Freehand - The Adobe Makeover.

Question

Is it just me or do you find yourself banging your head on
the desk every time you try and use Illustrator. I can't do
anything without heading to the help files every 10 mins, then
giving up and heading back to FreeHand.
Don't get me wrong, I am loving some Illustrator CS2 features
like 3D Effects, Live Paint, Open Type support, Make Warp presets,
Live Trace, better gradients and great consistency between the
other Adobe CS2 apps, but why, oh why do I have to draw a selection
with the Direct Selection tool to select a point (which selects all
the objects under it). Why can't I just click on the point to move
it and not move the whole shape. It is just complete madness. The
way FreeHand Selects and Superselects is far superior in my view
which works great with 'Paste Inside'. Illustrators 'Make Clipping
Path' just freaks me out when I click on one and it shows me
everything that is in there - I hid it for a reason!
I use the Bezigon tool - can't get used to the pen. I use
Find and Replace all the time! Adjustable Curved Corners on a
rectangle anyone! Multiple Pages! - as far as I am concerned this
is an integral part of my design process. If I am designing a
logo/letterhead for a client, I do it all in one document and let
my design grow and adapt to what I think works without having to
save loads of different versions. Different size pages in one
document are also helpful too! FreeHand has got a load of
passionate users for a reason.
If FreeHand was given an Adobe makeover (great CS3 support,
excellent transparency, colour management, the Adobe type engine
(OpenType, Font Grouping, Optical Kerning etc), Universal Binary,
Better Gradients, 3D Effects, Live Paint, Live Trace and Make Warp
presets) then I am absolutely positive that it would be worth there
while. I know it would be a heck of a lot of work but it would be a
shame to let that new FreeHand icon go to waste
Adobe, please help me.

Answer 1

I think the loss of Freehand will also alter the quality of
work produced. People who have become extremely adept with
Freehand, forced to migrate to what the majority of Freehand users
view as an inferior product, which can't conform to their very
specific needs. as for a replacement, Freehand, Illustrator and to
a lesser extent Corel Draw are in a league of their own. Years of
advancements, users suggestions and real life testing have made
these programs what they are. The newer ones on the market which
randomly choose some of the more easily replicated features of
these programs then slap a catchy name and a "Better than Freehand,
Illustrator and Corel Draw" statement on the box will just not fill
the void. As for the Illustrator vs Freehand battle neither party
will be happy. Illustrator's restrictions spawn from compatibility
and similarity with its other Adobe counterparts. Where as
Freehand's far advanced multiple pageing, selection and individual
point editing come from what the end user requires. But Freehands
lack of raster or bitmap effects brings much hatred from
Illustrator users. Personally I think a vector program should be
just that, not a half and half blur between vector and raster. In
the end I think it is going to be third party addons and
modifications to the Illustrator format which will be required to
bring it up to scratch if Adobe simply wishes to eradicate Freehand
completely. Could go on and on...
You have been with me for years. We have grown together and
advanced together. Freehand, You will be remembered, and
missed.