Some quick price checking on the Adobe Creative Suite for both Jen and I leads to a sobering realization: In order to get the components I need (Photoshop, Illustrator) in CS3, I’ll have to spend $1,583 on the Web Premium edition. Strangely, the Web Standard edition doesn’t come with Photoshop or Illustrator, which I’d compare to selling a new car without an engine or tires.

However, she can get the Design Standard edition for $1,187 with everything she’d need to work—the Design Premium edition includes Flash and Dreamweaver. This is like selling a car with an optional jacuzzi tub and heated sunporch—sure, they’re nice, but do they really go with the base product?