I am probably the furthest thing from a computer genius. I have had no experience with any of the PSE versions so I am starting fresh with PSE7. I have to say that I really do love it and have already created quite a few things using it. So far I am very pleased. If you have the previous version then you are probably ok. If you are new to PSE then I highly recommend it. I gave it only 4 stars because I find the "help" function to not be as good as it should be. But, I have taught myself just by playing around for a while. Oh, and I have Vista and do not find the program slow at all.
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This is the first time I've used a full-fledged photo editing program. In the past I merely used Paint to resize pics for my website. With Photoshop Elements I can do much more. But since I'm new to the program, I'm doing the equivalent of merely driving to the grocery store in a Lamborghini. Once I get familiar with the program, I'll hit top speed on the open road. I love the way Photoshop retrieves my pics from my iPhone and how it archives photos to their website. However, 2Gb of space is just not enough! I still haven't tried Premiere Elements yet, but I'm working on it!
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If you have a Mac running OS 10.5.4 or 10.5.5 (or above) you should be aware that NONE of the Photoshop Elements software versions--including 6-- is compatible with it. It won't work.
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The upgrade box costs more with every upgrade but there is less in it. Amazon frequently shows what's in the box, not here, however, probably because the only thing in the box is the CD/DVD. No more printed manual. Adobe is staking back on what it delivers. Some new features, but hardly worth the price.
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Great product. Purchasing was easy and quick. Bought from a new vendor, but very pleased. If you buy Elements 6 there is a book called "Teach yourself visually" by Mike Wooldridge that is really simple to follow.
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Lightroom 2 is a great upgrade from Lightroom 1. With many of the new features it has, you will find that your trips into Photoshop will become less & less frequent.
The print module is now excellent, with it's new improved output sharpening feature.
After a short course on photoshop (PS) for photographers, Lightroom 2 (recommended by the instructor who is a professional photg.) has just the right amount of tools for the photographer with out the overkill (and expense) of PS, unless you are a graphics artist.
The package is void of any details re installation or an operations manual. An outside vendors manual is a requirement. Try The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers by Scott Kelby. Very comprehensive and easy to implement.
If you are planning on shooting in RAW this package is a must do, although some of the same processes are available in PS Elements. This package is much more then PS Elements and volume oriented for processing many photos at once.
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The installation of Adobe Acrobot Pro 9 Trial Version took so long that I sadly decided to cancel the installation half way through. It was almost like installing a new Windows! I decided it's better to stick to the good old CutePDF Writer for now which is by the way free and less than 2MB in size (not 326MB). I use a WindowsXP with 2GB of ram and a 3.4GHz Intel Pentium4 processor.
The installation of Adobe Acrobot Pro 9 Trial Version took so long that I sadly decided to cancel the installation half way through. It was almost like installing a new Windows! I decided it's better to stick to the good old CutePDF Writer for now which is by the way free and less than 2MB in size (not 326MB). I use a WindowsXP with 2GB of ram and a 3.4GHz Intel Pentium4 processor.
Since this review is specifically for the full version of Photoshop CS4, I will not be comparing it to prior versions. I'll save that information for a separate review of the upgrade version. If you're looking at the full version of Photoshop, I assume that you're wondering whether it's worth your hard earned dollars to take the plunge for the first time into the world of major league photo editing programs. Make no mistake, Photoshop is indeed the top gun in the field, there is no finer product. Over the next several paragraphs, I'll try to cover it's key advantages and let you decide for yourself whether it's worth the rather hefty price Adobe demands to buy into the franchise or if it makes more sense to buy a competing product.