
• Adobe CS6 Upgrade Policy Changes Postponed! CS3 & CS4 on Track
• Adobe Extends 20%-Off CS5.5 Upgrades Discount Offer to March
• Adobe Photoshop Best Tips, Tricks, Techniques, Training & Tutorials

In continuing to provide the direct download links for such major Adobe products as CS5.5, Acrobat X, Elements 10, and Lightroom 3, below you’ll find the DDL for the brand new just-released Adobe Flash Player 11.1 (the final version).  This is important because the free Flash Player is the most widely-used and often-downloaded software in world, and some folks find it easier to access it quickly and directly, without a download manager (e.g., Akamai), or with their own DLM, and without additional products or toolbars included.

Check your current Adobe Flash Player: What version are you running now?

What’s New in Flash Player 11?

Flash Player 11.1 contains dozens of sophisticated new features and enhancements, here are some of the major ones – for more, and more details, see the Official Release Notes:

• Stage 3D Accelerated Graphics Rendering
• Native 64-bit Support Available
• H.264/AVC Software Encoding for Cameras
• Flash Access Content Protection Enhancements
• Native JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) Support
• Asynchronous Bitmap Decoding
• TLS Secure Sockets Support
• Cubic Bezier Curves
• Updated iOS 5 native extensions
• Updated Native text input UI for Android

So, without further ado, here are the direct download links – just click to download and install:

For Windows 7 – 64-Bit Systems

» Download 64-bit Flash Player 11.1 for Internet Explorer (IE) browsers

» Download 64-bit Flash Player 11.1 for non-IE browsers (Firefox, Opera, etc.)

For Windows 7/Vista/XP/2008/2003

» Download 32-bit Flash Player 11.1 for Internet Explorer (IE) browsers

» Download 32-bit Flash Player 11.1 for non-IE browsers (Firefox, Opera, etc.)

[ Not sure? See how to tell if your computer can run the (faster) 64-bit Windows version. ]

For Mac OS X 10.6 and 10.7 (all)

» Download Flash Player 11.1 for Safari, Firefox, Opera

Bonus!  Adobe AIR 3 Direct Download Links

» Download AIR 3.1 for Windows

» Download AIR 3.1 for Mac OS

[ Learn more about the universal Adobe AIR 3. ]

Resources

• Adobe Flash Player installation instructions
• Adobe Flash Player full system requirements
• Verify/test installed version of Adobe Flash Player
• Troubleshoot installation problems with Adobe Flash Player
• Configure Adobe Flash Player settings after installation
• Uninstall Adobe Flash Player

(Note: Internet Explorer sometimes drops file extensions from these downloads – so if you’re using that browser, you may have to add a “.exe” back onto the name of your file before starting it.)

Adobe Flash Player is a pervasive cross-platform browser-based application runtime that delivers uncompromised viewing of expressive applications, content, and videos across screens and browsers. Flash is the standard for engaging PC experiences – 99% of PCs worldwide have Flash Player installed and 85% of the top 100 websites use Flash.

Approximately 75% of online videos are viewed and 70% of web games are delivered using Adobe Flash technology. More than 3 million designers and developers use the Flash Platform to deliver expressive content and applications that run consistently across the widest reach of browsers, operating systems, and devices.

Learn more about Flash Player and the new features in version 11.

Related Posts

• Adobe Flash Player 10.3 Direct Download Links for Windows & Mac
• Adobe Flash Player 10.2 Direct Download Links for Windows & Mac
• Adobe Flash Player 10.1 Direct Download Links for Windows & Mac
• Photoshop Elements 10 Direct Download Links: Free Trials, Premiere
• Get Adobe Flash Builder 4.5 + ColdFusion Builder 2 Completely Free

Adobe Lightroom 3.5 and Adobe Camera Raw 6.5 are now available as final releases, and are free for all current Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5 users…

These updates include bug fixes, performance and stability improvements (20 for Lightroom and 9 for Camera Raw), plus support for 27 new lens profiles and 24 new cameras, including the Nikon Coolpix P7100, Olympus E-PL3, and Sony SLT-A77 – and could be some of the last revisions before Lightroom 4 and CS6 come out.

 » Download the Final Adobe Lightroom 3.5 for Mac OS  (a free update to Lightroom 3)
 » Download the Final Adobe Lightroom 3.5 for Windows

 » Download the Final Adobe Camera Raw 6.5 for Mac  (a free update to Photoshop CS5)
 » Download the Final Adobe Camera Raw 6.5 for Windows

Read more details about the update including the 29 fixes that were made as well as the new cameras supported, or take a look at the complete list of all Lightroom-supported cameras.

Lightroom 3.5 is a recommended update and is available in 12 languages: English, German, French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (Traditional and Simplified).   If you don’t yet own Lightroom 3, Adobe’s free trial download has also now been moved up to version 3.5.

To confirm that the updater has run successfully, launch Lightroom and verify that the version number on the splash screen shows current as 3.5.

Camera Raw 6.5 also works with Photoshop Elements 9 plus the new Photoshop Elements 10 just released – see the full compatibility chart. Note that Camera Raw 6 is not compatible with Photoshop CS4 or earlier. The last release of Adobe Camera Raw for Photoshop CS4 was ACR 5.7 on 4/20/2010.

Save 30% when you buy Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5 together, no coupon code needed.

Related Posts

• Adobe Lightroom 3.4 and Camera Raw 6.4 – Final and Free Updates
• Adobe Lightroom 3.3 and Photoshop CS5 12.0.3 – Free Updates Out
• Adobe Releases Final Version of Lightroom 3.2 – A Free Update
• Adobe Lightroom 4 Beta Release is Here! Now Available Free to Public
• Free Update to Adobe Lightroom 2.7

The links given below go to the authentic and secure files residing on Adobe’s servers, are guaranteed genuine and will not change. They are especially useful when you are unable to download Adobe’s free trials via other means – often due to difficulties with the Akamai Download Manager (the Adobe DLM). With the links provided below, you can use your own browser’s download capability, or another download manager of your choice.

For setting up Elements on Windows (both PSE 10 and PRE 10), each program consists of two downloaded files: an .exe and a 7-Zip file (.7z). The .exe file will only work (and install) once the .7z file is fully downloaded and resides in the same location. For the Mac, it’s just a single .dmg file for each program.

[ Find out more with our Elements 10 Release Overview... or see what's new in 10 vs. 9. ]

Note: Very Important Instructions

You must have a free Adobe account and be logged into it to use the links below, as Adobe sets a session cookie on your browser that allows you to access the direct download links. Otherwise, you will receive an “access denied” or “resume your download” message prevent­ing the connection. So please follow these instructions carefully or the links will not work!

0. Adobe recommends temporarily turning off any surfing restrictions you might have running, like site or cookie blocking, firewalls or antivirus software.
1. Click «here» to visit this page to begin the trial process the normal way, and select the “Download Now” button at the bottom.
2. If you already have an Adobe ID, then please sign in with it (checking “Remember me“), otherwise take a minute to create one for yourself.
3. Now close or cancel any windows that have popped up.
4. OK, you’re logged in now at Adobe with the trials cookie set, so you can instantly download any of the software below. Just make sure you have enough disk space.
5. Download the files either by clicking directly on the DDL links, or by right-clicking and choosing “Save Link As…” on the popup menu – and save all files to the same place.
6. Then follow the product installation instructions here.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 (PSE 10) Direct Download Links

Photoshop Elements 10 – Windows (1.5 GB):   File 1   File 2

Photoshop Elements 10 – Mac (2.0 GB):   File 1

Adobe Premiere Elements 10 (PRE 10) Direct Download Links

Premiere Elements now comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions… 64-bit offers higher performance but choose the 32-bit flavor if you’re unsure what your system is.

