JeffDavidson Loc: Originally Detroit Now Los Angeles

Are you talking about RAM on your computer? If so, I would say a minimum of 16Gb, however, more would be better.

What does the cost of your internet have to do with using Photoshop?

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Adobe Creative Cloud applications are STORED LOCALLY and RUN LOCALLY on YOUR COMPUTER. They do not use cloud resources. You can STORE images on Adobe Cloud IF you want to, but you do not have to. I store all my work locally. My wife puts hers on a corporate server (for collaboration with colleagues) instead of the Adobe Cloud.

HOWEVER, the one thing all the CC apps require is an Internet connection that can "phone home" when you start the application. It looks for application updates and upgrades, and checks to be sure you paid your bill that month or that year. ALL updates and upgrades of your applications are FREE for the life of your subscription. You can update or upgrade when YOU want to. You don't have to do it if you're in a hurry, or in the middle of a big project.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

There is a persistent myth about Adobe CC that you need a fast Internet connection. People somehow have this misinformed idea that the processing happens on Adobe servers, or that the software is on Adobe servers, or that you have to keep your images on Adobe servers. All false...

Yeah, it's nice to have a 1TB or larger hard drive or SSD, 16GB RAM, and a quad core I5 or better processor. A fast, recent graphics card with lots of VRAM is helpful, too.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

If you are wanting to sign up for the Photographers Adobe CC for $9.99/mo you can get by with dial up modem. It's better if you have high speed internet but to use CC, you need to check in with Adobe once a month so that the account stays active. They just need that simply check in and done. But if you plan to download the apps from the Adobe website, and all you have is dial up, you are going to be there all night just downloading and installing the apps. So if you can, go somewhere with a laptop computer like a Starbucks, and then sign up for your Adobe subscription, download and save those apps, then install on the laptop or take it home and install those apps on your desktop. Then sign in with the dial up. Getting updates will be very difficult on dial up as well. Sometimes the updates are extensive and require a completely new install of one or all of the apps. So if you do your work from a laptop, and you can go to a place that has high speed internet once a month, you are going to be okay. But if you plan to use dial up, about all you can do is keep your account going and you won't want to do any updates.

russelray Loc: La Mesa CA

You don't need any GB to keep your plan up to date. You can call them on your smart phone.

GrandmaG Loc: Flat Rock, MI

That’s what I thought, too, BUT...if my computer chooses the slower of my two internet connections, the processing is also slower (or maybe that is my imagination?).

GrandmaG Loc: Flat Rock, MI

Does anyone have dial up anymore?

BlueMorel Loc: Southwest Michigan

I feel for you! We were in the same boat until last year - our electric company laid fiber optic cables so now it's just like being in the city.

If you have Lighroom Classic, your images can be stored offline or in the cloud, your choice. LR works just fine as a standalone program so you don't need much data except for downloading the program and updates.
Do you know someone close who has faster speeds? My son used to go to his friends or to the local college to download programs, and forget about streaming anything - he used to use up our allowance in just a few days between Spotify and games, and forget Netflix!

rcarol

You don't need the internet after you have downloaded and installed Photoshop CC on your computer as long as you store your images locally. The program is installed on your computer and runs exactly like the older standalone versions such as CS6. There are two exceptions to this. You will need the internet to install updates which are available from time to time and you will need occasional access so that Adobe can verify your subscription.

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

I do not use the internet to pp any of my photos or to store them. Currently I have around 35,000 files (photographs) in a llittle over 900 folders. They utilize just over 100 Gb on my 1Tb hard drive. That is on my laptop. I have copies of them on my desktop computer which has two hard drives, each 1Tb, and an external 1Tb drive. I use Photoshop Elements 15 for pp and do not use the cloud or internet to do so.

MrGNY Loc: New York

You need the internet to ping the server at least once a month to check if your subscription is paid and to check for any updates. As for the internet for anything else it depends on if you are saving your work to the cloud. Photoshop itself wouldn't be saving to the cloud unless the original file is saved there by LR CC. If using LR Classic CC the same applies for pinging once a month for subscription check, updates etc. If you are saving to your computer and/or external drives the internet only applies to what I stated.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Or to download updates/upgrades.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

I guess if you want to store all your images in Cloud storage you will need internet storage.

HOWEVER, why not just do all your processing on your local computer and forget about internet storage. Photoshop runs on your local computer so you don't need an internet connection while using it, except for updates and verification once a month or so.

bwa

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

As I recall, there are still Internet providers, especially in rural areas, who charge by the Gigabyte for uploads and downloads, on a metered connection, just like in the old modem days. I assumed that was what the OP was referring to. I know some folks on expensive connections who avoid watching videos and other high demand uses because of this. Seems strange that there are still such connections out there, but Win 10 has a "metered connection" mode that prevents unnecessary uploads and downloads.


Andy

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Many people are confused about what the Creative Cloud means. The Creative Cloud, and XXX_Creative_Cloud, (LR, PS et. al.,). are names for a system and softwares, that allow you to store you images on the “cloud” IF you choose to do so. You do not have to store images on the “cloud” and you do not need GB bandwidth to edit and retouch images. You can store all the original and retouched images on your own hard drive or hard drives if you choose. Many do choose that.

You do need an internet connection now and then, about 1/month, so the program can phone home and verify your account is in good standing. It does not have to be high speed internet. In fact could probably take your laptop to Starbucks every now and log on to the app to accomplish the necessary verification.

Where a slow internet might be a problem is when you are downloading the programs or updates to the programs. Again if you have a laptop, you can choose when and where you do that. A desktop system you can get by with a moderate speed internet, to download the software and the updates.