Adobe's Creative Cloud is not fully on the cloud, still it is a new high.

If Adobe and Microsoft have both put the latest versions of their software on the cloud , you can pretty much accept that this is the next big thing. Like Microsoft Office 360, Adobe Creative Cloud is an online version of the Creative Suite 6 Master Collection. However, the online version offers more than what you would get in the box.

Installation
There is no box here. So users have to go to creative.adobe. com to purchase and install Creative Cloud. Once installed, you have the option of picking the specific apps you want to run. These are then installed separately on your computer. We tried the Adobe Photoshop and it took just under two hours with a 2Mbps connection. Sadly, none of the components are hosted on the cloud now and you will have to download everything to the desktop to start working.

Working
Once installed, everything works like the box version. The Photoshop CC is just like the Photoshop CS6 and there are no special cloud features as such. A real value addition could have been the ability to save a file directly to the cloud, like with Office 360. Since the sync functions have not yet been activated, there is no Creative Cloud folder on your desktop to save to. To get files on to the cloud you have to log in to your Creative Cloud account on the browser and dragand-drop files to specific folders. The files tab on the desktop suite indicates a sync feature is in the offing.

Pick And Choose
The good thing here is that you can pick and choose the apps you want to install. So if you just need Photoshop CC and InDesign CC, download those and leave the others for when the need arises.

No Internet
The good thing about downloading software on to the desktop is that you don't need a running Internet connection to use this 'cloud service'. You will, however, need to log in once a month to verify your subscription. On the flip side, being connected all the time gives you Adobe's updates almost on a daily basis. In 45 days we noticed at least a dozen updates.

Be Behance
One of the best features that comes coupled with a Creative Cloud subscription is Behance membership. Behance is a like a Flickr for creative artists, a platform where they can showcase their work among peers and follow the best in the business. Behance covers most of the creative fields people would use Adobe software for. It is also a good place to find people who might want to buy your work. So every time you upload a project you also have the option indicating how much you want to get paid for it. You can create separate projects and even customise the view to reflect your style.

Cost
In a bid to push people to use the cloud more, Adobe has priced the Creative Cloud much lower than the CS6 Master Suite. For those who sign up for an annual commitment, the cost is as low as Rs 2,700 per month. Those who opt to pay on a monthly basis will be billed at Rs 4,000 a month. CS6 Master Suite costs Rs 1,76,000, plus a 20 per cent charge per annum for support. Creative Cloud subscribers will be able to install the software on two computers at an given point of time. If you are one of those who need to use just one of the software, there is also the option of a single app purchase for Rs 1,000 a month.