If you haven't visited Adobe Online recently
(or at all), take a new look. You'll need, as always, a
working Internet connection and a Web browser.
Adobe Online is a fine resource for users of
any of Adobe's major products. Both Photoshop and
Illustrator access it from a button on top of the Toolbox
(as well as from the Help menu).
If it's been a while since you've accessed
Adobe Online, you'll need to update. Head to Edit>
Preferences> Adobe Online. If you haven't updated recently,
here's what you'll see:
Click the Refresh button.
If your Adobe Online has been updated,
you'll see this:
After you've updated to the new Adobe
Online, you'll not see the panel shown in Figure 3 (with the
Refresh button) again. Rather, clicking Adobe Online's
access button in the Tool box or selecting it from the help
menu will take you directly to the Web, scooting you along
to Photoshop's Adobe Online page.
Remember that a working Internet connection
is required (as always).
There's nothing at Adobe Online that you
can't reach through Adobe's home page (www.adobe.com), but
this does make things much more convenient.
Across the top of the page, you'll find
links to other major parts of the Adobe Web site. Here are
the key sections of Photoshop's Adobe Online:
DOWNLOADS
You'll find the latest updates to Photoshop (and the demo
download).
PRODUCT INFO
This is primarily aimed at shoppers. The system
requirements, features, and overview are typical of th
content.
GALLERY
The Gallery is, as you would expect, some of the top
Photoshop creations and art. Inspiring! You'll also find a
link to Photoshop Features. Rather than a list of what the
program can do, you'll find more incredible Photoshop work.
REVIEWS & NEWS
More sales related stuff, but you may want to check the
listing of Events and scope out the Press Releases.
SUPPORT
The two key links here are Customer Support and User Forums
(described below).
TRAINING
You'll find tutorials, a link to the Photoshop Expert
Center, and links to training resources, too.
COMMUNITY
Another link to the User forums, as well as more resource
links.
RELATED PRODUCTS
There are links to both additional Adobe products and to
third-party plug-ins. While not a comprehensive collection
of plug-ins, the big names are there, as well as some
hard-to-find plug-ins.
The Support area of the Adobe Web site
contains several types of resources:
DOWNLOAD FREE PLUG-INS AND UPDATES
When Adobe releases incremental improvements to Photoshop
(such as the update from 6.0 to 6.0.1), here's where you can
find them.
TOP ISSUES
The most frequently asked questions are addressed. You may
want to add this link to your bookmarks or favorites. It's
updated regularly.
SEARCH SUPPORT DATABASE
This is the Mothership of Photoshop information. The Adobe
Technical Support team members go to the Support
Knowledgebase for answers.
ADOBE USER TO USER FORUMS
The User Forums are electronic bulletin boards where Adobe
customers can post messages. Ask questions, give answers,
share opinions. Adobe offers forums for each of its major
products, and many have separate forums for Macintosh and
Windows users. You can access the User Forums from either
Adobe Online or from
www.adobe.com/support/forums/main.html
(Go to Adobe's home page, click on Support,
click on User to User Forums.) You'll find a list of all the
Adobe product forums.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Adobe offers complimentary telephone support for a limited
time after purchasing or upgrading Photoshop (you pay for
the long distance charges). For a first-time Photoshop
purchase, you currently get 90 days of support from the date
of your first call. For upgrades, Adobe offers 30 days of
complimentary support, also from the date of the first call.
After the complimentary support period, you can received
telephone assistance charged on a per-minute basis (using a
900 number), a per-incident basis, or you can subscribe to
an annual support program. You can also link to ePeople.com
for e-mail based technical support from independent
professionals.
TECHNICAL GUIDES
A wide variety of subjects are covered, some generally, some
progra-specific.
One important Technical Guide is "A User's
Guide to Technical Support." This document explains what to
do before you call Adobe Tech Support, what number to call,
and explains the free support options. The section entitled
"Before You Call" often is enough to solve the problem.
You'll find it at:
www.adobe.com/support/techguides/crossproduct/support/sppt02.html