I spent Friday night playing with the new Photoshop CS5 because the trial was released that afternoon
and this application is the place where I spend the most time.

I love Photoshop, even though I wish the interface would evolve more.
In fact, I wrote about this very topic four years ago and I’m surprised that most of my wishes are coming true… with the iPhone OS.

First impressions?

• Photoshop seems snappier all around. Must be the 64-bit support or something.
• Upgraded painting tools make me long for a pressure sensitive tablet.
• The new selection tools are pretty dang nifty. In fact, the new Content-Aware fill is how I made yesterday’s photo of the tractor more palatable. (view before & after – is it a perfect job? No. But it was FUN to do! Also related: my thoughts on altering photos.)
• Lens Correction now can utilize EXIF data and automatically suggest adjustments for specific lenses.
• Not many of the features I’d have liked to seen were added, but the new tools and speed improvements are very welcome.

EXTRA LINKS:
- What’s new in Photoshop
- Download trial versions of the Creative Suite