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It's great to see a company that isn't afraid to redesign their interface without alienating most users (and for those that don't like the new look, you can revert back to the CS5.5 interface too), and it's also good to see a company that's not afraid to borrow great features from their competitors, like moving the cursor over a clip's thumbnail to skim through the footage (thank you iMovie and Final Cut Pro X).
We liked
But as well as the interface design, what's great about CS6 is that it was built on what already existed before, so if you're a veteran Premiere editor, you won't feel too lost when stepping into this new version.
We also liked the fact that even running this software on a 5-year old computer, we didn't notice any lag, even when playing back clips laden with effects - all without having to render anything.
It strikes a good balance between preserving the old and looking to the future.
We disliked
Well… the interface really. Ever since Adobe decided to create their own UI irrespective of which platform their software was being used on, they lost what made each platform unique to the person working on it. Put simply, Premiere Pro is ugly and if you're going to be staring at it for hours on end, it could be a consideration - maybe not a rational one, but a valid one nonetheless.
Striking a good balance between the old and the new is a great achievement but it means that there really is no groundbreaking new tools to use. Apple wasn't afraid to offer something completely new… and look where that got them, but at least you have to respect a company that dares to risk. Premiere Pro CS6 is an excellent update, but somehow, it doesn't dare enough.
Verdict
Our dislikes could be viewed as nitpicking, and they probably are to many. Adobe is making it really clear that if you liked Premiere Pro before, you'll really like it now. The new features it offers make a strong programme even stronger, and if you felt let down by your editing app of choice's latest version, then you should seriously consider taking a look at Adobe's latest offering.
Want more detail? Check out the in depthAdobe Premiere Pro CS6 review at our sister site CreativeBloq.
