Microsoft pulls off an extraordinary feat reinventing desktop application design, but it's only the taste of things to come regarding the web.

For years now there has been talk of Microsoft’s determination to move into the design software territory normally associated with Adobe. Now, with the launch of the Expression Studio suite, the talk is over – so how does it shape up?

VERDICT: Disappointingly cut-down graphics application designed to work hand-in-hand with Expression Blend.

When Microsoft bought the innovative graphics application, Creature House Expression, there was brave talk of taking on Adobe Illustrator in terms of vector handling, Photoshop in terms of bitmaps and Fireworks in terms of web graphics...

RECOMMENDED

VERDICT: Powerful and award-winning new versions of InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator – and now Acrobat 8 Professional too.

So here they are – the new professional platforms for both print and web design have arrived...

RECOMMENDED

VERDICT: A greatly improved working environment and ground-breaking new colour handling make Illustrator seem fresher than ever.

At almost 20-years old, Illustrator is the veteran of the core CS3 applications and at one stage looked ready to be put out to pasture...

VERDICT: New multiple page support and improved text handling and workflow integration but the program’s main strength remains its underlying speed.

Xara has always stood out for the astonishing speed of its vector handling and for the hands-on creativity that this enables...

RECOMMENDED

VERDICT: Powerful and creative colour handling add-on for Adobe Illustrator - and amazing value

When thinking of add-on filters most users would immediately think of Photoshop but there’s another very important, and very different, platform: the vector-based Adobe Illustrator.

In May Microsoft released new previews of Expression Graphic Designer, Expression Web Designer and Expression Interactive Designer.

It’s clear that Microsoft is preparing a new suite of applications aimed at a new target market - designers and creative professionals. So how are the new pretenders shaping up?