Believe it or not, the ability to crop linked or embedded images directly within Illustrator without using a clipping mask was a relatively "new" feeling feature back then. It saved hours of jumping back and forth between Photoshop and Illustrator.
While the creative world has moved on to the 2024 and 2025 versions of the Creative Cloud, there is a specific subset of designers who still hold a soft spot for the 2017 releases. If you are running an older Mac or simply prefer a version of the software before the "Neural Filters" and heavy AI integrations, remains a fascinating case study in stability and utility. adobe illustrator cc 2017 mac
On Mac systems, CC 2017 leveraged to allow for: Believe it or not, the ability to crop