Which to buy? That is the question

Which to buy? That is the question.

The scenario I have tried to build here is that there is not one correct choice in image editing for every user. An honest evaluation of what you need should point you in the right direction as to what program you should buy and use. This



evaluation should include a practical look at your individual needs, moreso than how well you can impress your photo-club buddies by what you can afford to buy. In many cases, the honest answer for what program to use may look to one of the less expensive options.
Faced with the opportunity to budget a purchase of Photoshop (using someone else's money) at my current job, I opted to purchase Elements instead and save the rest of the budget for system upgrades that would better suit my purposes. This decision was based on the budget, the reality of needs, the production volume, and availability of additional resources.
For the true graphics professional, there may be no substitute for Photoshop. The qualification as 'professional' can vary, however, and this may not continue to be the case as other products catch up and are released. In the sense I use it here, a graphics professional is one who deals with a mixed bag of graphics on a professional level, needing to provide images extensively as part of professional services in graphic design (e.g., desktop publishing, web design, etc.). In other words, while many professional services may have graphic needs (e.g., real estate in processing images of homes), the professional need in all instances may not be so demanding or varied as to warrant need of Photoshop. However, if there is a feature used even once a month that is 'Photoshop Only' necessary to provide professional results that can't be achieved in other ways, it may be worth the investment to maintain clients and production times.
Currently Photoshop remains recognized as a standard tool for the graphics professional, and those who are serious in the field will often be required to have intimate knowledge of the program. It will be the common program of choice in a professional or business setting, and perhaps a less common choice in a private one-unless you are really demanding in your graphics needs or want a license at home to hone up on and practice using the program.
Paint Shop Pro is a very good choice for the PC user who wants power on a budget while getting a little more feature-wise than Photoshop Elements will provide. This user should be somewhat self-reliant, able to concoct solutions from Photoshop-centric materials (because of thinner supply of PSP-centric materials), and should fear no rebuke or reprimand for using something other than Photoshop by choice. Almost exclusively a home-user pick for PC.
Photoshop Elements is a good choice for home use tool for those on a budget, or professionals who don't have pre-press or other volume imaging demands. It can function as a second Photoshop license to some degree and can be useful for processing images using actions and batch functions. It can be a learning tool for those newer to digital images, and provides room to expand. It can be a logical choice for those who use Photoshop at work as a less expensive home license option. It is bi-platform, so is friendly for both Mac and PC users, and it allows users to tap the broad base of information available to Photoshop users with more confidence. Though lacking in some features available in Photoshop and PSP (e.g., pen tool), it has just about all of what you will need for image processing (lacking a few things such as 16-bit functions� though it will open 16-bit images as 8-bit). a good pick for most users on many levels.
The thing to keep in mind is that it is not the package that makes the image. Much of your image processing should be done in the camera. It sometimes takes years to master image editing (using any program) to the point where you are comfortable with and good at what you do... it is like learning any art. Depending on your background you may have some insight to make the learning go faster, but as I've said elsewhere, a more expensive hammer will still only drive the nails.
Elements, Photoshop and PSP are comparable, and the difference is not so much that Photoshop would be a nailgun compared to a hammer. If you aren't much beyond using Autocontrast, the choice of programs won't make your images much better. Each program has many useful production features� most all that you will need in common situations.
To me, if you aren't doing high-volume CMYK, working in 16-bit and writing your own actions, owning Photoshop won't matter much... a less broad tool may be "the best" for you.