Premiere Elements 10 – Windows 32-bit (1.4 GB):   File 1   File 2

Premiere Elements 10 – Windows 64-bit (1.5 GB):   File 1   File 2

Premiere Elements 10 – Additional Content – Windows (3.0 GB):   File 1   File 2

Premiere Elements 10 – Mac (1.8 GB):   File 1

Premiere Elements 10 – Additional Content – Mac (3.2 GB):   File 1

The additional content contains InstantMovie themes, title templates, DVD/Blu-ray menu templates, and music to enhance your movies created with Adobe Premiere Elements 10 software. Themed HD and SD content includes Birthday Party, Road Trip, Outdoor Wedding, Broadway, Kid’s Channel, Family Memories, Extreme Sports, News Reel, Comic Book, and more.

Product languages supported: The Elements 10 tryouts are currently available in English, French/Français, German/Deutsch, Dutch/Nederlands, Italian/Italiano, Spanish/Español, Portuguese/Português, Swedish/Svenska, and Japanese/日本語 – for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. Adobe says additional language versions will be available soon.

Installation Tips

• You do not need to uninstall previous versions of Elements; some users prefer to keep the older, familiar version(s) around as they come up to speed with the new version’s features.
• Install with an account that has administrative privileges (not a Limited User Account if you are using Windows Vista).
• For the easiest installation experience, quit any open programs, including virus protection software, prior to installing Elements 10.
• Read the accompanying Photoshop Elements 10 Release Notes in English, French, or German.
• If you run into any difficulties, see the Elements 10 Installation Troubleshooting page.

Related Posts

• Photoshop Elements 9 & Premiere Elements 9 Direct Download Links
• Direct Download Links for Lightroom 3 and Photoshop Elements 8
• Download Adobe CS5.5 Trials: Direct Links (no Assistant or Manager)
• Adobe Acrobat X (10) Pro, Reader, and Suite Direct Download Links
• Download Adobe CS5 Free Trials – All Direct Links without Akamai

You may have heard of the recent releases of Flash Builder 4.5 (formerly Flex Builder, and now part of CS5.5), plus ColdFusion 9 and ColdFusion Builder 2…

And we’ve written about this particular offer before, but it bears repeating now that we have these major product refreshes for both Flex and ColdFusion.

Adobe will give you full versions of these premium devel­opment tools ($249 – $1,299 values) absolutely free if you qualify! And if you don’t, you might know someone who does and could benefit…

Free copies of Adobe Flash Builder 4.5 Standard are given for non-commercial use to: (a) students, faculty and staff of eligible educational institutions, or (b) software devel­opers who are affected by the current economic conditions and currently unemployed.

The ColdFusion products are also available for free to educational customers, to use for learning purposes only and not for production use. Complimentary installation support is available, and if you are a teacher and would like ColdFusion 9 for multiple systems in your lab, you can request up to 30 education serial numbers.

So if you can qualify yourself for any of these categories, please go ahead and download your free software here.

Related Posts

• Now – Completely Free Products From Adobe
• Using Adobe CS5 to Create Websites and Apps for Mobile & Tablets
• Adobe CS5.5 Student Editions – Save Extra $50, No Coupon Needed
• Adobe Flash Player 11.1 Direct Download Links for Windows & Mac
• Photoshop Elements 10 Direct Download Links: Free Trials, Premiere

In our tradition of providing the direct download links for major Adobe products such as CS5.5, Acrobat X, Photoshop & Premiere Elements 10, and Lightroom 3, below you’ll find the DDL for the just-released new Adobe Flash Player 10.3 (final version). This is important because the free Flash Player is the most widely-used and often-downloaded software in world, and some folks find it easier to access offline without a download manager (Akamai or Adobe DLM), or with their own DLM, and without additional products or toolbars included.

Check your current Adobe Flash Player version: What version are you running now?

What’s New in Flash Player 10.3?

Flash Player 10.3 improves stability, enhances security and user privacy protection, and provides new desktop video and audio capabilities for enterprises and developers.

Besides a dozen bug fixes, this release contains several new features and enhancements:

• Integration with Browser Privacy Controls – Users now have a simpler way to clear local storage (“Flash cookies”) from the browser settings interface – similar to how users clear their browser cookies today. These controls are integrated with the browser’s privacy settings in Firefox 4, IE 8 and higher, Chrome 11, and a future release of Apple Safari.
• Local Native Control Panel – Provides users with streamlined controls for managing their Flash Player privacy, security and storage settings. Windows, Mac, and Linux users can access the Flash Player Settings Manager directly from the Control Panels or System Preferences locally on their computers.
• Acoustic Echo Cancellation – Developers can take advantage of acoustic echo cancellation, noise suppression, voice activity detection, and automatic compensation for various microphone input levels. End-users will be able to experience higher quality audio facilitating smoother conversation flow, without using a headset.
• Media Measurement – Allows real-time, aggregated reporting of how their video content is distributed, what the audience reach is, and how much video is played.
• Auto-Update Notification for Mac OS – Supports automatic notification of software updates on Mac OS, making it easier for Mac users to stay current with new capabilities in the latest version of Flash Player.

So, without further ado, here are the direct download links – just click to download and install:

For Windows 7/Vista/XP/2008/2003

 » Download Flash Player 10.3 for Internet Explorer (IE) browsers

 » Download Flash Player 10.3 for non-IE browsers (Firefox, Opera, etc.)

For Mac OS X 10.4 – 10.6

 » Download Flash Player 10.3 for Safari, Firefox, Opera

Resources

• Adobe Flash Player installation instructions
• Adobe Flash Player full system requirements
• Verify/test installed version of Adobe Flash Player
• Troubleshoot installation problems with Adobe Flash Player
• Configure Adobe Flash Player settings after installation
• Uninstall Adobe Flash Player

(Note: Internet Explorer sometimes drops file extensions from these downloads – so if you’re using that browser, you may have to add a “.exe” back onto the name of your file before starting it.)

Adobe Flash Player is a cross-platform browser-based application runtime that delivers uncompromised viewing of expressive applications, content, and videos across screens and browsers. Flash is the standard for engaging PC experiences – 99% of PCs worldwide have Flash Player installed and 85% of the top 100 websites use Flash. Approximately 75% of online videos are viewed and 70% of web games are delivered using Adobe Flash technology. More than 3.5 million designers and developers use the Flash Platform to deliver expressive content and applications that run consistently across the widest reach of browsers, operating systems, and devices.

Learn more about Flash Player and the new features in version 10.3.

Related Posts

• Adobe Flash Player 11.1 Direct Download Links for Windows & Mac
• Adobe Flash Player 10.2 Direct Download Links for Windows & Mac
• Adobe Flash Player 10.1 Direct Download Links for Windows & Mac
• Photoshop Elements 10 Direct Download Links: Free Trials, Premiere
• Get Adobe Flash Builder 4.5 + ColdFusion Builder 2 Completely Free

Some of the most visited resources on this site are the direct download links provided for most major Adobe products. So continuing in this tradition, here is a complete set of direct down­load links for all the new Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 software (Windows and Mac), for instant easy access and the ability to use your own download manager or download assistant if you have any difficulty with what Adobe normally employs and need to access the CS5.5 trials without it…

We have also linked the free CS5.5 Extra Content downloads (aka Additional or Functional Content) for all available products.

