Photoshop :: Sony + Corel Vs Adobe?

There were a lot of rumours about Microsoft trying to counter Photoshop with Acrylic. It turns out that they might be targetting the future Adobe+Macromedia entity as the Suite includes also a Flash like program, and a web design app, in addition to the graphic/vector application that would rather be a competitor to Corel Painter than Adobe Photoshop.

But wait! As seen on Creative Pro, Sony and Corel will join forces, according to their announcement of a bundle comprised of Sony Vegas video editing tools and Corel's Photopaint X, on the same day of the announcement of the release of Photoshop Elements 4 and Premiere Elements 2, both products being provided for Windows only.

It is a fact that the digital Photography and Movies business is a huge market, and most software manufacturers will try to grab as much as they can. Adobe has Photoshop's aura as a benefit, but Sony is clearly not a newcomer in the Electronic Devices market. Would they bundle Psp with their new cameras, in order to counter Adobe? Would Sony buy Corel in a near future? Add to the mix some rumors also of a Professional Photo Application by Apple... Don't forget either the millions of Camera Phones sold, with an increasing resolution. Those images will need to be enhanced and managed...

Let's look at the big players out there: Apple and Sony compete in the music market, but join forces for an Apple Keynote (the year of the HD); Apple needs Adobe to produce apps on their upcoming platform, yet Adobe ports less and less video apps on Apple, and the latest Photoshop Elements 4 is nowhere to be found on the mac platform, leveraging some more space for iPhoto. Microsoft is announced as having an Photoshop killer, ends up with a Painter competitor, and a program that goes against Flash... Microsoft fights Sony on the consoles market, each one backs a different Disk format to replace the DVD... Add to the mix that Adobe might have to resort selling some apps (to who? and let's not forget Quark!) to avoid competition with itself when the acquisition of Macromedia is over.