

Adobe has enhanced it with more useful items and more actions you can take directly from it. That’s been true of the Elements’ start screen - called the Home Page - at least until now. So flashy start screens with lots of distracting promotions for things you may not be interested in at all, and probably not right at that moment, mostly just get in my way. I generally prefer that they get right down to business when you open them. I’m kind of old school when it comes to using applications.

There are some nice new bells and whistles in both, which I’ll cover below, but it’s probably not a “must-have” upgrade for users on a tight budget. I’ve been testing an early version of the 2021 editions of Adobe Premiere Elements ($99.99) and Adobe Photoshop Elements ($99.99). Their optional annual upgrades also appeal to those who don’t like the idea of having to subscribe to software licenses. For those who don’t need the power or want the complexity of the full version of Photoshop or Premiere Pro, Adobe’s Elements offerings have long been a strong alternative.