Below is a table for CS5.5 trial downloads in major languages. These links go to the auth­entic and original CS5.5 files residing on Adobe’s servers, are guaranteed genuine and will not change. For Windows, each program consists of up to two files, an .exe and a 7-Zip file (.7z). The .exe file will only work once the .7z file is fully downloaded and resides in the same location. For the Mac, it’s just a single .dmg file for each program.

The supported languages vary by product. The Western Euro­pean languages can include French/Français, German/Deutsch, Italian/Italiano, Dutch/Nederlands, Danish/Dansk, Finnish/Suomi, Swedish/Svenska, Norwegian/Norsk, Portuguese/Português, and Spanish/Español. To see which product supports which languages, visit the main Adobe trials page and then click on the selection menu for whichever product(s) you’d like to try – it will tell you which languages are currently available.

Note: Very Important Instructions

You need to have a free Adobe account and be logged into it to use the links below, as Adobe sets a session cookie on your browser that allows you to access the direct download links. Otherwise, you will receive an “access denied” or “resume your download” message prevent­ing the connection. So please follow these instructions carefully or the links will not work!

0. Adobe recommends temporarily turning off any surfing restrictions you might have running, like site or cookie blocking, firewalls or antivirus software.
1. Click «here» to visit this page like you want to try Photoshop CS5.1, and then select the “Download Now” button at the bottom.
2. If you already have an Adobe ID, then please sign in with it (checking “Remember me“), otherwise take a minute to create one for yourself.
3. Now close or cancel the windows for that trial of Photoshop CS5.1.
4. OK, you’re logged in now at Adobe with the trials cookie set, so you can instantly download any of the software below. Just make sure you have enough disk space.
5. Download the files either by clicking directly on the DDL links, or by right-clicking and choosing “Save Link As…” on the popup menu – and save all files to the same place.
6. Then follow the product installation instructions here.

Creative Suite 5.5 – Adobe CS5.5 Downloads

All of these trials are supported on Mac OS X or Windows (32-bit x86 and 64-bit x64), with the exception of After Effects CS5.5 and Premiere Pro CS5.5 which are 64-bit only. For more, see the complete set of system requirements for Creative Suite 5.5.

Note there is no separate trial download for Photoshop CS5.1 “Standard” – the trial is always the Extended version (having all Photoshop features including 3D and motion-based content), and then you decide which version you’d like to keep at time of product purchase.

You do not need to uninstall previous versions of Creative Suite; some users prefer to keep the older, familiar version(s) around as they come up to speed with the new product’s features, and some folks have CS3, CS4, CS5, and CS5.5 all on one computer.

It is suggested to use a browser other than Internet Explorer to download any of the files above. They can be quite large and sometimes IE has difficulty with the file or the download. Using Firefox or Chrome will work better.

Adobe CS5.5 Extra Content

This is Extra Content (also called Functional Content) that Adobe bundles with some CS5.5 applications. It is technically optional and not required to run the main products, but will improve your experience if you can take the time to download and add it to your installation.

What’s included in this free additional content are typically media assets, templates, tutorials, documentation, fonts, footage, sample files and projects, and so on. If you own a suite, you can download the bundle for that plus whichever applications are in it.

• CS5.5 Master Collection & Production Premium Extra Content (175 MB)
            Windows:  File 1                  Mac:  File 1
• CS5.5 Design Premium & Web Premium Extra Content (176 MB)
            Windows:  File 1                  Mac:  File 1
• CS5.5 Design Standard Extra Content (167 MB)
            Windows:  File 1                  Mac:  File 1
• InDesign CS5.5 Extra Content (156 MB)
            Windows:  File 1                  Mac:  File 1
• Illustrator CS5.1 Extra Content (120 MB)
            Windows:  File 1                  Mac:  File 1
• Fireworks CS5 Extra Content (131 MB)
            Windows:  File 1                  Mac:  File 1
• After Effects CS5.5 Extra Content (744 MB)
            Windows:  File 1   File 2      Mac:  File 1
• Premiere Pro CS5.5 Extra Content (2.5 GB)
            Windows:  File 1   File 2      Mac:  File 1

See our:

• Creative Suite 5.5 Launch Guide
• What’s new features for each product within the suites
• Version differences between CS5.5 vs. CS5 or from earlier versions
• Ask the Adobe CS5.5 Pros: the first FAQ and the second FAQ
• CS 5.5 feature tour videos on Adobe TV
• Timeframe for a future CS6 release

Did these links work for you? Hope they helped out; please let us know with a comment below…

Related Posts

• Photoshop Elements 10 Direct Download Links: Free Trials, Premiere
• Adobe Releases CS5.5 – Now Shipping plus Download Free Trials
• Adobe Acrobat X (10) Pro, Reader, and Suite Direct Download Links
• Photoshop Elements 9 & Premiere Elements 9 Direct Download Links
• Direct Download Links for Lightroom 3 and Photoshop Elements 8

Three weeks after its official introduction, Adobe this morning has released Creative Suite 5.5, with major upgrades for mobile, publishing, HTML5, video, audio, and Flash. The CS5.5 configurations are similar to CS5 and the product prices are the same. The new software is available immediately for Windows and Mac via full purchase or discounted upgrade (from as far back as CS2), with delivery via boxed shipment or instant download.

Adobe has simultaneously made CS5.5 free trials available for download (with the new Adobe Download Assistant app). These trials are fully-functional for 30 days and work side-by-side with any previous version(s) of the Creative Suite, including CS5. If you decide not to buy CS5.5 when the trial period is up, you can just uninstall it and your older software will continue to run – while buyers can easily convert their trial to permanent use without reinstalling the software. For upgrades, you can install a trial and then buy an upgrade to convert your trial into a purchased version. (For more informa­tion, refer to the complete Trial FAQ.)

If you have any difficulty with that process, you can instead use the direct download links to get the Adobe CS5.5 trials without the Download Assistant.

The CS5.5 Student & Teacher Editions are also now shipping. These offer up to 80% off the regular prices for education customers including students, teachers, and academic staff. Just be sure you know the key differences between Adobe’s academic versions vs. regular.

If you need more than one copy of any product, check out Adobe volume licensing for price discounts and ease of management, plus other benefits.

CS 5.5 ships in English today, with up to 24 other languages to follow shortly – including Chinese, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish. The system specifications for all CS5.5 products are virtually identical to those for CS5.

Related Posts

• Download Adobe CS5.5 Trials: Direct Links (no Assistant or Manager)
• Grace Period for Free Upgrade to New Adobe CS5.5
• Is There a Photoshop CS5.5? No, But There’s a Photoshop CS5.1
• Adobe CS5.5 is Out!
• Adobe CS5.5 vs. CS5 Comparison – What’s the Difference Between?

