I've used Paint Shop Pro since version 3. Three years ago, a Photoshop LE came bundled with my new digital camera. I thought "Great! I can move over to the industry standard app." I hated it. Why? It wasn't what I was used to using. With PSP 8, there are now very few differences between the programs. You can do anything in PSP you can do in PS, though the implementation may be slightly different. Layers, CMYK separation, tablet/brush settings etc. And really, who cares about an "industry standard" when it comes to the application? What matters is the final image that comes out of it. Anything else is just snobbery, in my opinion. I say, if you've been using one program or the other, buy that app... save yourself the headache of learning a new application. If you haven't used either one before, I find that Paint Shop Pro is not only cheaper, it's more intuitive to use right out of the gate. Plus their customer service is very friendly and helpful! That's always a plus.