Is there a huge diff between these two? And photoshop, what is the best one to get for price, user friendly and best advantages? I already have Paintshop Pro JASC still learning that one. Thanks for your help :D

Photoshop is the obvious leader -- it's the industry standard. If you do graphic arts professionally, for both print and for web, it's what I would recommend. It does far more than Paint Shop Pro could ever hope to do.

HOWEVER, if you don't do a whole lot of graphic arts, or if you do it only for a hobby, and if cost is a factor, you should be able to do fine with just Paint Shop Pro. In fact, you should work with what you have, and then if you find yourself limited, then and only then should you consider an alternative to what you already have. There are a lot of people who shell out the big bucks for Photoshop and then not even use it because it's too intimidating for them ... or they end up using only the very basic features which are also available on cheaper graphics programs like PSP. It would be a big waste of money unless you actually plan to use it, and I mean really use it.

Thank you aprilgem I will work with what I have for now I guess, Im still pretty new to it and still figuring out paintshop I just dont know the limits on it yet.

Attached Link: Vecpix

PSP is not so far from PS any more. You can use PSP for pro purposes, just have patience to learn the tools and commands. Later you`ll not even think of them, you`ll be focused on what you want to achive. Both of apps are extremly flexible and you can allways achive desired results in more than one way. Experiment allot without fear of  what will happen if I click on this or that :)

Tihomir

Btw here is the site with tuts. :)

If you never work with offset printers, then I'd choose either PSP or, if you choose the Adobe route (why should you?) get Photoshop Elements. If you own a digital camera, I'd invest in a good noise reducing plugin like Imagenomic's noiseware.

It's usually better to follow a route than to confuse yourself by starting all over because you think that that other road is easier or better. And once your work in ready, no one can see whether it's done in the Gimp, PS, PSP or whatever. You don't need a truck to go on holiday.

I finally switched to Photoshop after many years of using PhotoImpact.  I got a good deal on PS via my purchase of a Wacom graphics tablet.

One thing I always fought when using PI, most all of the tutorials for 3D graphics applications seemed to use PS as the graphics editor, so I had to try to mimic the instructions in PI.

I guess the best advice is to take your time and ask a lot of questions.  What are you going to use the program for?  Photoshop may be an investment; Paintshop Pro may be a great value and save you some money.

Corel also bought Ulead (PhotoImpact) so there may be a merging of PP and PI ?  Something  to watch and consider.

I use both, as well as the Corel graphics suite, which also has a photo editing program not terribly different from Photoshop. Each program has different things it does well, better than the others. PSP's browser function is one I use constantly. Photoshop can't beat it. Photoshop has several functions PSP doesn't, but unless you're planning on doing heavy  and sophisticated graphics work. you don't need them. PSP will also use all Photoshop filters, so there's no loss there. PSP does seem, to me, to be harder to learn that Photoshop. The GUI isn't as organized. But then, I've been using Photoshop since V3, so I'm well used to it. My perception could be off.

IF you want to do professional graphics, there are industry standards. Photoshop is one of those, along with Illustrator, and to a certain extent, Corel's graphics suite. But failing that, just say you won't lose anything using PSP.

jfike...I only have paintshop right now and still learning it, but mostly this is just a hobby that I recently got into and find it very interesting, so I ask alot of questions lol..

You never know where a  'hobby'  will lead.  If you get hooked on digital imaging like I did, you will be glad you spent your time learning the application most pros use - Photoshop.    In addition, you're plugging into Adobe, which means easier crossover with applications like 
In-Design, ImageReady and now Dreamweaver.  

My interest in digital imaging started as a hobby 4 years ago, and now I'm looking to do it as a living.   I've never regretted learning Photoshop, and at times, give a sigh of relief I chose it.   There is so much professional community support on the web, in books, in 3rd party products, in Adobe support.  

It seems to me investing your time learning Photoshop gives you far more options should your 'hobby' turn into a passion.

Quote - You never know where a  'hobby'  will lead.  If you get hooked on digital imaging like I did, you will be glad you spent your time learning the application most pros use - Photoshop.    In addition, you're plugging into Adobe, which means easier crossover with applications like 
In-Design, ImageReady and now Dreamweaver.  

My interest in digital imaging started as a hobby 4 years ago, and now I'm looking to do it as a living.   I've never regretted learning Photoshop, and at times, give a sigh of relief I chose it.   There is so much professional community support on the web, in books, in 3rd party products, in Adobe support.  

It seems to me investing your time learning Photoshop gives you far more options should your 'hobby' turn into a passion.

I'm one of those who turned a hobby into a living, too, so this is good advice for those who follow that path. BUT, like I said, many end up not following that path -- either because it's just not in them or they find Photoshop too intimidating -- and no one can really tell early on where their path will take them. So it's not good advice for everyone. Spending big bucks on PS at this early a point can end up being wasteful, no matter how many options it gives you ... because if you don't take those options, what then? You've spent $700 instead of $70.

If you DO want to learn PS because you think you WILL follow that path, do as Gongyla suggested and get Photoshop Elements first -- it's cheaper, and it actually comes free with a pen and tablet set.

I'm a HUGE fan of Photoshop and consider myself advanced in it (see my tutorials), but when I started doing graphics as a hobby, I started on Paint Shop Pro 5 and worked my way through Photoshop LE (which came free with my Wacom) and, later, older versions of Photoshop itself (4, 5, 6, and 7 at work), until finally, I got myself the latest Creative Suite 2.3 for my Mac. And what do I do now? I do book covers for several publishers -- for both print and web. I do magazine ads, catalogs, business cards, and the like. I DO make a living at it, and my point is, I didn't have to spend a lot of money in the beginning to get here.

In fact, if you're resourceful, you can broaden your skills without investing a whole lot of cash. Then, when you're ready to go pro and your skills have outgrown your tools, you can consider increasing your software budget and investing in something relatively expensive, but solid like Photoshop.

Just as an addendum, here are other ways (all legal, I promise) to broaden your skills and get free/cheap software on which to learn BEFORE you spend a lot of money:

1. Free tutorials on the web. Google is your friend.
2. Online digital art communities, like Renderosity and the like. The forums and your fellow helpful members are your friends.
3. Digital art magazines, like 3D World and Computer Arts. The free CDs that come with them have software you can learn before you decide to buy them, like Bryce, Poser, Vue, etc., and they are VERY much your friend; all told, you'd be paying $13 to have access to software that would normally cost you $300.
4. 30-day demo software.
5. Wacom pen and tablet sets, if you're into painting at all. They come with free software like Photoshop Elements and Painter Classic.
6. Student discounts, if you're a student.
7. Friends with old versions of graphics software they no longer use.
8. eBay.
9. Work. If you're anything like me, you might be able to find a day job that gives you the opportunity to play with the software you want to learn.
10. Paying clients. When people start paying you money for your work done in Paint Shop Pro, you can put that money aside to finally buy Photoshop or whatever else you want to get.
11. Explore, experiment, and practice! Always.

Hmmm thank you all, very good advice on everything! I guess Im becomming a junkie lol although I do love art so we will see where I end up. Maybe I'll put some of my photography up in the mean time. Thanks all

If  you're a poor starving artist like me Tina, you'll use the Gimp(with PhotoShop plugins) and be thankfull it's FREE :) LOL

OHHHH Gee thanks Steve how come you didnt tell me that sooner LOL....