Adobe preps new version of Creative Suite software

BOSTON (Reuters) - Adobe Systems Inc, the maker of Photoshop and Acrobat software, started public trials of its next-generation design software on Tuesday.

The company, which began selling its CS3 group of design programs in the spring of 2007, on Tuesday released beta versions of its Dreamworks Web site creation software, Fireworks graphics program and Soundbooth audio editing program on its Adobe Labs site.

The beta software is available for free download.

Beta programs are near-final versions of software that its makers allow users to try out in a bid to discover bugs before the products go on sale. Some software makers conduct their betas publicly while others do so in secret, requiring users to sign nondisclosure agreements.

Adobe has yet to start public trials of the CS4 versions of other programs in the CS4 suite, which includes Photoshop and Illustrator.

The software maker has declined to comment on when it will release CS4, saying that doing so could hurt CS3 sales because customers would hold off on purchases so that they can get the latest features from CS4.

Officials with Adobe couldn't be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Adobe shares rose 24 cents, or 0.58 percent, to $41.49 on Nasdaq early Tuesday afternoon.

(Reporting by Jim Finkle, editing by Richard Chang)