Adobe Lightroom 3.4 and Adobe Camera Raw 6.4 are now available as final releases, and are free for all current Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5 owners… These updates include bug fixes, performance and stability improvements (27 for Lightroom and 9 for Camera Raw), plus support for 30 new lens profiles and 13 new cameras, including the Nikon D5100, Canon EOS 600D, and Olympus XZ-1:

 » Download the Final Adobe Lightroom 3.4.1 for Mac (a free update to Lightroom 3)
 » Download the Final Adobe Lightroom 3.4.1 for Windows

 » Download the Final Adobe Camera Raw 6.4.1 for Mac (a free update to Photoshop CS5)
 » Download the Final Adobe Camera Raw 6.4.1 for Windows

Read more details about the update including the 36 fixes that were made as well as the new cameras supported, or take a look at the complete list of all Lightroom-supported cameras.

Lightroom 3.4 is a recommended update and is available in 12 languages: English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (Traditional and Simplified).   If you don’t yet own Lightroom 3, Adobe’s free trial download has also now been moved up to version 3.4.

To confirm that the updater has run successfully, launch Lightroom and verify that the version number on the splash screen shows current as 3.4.

Camera Raw 6.4 also works with Photoshop Elements 9 – see the full compatibility chart. Note that Camera Raw 6 is not compatible with Photoshop CS4 or earlier. The last release of Adobe Camera Raw for Photoshop CS4 was ACR 5.7 on 4/20/2010.

Save 30% when you buy Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5 together, no coupon code needed.

Related Posts

• Adobe Lightroom 3.5 and Camera Raw 6.5 – Final and Free Updates
• Adobe Lightroom 3.3 and Photoshop CS5 12.0.3 – Free Updates Out
• Adobe Releases Final Version of Lightroom 3.2 – A Free Update
• Adobe Lightroom 4 Beta Release is Here! Now Available Free to Public
• Free Update to Adobe Lightroom 2.7

Following our custom of providing the direct download links for major Adobe products such as CS5.5, Acrobat X, Photoshop & Premiere Elements 10, and Lightroom 3, below you’ll find all the DDL for the just-released new Adobe Flash Player 10.2. This is important because the free Flash Player is the most widely-used and often-downloaded software in world, and some people find it easier to gain access without a download manager (Akamai/Adobe DLM), or with their own DLM, and without additional products or toolbars included.

Check your current Adobe Flash Player version: What version are you running now?

What’s New in Flash Player 10.2?

Flash Player 10.2 introduces Stage Video, a full hardware-accelerated video pipeline for best-in-class, beautiful video across platforms and browsers – making Flash video dramatically more efficient (a 10X reduction in CPU usage in some demos). This advance in performance builds on the benefits of H.264 hardware accelerated decoding and optimized power consump­tion introduced in 10.1, and works with all of the existing video on the web viewed in Flash Player – so will save significant battery life on portable computers and mobile devices.

Additionally, this release of Flash Player offers all new features like multiple monitor full-screen support (enabling you to watch videos in true full screen on one display while multi-tasking on another), custom native mouse cursors (another popular request from designers and devel­opers), and Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) hardware accelerated rendering support.

And other existing capabilities have been enhanced – like better sub-pixel rendering for superior text readability, fast switch between bitrates to automatically adjust to changing network conditions, and improved localized input method editor (IME) support.

So, without further ado, here are the direct download links – just click to download and install:

For Windows 7/Vista/XP/2008/2003

 » Download Flash Player 10.2 for Internet Explorer (IE) browsers

 » Download Flash Player 10.2 for non-IE browsers (Firefox, Opera, etc.)

For Mac OS X 10.4 – 10.6

 » Download Flash Player 10.2 for Safari, Firefox, Opera

Resources

• Adobe Flash Player installation instructions
• Adobe Flash Player full system requirements
• Verify/test installed version of Adobe Flash Player
• Troubleshoot installation problems with Adobe Flash Player
• Configure Adobe Flash Player settings after installation
• Uninstall Adobe Flash Player

(Note: Internet Explorer sometimes drops file extensions from these downloads – so if you’re using that browser, you may have to add a “.exe” back onto the name of your file before starting it.)

Adobe Flash Player is a cross-platform browser-based application runtime that delivers uncompromised viewing of expressive applications, content, and videos across screens and browsers. Flash is the standard for engaging PC experiences – 99% of PCs worldwide have Flash Player installed and 85% of the top 100 websites use Flash. Approximately 75% of online videos are viewed and 70% of web games are delivered using Adobe Flash technology. More than 3.5 million designers and developers use the Flash Platform to deliver expressive content and applications that run consistently across the widest reach of browsers, operating systems, and devices.

Learn more about Flash Player and the new features in version 10.2.

Related Posts

• Adobe Flash Player 11.1 Direct Download Links for Windows & Mac
• Adobe Flash Player 10.3 Direct Download Links for Windows & Mac
• Adobe Flash Player 10.1 Direct Download Links for Windows & Mac
• Photoshop Elements 10 Direct Download Links: Free Trials, Premiere
• Get Adobe Flash Builder 4.5 + ColdFusion Builder 2 Completely Free

Final Versions of Adobe Lightroom 3.3 and Adobe Camera Raw 6.3

Adobe Lightroom 3.3 and Adobe Camera Raw 6.3 are now available as final releases, and are free for all current Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5 owners… These updates include bug fixes, performance and stability improvements (37 for Lightroom and 9 for Camera Raw), plus support for 69 new lens profiles and 15 new cameras, including the Canon PowerShot S95, Nikon D7000, Olympus E-5:

 » Download the Final Adobe Lightroom 3.3 for Mac (a free update to Lightroom 3)
 » Download the Final Adobe Lightroom 3.3 for Windows

 » Download the Final Adobe Camera Raw 6.3 for Mac (a free update to Photoshop CS5)
 » Download the Final Adobe Camera Raw 6.3 for Windows

Lightroom 3.3 is a recommended update and is available in English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. If you don’t already own Lightroom 3, Adobe’s free trial download has also now been updated to version 3.3.

See more details about the update including the fixes done and new cameras supported, or see the full list of all Lightroom-supported cameras.

Adobe Photoshop CS5 12.0.3 Free Update

Adobe has also just issued Photoshop CS5 updates to version 12.0.3 (Windows) and 12.0.2 (Mac), which fix a number of high priority bugs including painting performance and type-related issues. The most significant fixes in these updates (compared to 12.0.1) include the following [via John Nack]:

• Windows XP tool tip font issue introduced by 12.0.2
• A number of potential security vulnerabilities have been addressed.
• Crashing bugs related to typography & fonts have been resolved.
• Performance of various features has been improved.
• Crashes related to opening 3D layers, sharpening, color management, and scanning via TWAIN devices have been fixed.
• Problems with brush cursors, the histogram progress bar, the display of selection boundaries (“marching ants”), scrolling while using the shift key, and the use of action droplets have been addressed.
• Intermittent file format problems have been addressed.
• Metadata-related bugs related to focus distance and Orphea Studio JPEGs have been fixed.

System requirements and installation instructions are given on the download pages:

 » Download Adobe Photoshop CS5 12.0.2 for Mac (a free update to Photoshop CS5)
 » Download Adobe Photoshop CS5 12.0.3 for Windows

To confirm that the updater has run successfully, launch Photoshop and verify that the version number on the splash screen shows current as 12.0.3 (Windows) or 12.0.2 (Mac).

Save 30% when you buy Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5 together, no coupon code needed.

