Lightroom CC and Lightroom Classic CC

To be clear -- because Adobe's new naming system is pretty darn confusing -- Lightroom CC is a series of apps app and a service. As Adobe describes it, Lightroom CC "is designed to be a cloud-based ecosystem of apps that are deeply integrated and work together seamlessly across desktop, mobile and web."

Despite the fact that it's cloud-based, Adobe says Lightroom CC is "built on the same imaging technology that powers Photoshop and Lightroom." The desktop app has changed considerably, however. The new version for PC and Mac has an all-new, simplified interface with streamlined sliders, presets and quick-adjustment tools, and some of the features in the old version of Lightroom CC are missing.

The prime feature of Lightroom CC is the cloud sync, which works automatically to save all of your RAW images, edits and metadata, letting you pick up where you left off regardless of your location or device. That feature eliminates the worry of whether you've saved images to a USB key or device, and lets you stop an edit mid-job and resume from the last action you took, even on a smartphone.

Another key new feature is Adobe Sensei, an AI algorithm that figures out what's in your photos and automatically tags them, much as Google Photos does. It can also sift through photos and pick the "best" ones based strictly on sharpness, color and other non-subjective considerations. Again, much like with Google or Apple Photos, Adobe added built-in sharing tools that let you build custom galleries and share them on social media or through the new Lightroom CC Portfolio integration app.

The mobile apps on iOS and Android have also been significantly updated, though they'll still work as they did before with Lightroom CC Classic. The iOS version gets Adobe Sensei search and tagging, an enhanced app layout and iOS 11 file support. Meanwhile on Android, Adobe has finally added tablet support and a local adjustment brush, along with the same Sensei searching as on iOS.

Using a preview copy, I tried out the new desktop version on Windows 10, and the new user interface (below) is significantly different and more like the tablet version. Gone are the top "Library," "Develop," "Map," "Slideshow" and other menus, replaced simply by "My Photos," and "Edit." All of that creates a larger interface for the image and reduces distracting clutter.

Photo organization has also been simplified, reduced to two grid sizes and a single image, eliminating the "Select/Candidate" and "Survey View." Most importantly, the crazy cluttered file tree on the left has been replaced with a much simpler system that lets you manage and, finally, move files around easily.

All of the tools from "Develop" are now in "Edit" (above), but some popular tools like "Tone Curve," "Panorama," and "HDR Merge" are no longer available, at least in version 1.0. There's now an "Edit in Photoshop" button that will presumably let you do more of the fine-tuning work, though. If you've got an established workflow and rely on those missing tools, you'll obviously want to stick to the Lightroom Classic CC version.

As for that Lightroom Classic CC app, Adobe has made a few small changes including a faster boot time, image previews, file imports, and a new color range and luminance masking functionality. It emphasized that Lightroom Classic CC "continues to focus on a more traditional desktop-first workflow with local storage and file and folder control," compared to the "cloud-centric" operation of Lightroom CC.

I personally liked the new version of Lightroom CC, as I always found the "classic" version to be a bit confusing and cluttered. Lately, I've taken to using Photoshop CC, but I can now see myself switching back to Lightroom CC for most of my photo editing chores.