Attached Link: http://www.serif.com/photoplus5/index.asp

Definitly Paint Shop Pro. I still use Version 7, and sometimes version 8. Excellent program and can do about 90% of what Photoshop can do. Plus it's Adobe compatible which means that any plugin Photoshop can use, can be used in Paint Shop Pro. Also, Paint Shop Pro has a far lower learning curve than Photoshop does. Paint Shop Pro has a huge number of users and there are a huge number of tutorials out there to learn from too. Here is a link to a 100% free graphic program. I know people who have used it and have compared it to Paint Shop Pro. Whether that is true or not I don't know because I haven't tried Photoplus5. I suspect that you can use Adobe plugins with it, but again, I'm not sure about that. You can try it with some of the free filters around before investing money into any filters/plugins.

"It is good to see ourselves as others see us. Try as we may, we are never
able to know ourselves fully as we are, especially the evil side of us.
This we can do only if we are not angry with our critics but will take in good
heart whatever they might have to say." - Ghandi