Picture this: Photoshop on Mac OS X

Thanks go to Neo566 in our forums for the pointer, I also saw details of this announcement on CNet News and Slashdot.

Adobe Systems on Sunday plans to announce a new version of its Photoshop image-editing application that supports the latest Mac and Windows operating systems and includes new digital photography tools.

Version 7.0 of Photoshop will go on sale in April, the company said in a statement, with versions tailored for Windows XP and Mac OS X.

Technology Business Research analyst Tim Deal said he didn't expect the new Photoshop to inspire a great wave of upgrades to OS X, which Apple released last March, but the application should help boost confidence in the operating system. "It's another step in the right direction. It certainly legitimizes and adds value to OS X."

Healing Brush, for example, is a photo-retouching tool that interprets detailed data from the area surrounding the portion of the photo being altered, allowing for smoother touch-ups, said Kevin Connor, director of product management for Adobe's digital imaging division. The File Browser tool will provide thumbnail images and detailed information on all images in a given folder, making it easier for people to find the image they want.

"One of the things we found as we looked at digital photography is that there's been a proliferation of images," Connor said. "There's no extra cost to taking photos with a digital camera, so you take a lot, and you end up having all these files to sort through on your hard drive."

Other added feature include a revamped painting engine that simulates effects such as pastel or watercolor and allows software users to define and save brushstroke attributes, a patch tool that automatically fixes scratches and other flaws in scanned images, a File Browser and Customizable workspace layout .

Photoshop 7 will sell for $609. An upgrade from a previous version will cost $149, or $499 for those upgrading from Photoshop Elements or Photoshop LE, stripped-down versions of the program mainly intended for photography hobbyists.

News source: CNet News