Adobe unveils Illustrator 9, Golive 5

Adobe on Tuesday announced Illustrator 9, a new version of its vector-graphics software that adds object transparency, graphic styles and a host of features for Web designers, including a live Pixel Preview mode that lets you see how pages look when rendered on the screen. Adobe said it plans to ship the $399 package for Mac and Windows PCs in the second quarter. Current users can upgrade for $149.

The company announced Illustrator along with Mac and Windows versions of Golive 5.0, an upgrade to the company's Web-authoring software. Adobe said it plans to demonstrate both products at this week's Internet World show in Los Angeles. In addition to offering the products separately, Adobe has folded them into a $999 bundle, the Adobe Web Collection 2.0, that also includes Adobe LiveMotion 1.0 and Photoshop 5.5. Full story. -- Stephen Beale, MacWEEK.com