Related Posts

• Adobe Lightroom 3.5 and Camera Raw 6.5 – Final and Free Updates
• Adobe Lightroom 3.4 and Camera Raw 6.4 – Final and Free Updates
• Adobe Releases Final Version of Lightroom 3.2 – A Free Update
• Adobe Lightroom 4 Beta Release is Here! Now Available Free to Public
• Free Update to Adobe Lightroom 2.7

Adobe Acrobat X has just been released! And continuing in our tradition of providing the direct download links for major Adobe software such as CS5.5, Lightroom 3, and Elements 10, below you’ll find the direct links for the brand new Acrobat X (10)… We also have added the direct links for the previous version Acrobat 9 as well, in case you need them for any reason.

The links given below go to the authentic and secure files residing on Adobe’s servers, are guaranteed genuine and will not change. They are especially useful when you are unable to download Adobe’s products via other means – often due to difficulties with the Akamai Down­load Manager (the Adobe DLM). Here it’s open and you can just use your browser, or another download manager of your choice.

The links are listed below. For Windows, the Acrobat X Pro download is in the form of a single .exe file. For the Mac, “a trial version of Acrobat X Pro is not available at this time” (see the FAQ), however the full product is available for Mac OS. There is no actual trial version of Acrobat X Standard, but Pro includes all Standard features – so you can try out Pro for free and then decide which version you want at the time of purchase. Languages offered here are English, French/Français and German/Deutsch.

The new Acrobat X Suite (Acrobat X Pro, Photoshop CS5, Captivate 5, Presenter 7, LiveCycle Designer ES2, and Media Encoder CS5) is also currently available for Windows only. The trial consists of two downloaded files: an .exe and a 7-Zip file (.7z). The .exe file will only work (and install) once the .7z file is fully downloaded and resides in the same folder.

Of course, the free Adobe Reader X for PDF is downloadable for both platforms – Windows (many flavors) and Mac OS (Intel). It’s a single .exe file for Windows and a .dmg file for Mac.

Note: Very Important Instructions

Except for the Reader, you must have a free Adobe account and be logged in to use the links below, as Adobe sets a session cookie on your browser that lets you to access the software. Otherwise, you will receive an “access denied” or “resume download” message preventing the connection. So for Pro/Standard and Suite, please follow these instructions carefully.

0. Adobe recommends temporarily turning off any browsing restrictions you might have running, like site or cookie blocking, firewalls or antivirus software.
1. Click «here» to visit this page and then select the “Download Now” button at the bottom.
2. If you already have an Adobe ID, then please sign in with it (checking “Remember me“), otherwise take a minute to create one for yourself.
3. Close or cancel any windows that may pop up.
4. Now that you’re logged in at Adobe with the trials cookie set, you can instantly download any of the links below. Just make sure you have enough disk space.
5. Download the files either by clicking directly on the DDL links, or by right-clicking and choosing “Save Link As…” on the popup menu – and save all files to the same place.
6. Then follow the product installation instructions here.

Adobe Acrobat X Pro/Standard – Direct Download Link

 » English, French, & German for Windows (465 MB) .exe

Adobe Acrobat X Suite – Direct Download Links

 » English, French, & German for Windows (2.13 GB):   File 1 (.exe)  and  File 2 (.7z)

Free Adobe Reader X (Reader 10.1) – Direct Download Links

 » English for Windows (38 MB) .exe
 » German for Windows (39 MB) .exe
 » French for Windows (38 MB) .exe

 » English for Mac OS (68 MB) .dmg
 » German for Mac OS (71 MB) .dmg
 » French for Mac OS (70 MB) .dmg

See also the minimum system requirements for AAX Pro and AAX Suite, and the Reader.

Installation Tips

• See what’s new in Adobe Acrobat X vs. previous versions with a feature comparison.
• For the easiest installation experience, exit any open programs, including virus protection software, prior to installing the product.
• Install with an account that has administrative privileges (not a Limited User Account if you are using Windows Vista).
• If you encounter any difficulties, try Adobe Assistance.

Adobe Acrobat 9 Direct Download Links

See below if you need access to the prior version of Acrobat Pro or Reader.

Acrobat 9 Pro/Standard for Windows
English, French, German
(327 MB)

Reader 9.4 for Windows
English
(27 MB)

Reader 9.4 for Mac Intel
English
(46 MB)

Reader 9.4 for Mac PowerPC (PPC)
English
(50 MB)

Related Posts

• Photoshop Elements 10 Direct Download Links: Free Trials, Premiere
• Download Adobe CS5.5 Trials: Direct Links (no Assistant or Manager)
• Photoshop Elements 9 & Premiere Elements 9 Direct Download Links
• Direct Download Links for Lightroom 3 and Photoshop Elements 8
• Download Adobe CS5 Free Trials – All Direct Links without Akamai

Continuing our history of providing the direct download links for major Adobe software such as Creative Suite 5.5, Lightroom 3, and Captivate 5, below you’ll find the direct links for the brand new releases of Photoshop Elements 9 and Premiere Elements 9. And for the first time ever, Adobe is offering both products for both Windows and the Mac.

The links given below go to the authentic and secure files residing on Adobe’s servers, are guaranteed genuine and will not change. They are especially useful when you are unable to download Adobe’s free trials via other means – often due to difficulties with the Akamai Download Manager (the Adobe DLM). With the links provided below, you can use your browser’s down­load capability, or another download manager of your choice.

For Elements on Windows (both PSE 9 and PRE 9), each program consists of two downloaded files: an .exe and a 7-Zip file (.7z). The .exe file will only work (and install) once the .7z file is fully downloaded and resides in the same location. For the Mac, it’s just a single .dmg file for each program.

[UPDATE (9/20/2011) — Elements 10 is now shipping - get the direct download links.]

Note: Very Important Instructions

You must have a free Adobe account and be logged into it to use the links below, as Adobe sets a session cookie on your browser that allows you to access the direct download links. Otherwise, you will receive an “access denied” or “resume your download” message prevent­ing the connection. So please follow these instructions carefully or the links will not work!

0. Adobe recommends temporarily turning off any browsing restrictions you might have running, like site or cookie blocking, firewalls or antivirus software.
1. Click «here» to visit this page and then select the “Download Now” button at the bottom.
2. If you already have an Adobe ID, then please sign in with it (checking “Remember me“), otherwise take a minute to create one for yourself.
3. Close or cancel any windows that may pop up.
4. Now that you’re logged in at Adobe with the trials cookie set, you can instantly download any of the links below. Just make sure you have enough disk space available.
5. Download the files either by clicking directly on the DDL links, or by right-clicking and choosing “Save Link As…” on the popup menu – and save all files to the same place.
6. Then follow the product installation instructions here.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 (PSE 9) Direct Download Links

Photoshop Elements 9 – Windows (1.75 GB):   File 1   File 2

Photoshop Elements 9 – Mac (2.01 GB):   File 1

Adobe Premiere Elements 9 (PRE 9) Direct Download Links

Premiere Elements 9 – Windows (1.19 GB):   File 1   File 2

Premiere Elements 9 – Additional Content – Windows (4.18GB):   File 1   File 2

Premiere Elements 9 – Mac (1.71 GB):   File 1

Premiere Elements 9 – Additional Content – Mac (3.66GB):   File 1

The additional content contains InstantMovie themes, title templates, DVD/Blu-ray menu templates, and music to enhance your movies created with Adobe Premiere Elements 9 software. Themed HD and SD content includes Birthday Party, Road Trip, Outdoor Wedding, Broadway, Kid’s Channel, Family Memories, Extreme Sports, News Reel, Comic Book, and more.

