Is Adobe CS2 still usable today?

Hello.

I managed to snag a free version of the Adobe CS2 suite. Technically, Adobe claims it isn't free, but you can still download it directly from their site. For my purposes, this is perfect; I just want to get my feet wet with raster and vector photo editing. I’m not one to frequent pirate sites, so CS2 is effectively the last version of this Adobe suite I can legally find online. While searching, I realized these tools are over a decade old—released back in 2005—which really gave me pause.

Does it actually make sense to learn on software designed for the era of bulky CRT monitors, mechanical keyboards, and Windows XP? I’ve installed them on my machine running Windows 10, and they seem to run quite fast and reliably. However, I don't have enough technical background to know if I'm being fooled—for instance, if the menus work but more intensive tasks fail—or if everything is truly compatible. Furthermore, will the skills I pick up in CS2 actually translate to today's standards? If I master CS2 now, can I simply buy the latest CS version in a year and pick up right where I left off? Are there any hidden pitfalls to using such ancient software that I might be overlooking?

To get straight to the point, the title says it all. Is it even possible to be an Adobe CS2 user in this day and age? Is CS2 a mere relic, or is it an old veteran still capable of keeping pace with the modern crowd? Would it be more logical to just use GIMP for learning instead? Honestly, I hope your responses are kind to CS2; I was genuinely excited about finally having a way to dive into photo editing software.

Thanks in advance!

Look, I’ve been running that free CS2 and everything works perfectly fine for me. Some buddies of mine who use the latest versions for work say it’s basically the exact same crap, just with a little bit of polish, but I haven't touched the newer stuff so I can't speak to that. As far as I'm concerned, CS2 blows GIMP out of the water.

You really need to ask yourself one thing: are you doing this just for fun, or are you actually looking to turn this into a career?
If you’re just scratching the surface, the old Adobe Creative Suite might get the job done. But honestly, the newer versions have so many tools and features that make professional work way easier—plus, they give you much more control to actually get the image looking the way you envisioned it.

Since you mentioned you can't exactly track down a legitimate download for the latest software right now, you said you're planning to grab an Adobe Creative Suite subscription down the road. So, why wait?
From what you've been saying, it sounds like you're serious about diving in headfirst and really mastering this stuff. If that's the case, buying the software now isn't a waste of cash—especially since there's a massive amount of tutorials online specifically for the modern versions.

Just something to think about.