Review of the Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 for Mac

RRP: £65 www.adobe.co.uk Adobe has finally released a Mac version of the latest Elements software. The new version is written in Universal Binary code, so is compatible with the new generation of Intel processor Macs as well as G series chips. There’s not much difference between this and the Windows version, which we reviewed last November, except it has that classy Apple Aqua interface and, more importantly, doesn’t include the Album module available on the PC version. It does come with Adobe Bridge, albeit a slightly stripped down version than that found in CS2 applications. Bridge will allow you to catalogue and browse images by folder, date, subject or keywords, and much more. It is also very useful when coupled with Adobe Camera Raw software, which is also included along with the DNG converter. Elements is very similar to Photoshop, but simpler to use, as can be seen by the software’s interface which has both a quick-fix window and an advanced option. The tools are all easily accessible, and a collection of tutorials and step-by-steps help even the most inexperienced user to perform what used to be complicated tasks. Even better, the quick and easy selection tools and automated features perform many of the more tricky and advanced tasks found in Photoshop. Easy to use, the software is ideal for beginners and experienced Photoshop users. Lighter and faster than Photoshop, it might lack some advanced features but 90% of the features you will ever need are here.