Languages supported: The Elements 9 trials are currently available in English, French/Français, German/Deutsch, Dutch/Nederlands, Italian/Italiano, Spanish/Español, Portuguese/Português, Swedish/Svenska, Japanese/日本語, and Chinese/简体中文, for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. Adobe says additional language versions for Windows will be available soon. See also the minimum system requirements for PSE 9 and PRE 9.

Installation Tips

• You do not need to uninstall previous versions of Elements; some users prefer to keep the older, familiar version(s) around as they come up to speed with the new version’s features.
• Install with an account that has administrative privileges (not a Limited User Account if you are using Windows Vista).
• For the easiest installation experience, quit any open programs, including virus protection software, prior to installing Elements 9.
• If you run into any difficulties, see the Elements 9 Installation Troubleshooting page.

Related Posts

• Photoshop Elements 10 Direct Download Links: Free Trials, Premiere
• Direct Download Links for Lightroom 3 and Photoshop Elements 8
• Download Adobe CS5.5 Trials: Direct Links (no Assistant or Manager)
• Adobe Acrobat X (10) Pro, Reader, and Suite Direct Download Links
• Download Adobe CS5 Free Trials – All Direct Links without Akamai

Adobe Lightroom 3.2 and Adobe Camera Raw 6.2 are now available as final releases, and are free for all current Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5 owners… These updates include bug fixes, performance and stability improvements, new camera and lens profile support, and new features for Lightroom:

 » Download the Final Adobe Lightroom 3.2 for Mac (a free update to Lightroom 3.0)
 » Download the Final Adobe Lightroom 3.2 for Windows

 » Download the Final Adobe Camera Raw 6.2 for Mac (a free update to Photoshop CS5)
 » Download the Final Adobe Camera Raw 6.2 for Windows

While it may seem Adobe skipped a version with no Lightroom 3.1, this was done just to align the point release number with Camera Raw (ACR 6.2), which shares the camera-related features. Since the initial “Release Candidate” for LR 3.2 was posted earlier this month, Adobe has fixed more bugs (including an issue with the new Facebook-publish feature), supported more cameras, plus added direct publishing to SmugMug.

Now, Lightroom 3.2 has new or improved RAW support for 16 additional cameras, including the Canon EOS 60D, Sony SLT-A33, and Fuji FinePix HS10. A total of 126 new lens profiles were also added (see the full list of all Lightroom-supported cameras), and 76 bugs fixed.

The result is a very solid-looking final release and a recommended update to Lightroom 3 that is available for immediate download. If you don’t already own Lightroom 3, Adobe’s free trial download has also now been updated to version 3.2.

Lightroom 3.2 is available in English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (Traditional and Simplified).

Installation Notes

For computers with previous versions of Lightroom currently installed:
1. Download the Lightroom 3.2 update.
2. Open the folder, double-click the updater file, and follow the onscreen instructions.

For computers without a previous version of Lightroom installed, there is no need to install any previous versions of Lightroom before installing Lightroom 3.2.
1. Download the Lightroom 3.2 update.
2. Open the folder, double-click the updater file, and follow the onscreen instructions.

Note: Lightroom 3.2 will automatically remove the previous Lightroom 3 executable and replace the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom folder with the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.2 folder.

64-bit Installation

The Lightroom installer contains both a 32-bit and 64-bit version of the application. By default, the 64-bit version will be installed only on Windows Vista and Windows 7 64-bit operating systems. All other operating systems will install the 32-bit version by default.

Note that Camera Raw 6 is not compatible with Photoshop CS4 or earlier. The last release of Camera Raw for Photoshop CS4 was ACR 5.7 on 4/20/2010.

Related Posts

• Adobe Lightroom 3.5 and Camera Raw 6.5 – Final and Free Updates
• Adobe Lightroom 3.4 and Camera Raw 6.4 – Final and Free Updates
• Adobe Lightroom 3.3 and Photoshop CS5 12.0.3 – Free Updates Out
• Adobe Lightroom 4 Beta Release is Here! Now Available Free to Public
• Free Update to Adobe Lightroom 2.7

Following our tradition of providing the direct download links for major Adobe products such as CS5.5, CS4 and CS3, Captivate 5, Photoshop Lightroom 3 and Elements 10, below you’ll find all the DDL for the recently-released Adobe Flash Player 10.1. This is important because the free Flash Player is the most widely-used and often-downloaded software in world, and some folks find it easier to gain access without a download manager (Akamai/Adobe DLM), or with their own DLM, and without additional products or toolbars included.

Check your current Adobe Flash Player version: What version are you running now?

Adobe Flash Player is a cross-platform browser-based application runtime that delivers uncompromised viewing of expressive applications, content, and videos across screens and browsers. Flash is the standard for engaging PC experiences – 99% of PCs worldwide have Flash Player installed and 85% of the top 100 websites use Flash. Approximately 75% of online videos are viewed and 70% of web games are delivered using Adobe Flash technology. More than 3.5 million designers and developers use the Flash Platform to deliver expressive content and applications that run consistently across the widest reach of browsers, operating systems, and devices.

So, without further ado, here are the direct download links – just click to download and install:

For Windows 7/Vista/XP/2008/2003/2000

 » Download Flash Player 10.1 for Internet Explorer (IE) browsers

 » Download Flash Player 10.1 for non-IE browsers (Firefox, Opera, etc.)

For Mac OS X 10.4 – 10.6

 » Download Flash Player 10.1 for Safari, Firefox, Opera

Resources

• Adobe Flash Player installation instructions
• Adobe Flash Player full system requirements
• Verify/test installed version of Adobe Flash Player
• Troubleshoot installation problems with Adobe Flash Player
• Configure Adobe Flash Player settings after installation
• Uninstall Adobe Flash Player

What’s New in Flash Player 10.1?

Flash Player 10.1 is redesigned from the ground up with new performance, stability, and mobile-ready features, and is the first release to bring the full Web across desktops and devices. The new release delivers expressive content to personal computers, smartphones, tablets, smartbooks, and netbooks, and can take advantage of native device capabilities including multitouch, gestures, mobile input models, and accelerometer input.

New hardware acceleration support delivers smooth, high-quality video with minimal overhead to mobile devices and personal computers using audio and H.264 video decoding. Added capabilities such as Smart Rendering, Smart Zooming, Smart Seek, Sleep Mode, and Advanced Out-of-Memory Management help drive efficiency and reliability gains. As a result, the reduced memory and CPU consumption help increase battery life on mobile devices.

Finally, expanded options for high-quality media delivery provide new ways to deliver rich Internet experiences using HTTP Dynamic Streaming, content protection, and improved support for live events, buffer control, globalization, and peer-assisted networking.

Learn more about the new features.

Related Posts

• Adobe Flash Player 11.1 Direct Download Links for Windows & Mac
• Adobe Flash Player 10.3 Direct Download Links for Windows & Mac
• Adobe Flash Player 10.2 Direct Download Links for Windows & Mac
• Photoshop Elements 10 Direct Download Links: Free Trials, Premiere
• Get Adobe Flash Builder 4.5 + ColdFusion Builder 2 Completely Free

Adobe has just made available for free download its Release Candidate for the first update to Lightroom 3, which will be called Lightroom 3.2… This new release has dozens of bug fixes, performance enhancements, and one new feature – and thus far looks like a winner and a welcomed update by the Lightroom community. But you don’t even need to own any version of Lightroom to get or use it.

