Adobe has released an announcement about an upcoming announcement, which normally would make me delete it right away. In this case, however, Adobe has set 12 April 2010 as the date to introduce Adobe Creative Suite 5 (CS5), the massive bundle of applications that includes Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects, Illustrator, and more.

The CS5 launch Web page doesn't share much information other than the date and a handful of sneak-peek videos. Registering an Adobe ID signs you up for "our global online launch event that will take place on Adobe TV... to celebrate the unveiling of CS5," according to email from Adobe.

What makes this event important is the timeline and the sheer scope of CS5. Many people in creative businesses can't simply upgrade to the new version; it involves planning rollout dates, coordinating with print vendors, and setting aside significant chunks of money for seat licenses. Adobe hasn't announced pricing or any other details about CS5, but the current CS4 Design Standard package starts at $1,799 (or $599 for an upgrade), while the Master Collection retails for $2,499 (or $899 for an upgrade).

Adobe has not announced when CS5 will ship. When CS4 was announced in late September 2008 (see "Adobe Announces Vast Creative Suite 4," 23 September 2008), the product shipped three weeks later, on 15 October 2008.

Also this week, the company released Photoshop Lightroom 3 Beta 2, the second public beta of the professional photography application. This version adds support for importing and managing video files from DSLR cameras, tethered shooting support for some Nikon and Canon models, and luminance noise reduction (which was omitted from the first beta because it was being reworked). Performance of importing and loading images has also been improved. Lightroom 3 Beta 2 is available as a free download for Mac (68.6 MB) and Windows (150 MB).