Google’s Chromebooks are continuing to gather steam. Today, the company announced that Adobe will be bringing its Creative Cloud software to the platform, starting with Photoshop.
People who buy one of Google’s low-cost laptops will soon be able to access the high-powered image editing software, with one catch – it requires an internet connection. That’s because the Chromebook version of Photoshop is streamed from Adobe’s servers, which will allow a relatively underpowered computer to work with software that usually asks for much more.
The software will first be available to educational institutions that already have Creative Cloud subscriptions, and Adobe will continue expanding availability of the service from there. Availability to educators is key for Google, since the Chromebooks have proved a popular purchase for classrooms because of their affordability.
After Photoshop, Adobe is supposed to bring other pieces of its creative suite onto the Chromebook platform, though it’s unclear which apps will make the jump and when they will do so.
Today’s announcement is tough news for Microsoft and Apple. Creative Cloud applications are usually a key part of digital arts classes and the workflows of creative types who work with computers. If the Chromebook version of Photoshop and other forthcoming Creative Cloud apps are enough to serve people who would have otherwise spend money on a much more powerful machine running Windows or OS X, that’s a win for Google in a big way.