The download is in the form of a ZIP file for both Windows and Mac and is not just an update nor a trial – but a full version that will work until it expires for all users. These Release Candidates are more like betas in that Adobe is looking to see how a poten­tial new version performs in the field (and welcomes your input, feedback, and bug reports on it) – but Lightroom 3.2 shouldn’t be confused with Lightroom 3 beta 2 (which was the last available beta version of Lightroom 3.0 before its final release). And although Release Candidates are fully-working free versions that don’t require serial numbers, typically they have an expiration date to stop functioning within two calendar months of issue – meaning Lightroom 3.2 RC will probably expire by October 31, 2010.

So what happened to Adobe Lightroom 3.1? There actually wasn’t one – they are calling this first update “3.2″ to align the point release numbers with Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), which has a new Release Candidate of its own – Camera Raw 6.2. The Camera Raw plug-in is not required to run Lightroom — it goes with Photoshop instead — but Adobe adds new camera and lens profile support to both programs at the same time. So the release number syncing is to avoid confusion on which version corresponds with which.

With Lightroom 3.2 RC, we have an impressive list of 68 bugs fixed plus support for 12 new cameras and 57 new lens profiles added or improved. Performance is also generally reported to be significantly boosted all around. And lastly there is the addition of direct publish func­tionality from Lightroom to Facebook.

The new cameras supported are: the Casio EXILIM EX-FH100; Leica S2; Panasonic DMC-FZ100, DMC-LX5, DMC-FZ40/FZ45; Pentax 645D; Samsung NX10, TL500 (EX1); Sony A290, A390; and Sony Alpha NEX-3, NEX-5.

So, should you update? Adobe says, “The ‘release candidate’ label indicates that this update is well tested but would benefit from additional community testing before it is distributed automat­ically to all of our customers.” If you’ve had any issues or reservations with the initial release of Lightroom 3.0, or have been waiting for the first “bug-fix release” before buying, we recom­mend giving this a free and easy try. You don’t need to log in or provide any information – you can immediately download and use it free for a couple months.

Installation is straightforward, with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions included:

Working with Lightroom 3.2

• Mac: The Mac Lightroom 3.2 release candidate can be installed alongside Lightroom 3.0.
• Windows: By default, the Lightroom 3.2 release candidate will remove or over­write your existing Lightroom 3.0 installation. If you wish to return to Lightroom 3.0 after installing Lightroom 3.2, simply reinstall Lightroom 3.0 from your original download after uninstalling Lightroom 3.2 using the Windows add/remove program utility.

Both versions of the application share the same catalog format allowing your catalogs to be opened by either version without complications.

And when the final version of Lightroom 3.2 is eventually released, it will be a free update for all current Lightroom 3 owners and at that time you can just install that version over this 3.2 Release Candidate and continue on with your work.

Related Posts

• Adobe Lightroom 4 Beta Release is Here! Now Available Free to Public
• Adobe Lightroom 3.5 and Camera Raw 6.5 – Final and Free Updates
• Adobe Lightroom 3.4 and Camera Raw 6.4 – Final and Free Updates
• Adobe Lightroom 3.3 and Photoshop CS5 12.0.3 – Free Updates Out
• Adobe Releases Final Version of Lightroom 3.2 – A Free Update

We’re seeing some folks reporting problems trying to download the new Lightroom 3 using the Akamai Download Manager, which is enabled by default at Adobe.com… There are several posts on the user forums (e.g., here and here), as well as incoming visitor search queries here like “download link for lightroom 3 without akamai,” “adobe lightroom 3 direct download link,” and “how to download lightroom 3 from adobe without the download manager.”

So to complement our earlier sets of direct links for Adobe CS5.5 and CS4, below are the direct download links for Photoshop Lightroom 3 – they are very straightforward, just one single file for each platform that covers all languages (with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions contained inside for Windows)… Languages offered below include English, French/Français, German/Deutsch, Dutch/Nederlands, Italian/Italiano, Portuguese/Português, and Spanish/Español.

Because we’ve also had requests for links for the Elements product line (Photoshop Elements 8 and Premiere Elements 8), you’ll find those further down as well – including the extra con­tent files for Premiere Elements. All of these links go to the auth­entic and original files residing on Adobe’s servers, are guaranteed genuine and will not change.

[UPDATE (9/20/2011) — Elements 10 is now shipping - get the direct download links.]

Note: Very Important Instructions

You need to have a free Adobe account and be logged into it to use the links below, as Adobe sets a session cookie on your browser that allows you to access the direct download links. Otherwise, you will receive an “access denied” or “resume your download” message prevent­ing the connection. So please follow these instructions carefully or the links will not work!

0. Adobe recommends temporarily turning off any surfing restrictions you might have running, like site or cookie blocking, firewalls or antivirus software.
1. Click «here» to visit this page and then select the “Download Now” button at the bottom.
2. If you already have an Adobe ID, then please sign in with it (checking “Remember me“), otherwise take a minute to create one for yourself.
3. Close/cancel any windows that may pop up.
4. Now that you’re logged in at Adobe with the trials cookie set, you can instantly download from the links below. Just make sure you have enough disk space available.
5. Download the files either by clicking directly on the DDL links, or by right-clicking and choosing “Save Link As…” on the popup menu – and save all files to the same place.
6. Then follow the product installation instructions here.

Adobe Lightroom 3 Direct Download Links

Adobe Lightroom 3 – Windows (185.2 MB):   File 1
English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Korean, Japanese, Chinese

Adobe Lightroom 3 – Mac (79.6 MB):   File 1
English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Korean, Japanese, Chinese

Adobe Photoshop & Premiere Elements 8 Direct Download Links

Photoshop Elements 8 – Windows (1.1 GB):   File 1   File 2
English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Japanese, Chinese

Photoshop Elements 8 – Mac (1.3 GB):   File 1
English, French, German, Japanese

Premiere Elements 8 – Windows (1.2 GB):   File 1   File 2
English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Japanese, Chinese

Premiere Elements 8 – Additional content:   File 1   File 2

For Elements on Windows (both PSE 8 and PRE 8), each program consists of two downloaded files: an .exe and a 7-Zip file (.7z).
The .exe file will only work (and install) once the .7z file is fully downloaded and resides in the same location. For the Mac, it’s just a single .dmg file for each program.

If you need them, please see the links for other versions of Lightroom or Photoshop/Premiere Elements in the comments below.

Related Posts

• Photoshop Elements 10 Direct Download Links: Free Trials, Premiere
• Photoshop Elements 9 & Premiere Elements 9 Direct Download Links
• Download Adobe CS5.5 Trials: Direct Links (no Assistant or Manager)
• Adobe Acrobat X (10) Pro, Reader, and Suite Direct Download Links
• Download Adobe CS5 Free Trials – All Direct Links without Akamai

[UPDATE (5/3/2011) – These still work to download the CS5 trials.
We also now have the new CS5.5 Direct Download Links!]

Following our popular post last week with the direct download links to the official trials of CS4 and CS3 for those who need them, by reader request we are doing the same for all CS5 products here… In theory the Akamai Download Manager (DLM) that Adobe uses is a good thing, intending to reduce download times and provide a ‘resume’ capability in case of interruption. But despite their best efforts, some folks are still having problems downloading CS5 using Akamai, so we thought we’d provide a complete set of direct download links for all Adobe Creative Suite 5 software (Windows and Mac), for instant easy access and to assist in these cases…

Below is a table for CS5 trial downloads in major languages. These links go to the auth­entic and original CS5 files residing on Adobe’s servers, are guaranteed genuine and will not change. For Windows, each program consists of up to two files, an .exe and a 7-Zip file (.7z). The .exe file will only work once the .7z file is fully downloaded and resides in the same location. For the Mac, it’s just a single .dmg file for each program.

