[at-l] Photoshop - Please Help

[jbullar1 at twcny.rr.com (Jim Bullard)]

At 05:01 PM 12/15/2005 -0500, max patch wrote:
>Anyone know anything about Photoshop?
>
>Adobe Photoshop costs around $500.  At Costco today I saw Photoshop 
>Elements 4 for about $80.  Am I correct in guessing that the $500 version 
>is for "professionals" and the $80 version is for "normal" folx?
>
>Anybody used one or both of these?  I'd appreciate any feedback...I'm 
>thinking of getting the cheap version if it is useful.

Photoshop is a high end *professional* tool for designers, web developers 
and pro photographers. Photoshop Elements is a very good program for the 
amateur photographer, basically a 'stripped down' version that leaves out a 
features that someone beginning in image editing is unlikely to use anyway.

Here's a little secret that most folks don't know: The upgrade versions of 
the full Photoshop software will work with Elements as well as the prior 
versions of Photoshop. Thus you can buy Elements and if after a while you 
decide you really need the full program you can buy just the upgrade at 
about $149. Result? You get the full program for under $250 instead of $600 
but unless you are a real photo freak (like me) you may well find that 
Elements will do everything you need though and spending the other $149 
would be a waste.

I would be remiss if I did not mention Paint Shop Pro formerly produced by 
Jasc but now a Corel product. They have recently released Paint Shop Pro X 
(version 10) and it will do almost as much as Photoshop for a fraction of 
the price. The interface of PSP is a bit more user friendly than Photoshop 
which is aimed at the pro market. Both require some experimentation and 
time to learn how to use.

Saunterer, user of Paint Shop Pro since version 5 and Photoshop since 
version 4. I've also used Elements 2 and Elements LE.