Two versions ago…
With all the focus that there is on the current version of a long established piece of software, it is often intriguing to see what it was like a few versions back. And it was with that curiosity that I had a look at PhotoShop 7. Needless to say, a lot of the functionality of the current version is there: adjustment layers, saving for the web and so on. That said, I did spot some absences as one would expect. For instance, the file browser, dropped down by a tab on the main interface, had yet to morph into the standalone Adobe Bridge. Another change has been the resampling choices for resizing; there is no sign of the now prevalent bicubic smoothing and bicubic sharpening. On the filters menu, there is no sign of Smart Sharpening, the now recommended sharpening technique that upstages the one time favourite Unsharp Mask. These may appear little things but little things are often the very items that persuade you that an upgrade is a very good idea.