The supported languages vary by product. The Western Euro­pean languages can include French/Français, German/Deutsch, Italian/Italiano, Dutch/Nederlands, Norwegian/Norsk, Danish/Dansk, Finnish/Suomi, Swedish/Svenska, Portuguese/Português, and Spanish/Español. To see which product supports which languages, visit the main Adobe trials page and then click on the selection menu for whichever product(s) you’d like to try – it will tell you which languages are currently available.

Note: Very Important Instructions

You need to have a free Adobe account and be logged into it to use the links below, as Adobe sets a session cookie on your browser that allows you to access the direct download links. Otherwise, you will receive an “access denied” or “resume your download” message prevent­ing the connection. So please follow these instructions carefully or the links will not work!

0. Adobe recommends temporarily turning off any surfing restrictions you might have running, like site or cookie blocking, firewalls or antivirus software.
1. Click «here» to visit this page like you want to try Photoshop CS5.1, and then select the “Download Now” button at the bottom.
2. If you already have an Adobe ID, then please sign in with it (checking “Remember me“), otherwise take a minute to create one for yourself.
3. Close/cancel any download windows that pop up for the trial of Photoshop CS5.1.
4. Now that you’re logged in at Adobe with the trials cookie set, you can instantly download any of the software below. Just make sure you have enough disk space.
5. Download the files either by clicking directly on the DDL links, or by right-clicking and choosing “Save Link As…” on the popup menu – and save all files to the same place.
6. Then follow the product installation instructions here.

Creative Suite 5.0 – Adobe CS5.0 Downloads

Here now are the direct download links for the CS5 trials. Please note these are for the older Creative Suite 5.0, not 5.5 – but we also have the more recent CS5.5 direct links, so be sure you’ve got the release you want…

Note there is no separate trial download for CS5 Design Standard – you go with the bigger CS5 Design Premium and then decide which version you’d like to keep at time of product purchase… The same goes for Photoshop CS5 – the trial is always the Extended version (having all Photoshop features including 3D), and then you choose later.

You do not need to uninstall previous versions of Creative Suite; some users prefer to keep the older, familiar version(s) around as they come up to speed with the new product’s features, and there are plenty of folks that have CS3, CS4, and CS5 all on one computer.

It is suggested to use a browser other than Internet Explorer to download any of the files above. They can be quite large and sometimes IE has difficulty with the file or the download. Using Firefox or Chrome will work better.

Note also the complete set of minimum system requirements for Adobe CS5.

[UPDATE (December 5th) – See the comments below for the CS5 "Extra Content" downloads for After Effects CS5, Premiere Pro CS5, Illustrator CS5, and Fireworks CS5 (Windows or Mac).]

Did these links work for you? Hope they helped you out; please let us know with your input and feedback below…

Related Posts

• Photoshop Elements 10 Direct Download Links: Free Trials, Premiere
• Download Adobe CS5.5 Trials: Direct Links (no Assistant or Manager)
• Adobe Releases CS5.5 – Now Shipping plus Download Free Trials
• Adobe Acrobat X (10) Pro, Reader, and Suite Direct Download Links
• Photoshop Elements 9 & Premiere Elements 9 Direct Download Links

Even though Creative Suite 5.5 is out and is a phenomenal release, some folks still need the earlier versions for various reasons: 32-bit vs 64-bit (e.g., After Effects and Premiere Pro), compatibility with other software or systems owned, the rest of your class or company is still on CS4, you need to reinstall but no longer have your original disks or download file, etc… But this older software is now hard to find – Adobe doesn’t publicize or provide a web interface for it. So if you’ve been searching high and low all over the Internet to find the official Adobe trial downloads for CS4 or CS3, well your search is over!

Below are two tables for CS4 trial downloads in major languages. These links go to the auth­entic and original CS4 files residing on Adobe’s servers, are guaranteed genuine and will not change. For Windows, each program consists of two files, an .exe and a 7-Zip file (.7z). The .exe file will only work once the .7z package is fully down­loaded and resides in the same location. For the Mac, it’s just a single .dmg file for each program.

There are also optional “extra content” downloads included here for most products that consist of one or two additional files, which you can install separately after the main product is installed.

Note: Very Important Instructions

You need to have a free Adobe account and be logged into it to use the links below, as Adobe sets a session cookie on your browser that allows you to access the direct download links. Otherwise, you will receive an “access denied” or “resume your download” message prevent­ing the connection. So please follow these instructions carefully or the links will not work!

0. Adobe recommends temporarily turning off any surfing restrictions you might have running, like site or cookie blocking, firewalls or antivirus software.
1. Click «here» to visit this page like you want to try Photoshop CS5.1, and then select the “Download Now” button at the bottom.
2. If you already have an Adobe ID, then please sign in with it (checking “Remember me“), otherwise take a minute to create one for yourself.
3. Wait a moment and then close/cancel any download windows that pop up for the trial of Photoshop CS5.1 (you can do a full trial for it later).
4. Now that you’re logged in at Adobe with the trials cookie set, you can instantly download any of the software below. Just make sure you have plenty of disk space available.
5. Download the files either by clicking directly on the DDL links, or by right-clicking and choosing “Save Link As…” on the popup menu – and save all files to the same place.
6. Then follow the product installation instructions here.

Creative Suite 4 – Adobe CS4 Downloads

And for other countries, here are the CS4 trial download links for most Western European languages – which can include French/Français, German/Deutsch, Dutch/Nederlands, Danish/Dansk, Finnish/Suomi, Swedish/Svenska, Norwegian/Norsk, Italian/Italiano, Portuguese/Português, and Spanish/Español:

We suggest using a browser other than Internet Explorer to download any of the files above. They can be quite large and sometimes IE has difficulty with the file or the download. Using Firefox or Chrome will work better. IE has also been known to drop the extensions (.exe and .7z) from the filenames, so you may have to restore or rename them back.

Creative Suite 3 – Adobe CS3 Downloads

Here are the links for the official CS3 trials in English, all downloaded from Adobe servers. For CS3 on Windows, there are almost no .7z files; usually it’s only .exe files. For the Mac, it’s all .dmg files. All other instructions remain the same as for CS4 above.

If you’re looking for CS2, CS, or an even earlier release, you can try digging around on Adobe’s FTP server for older products (but that’s really only for advanced users).

It is strongly advised not to use unknown sites or sources to download Adobe software, as increasingly these files are being used to deliver viruses and trojans onto users’ computers.

Did these links work for you? Hope they helped you out; please let us know in the comments below… And please see our companion page if you want the direct download links for all CS5.5 products.

Related Posts

• Photoshop Elements 10 Direct Download Links: Free Trials, Premiere
• Download Adobe CS5.5 Trials: Direct Links (no Assistant or Manager)
• Adobe Acrobat X (10) Pro, Reader, and Suite Direct Download Links
• Photoshop Elements 9 & Premiere Elements 9 Direct Download Links
• Direct Download Links for Lightroom 3 and Photoshop Elements 8