Jasc Paint Shop Pro 8 [OLD VERSION] Reviews

• More like a PSP 7.5 than a PSP 8

  
  By A4HJUEM7EU8HV on 2003-07-07
  Not much difference between version 8 and version 7. Version 7 was a leap forward from 6, but don't expect any such change between 7 and 8. If you don't own Paint Shop Pro 7, then go ahead and buy 8. If you already have 7, stick with it...there is almost no difference between what you already own and version 8. (I suspect some of the reviews on this and other products are by people associated with the companies that make them). PSP is a very good photo/paint program and a lot faster to use than the more well known (and incomprehensibly expensive) Adobe Photoshop. PSP has lots of ways to edit just about every aspect of an image (lots of ways you probably never knew about) and the features can be combined many, many ways so that even after using it for years you can still find new effects through experimentation. Best buy for the money, but again, if you already own 7, you pretty much already own most of 8. If you own any version earlier than 7, or if you don't own PSP at all, then by all means I would suggest PSP 8 over the competition.
  
  

• upgrade from version 7

  
  By AAFVB3YBNG2DB on 2003-06-24
  I upgraded to PSP 8 and love it. PSP 8 has been rewritten from the ground up and it shows. The background eraser, scripting, eyedroppers for black and white points, excellent photo tools and customizable interface make this version the best ever. I really love the way you can change and control almost everything from menus to buttons in PSP 8, making the user interface truly something you can use. In my opinion, PSP 8 is the only software the average person would need for photo enhancements and/or web graphics. Most of my use is for enhancing my photos from my 2 digital cameras. This new version makes many of my tasks much easier than before.
  
  

• The best got better.....

  
  By A3IZHS1G6G0I2Y on 2003-05-31
  Thought PSP 7 was great? Try this! I moved on to PSP 7 from PhotoShop 5.5 when PS was getting too expensive. I expected to lose a lot of the functionality of PS but was very pleasantly surprised.
  Now with PSP 8, jasc have outdone themselves with a product that shines. We are all used to new versions and I suppose we start to get a bit jaded to get asked for more money for a new product that, in a lot of cases, is hardly better than the previous one.
  That doesnt apply with PSP 8. It really is a great improvement on an already great product. For example: Scan an old faded photo in, press the "One step photo fix" and just look at the results unfold before your eyes! Astounding! This is one of the many new fully customisable "script" features.
  And that`s just one of the many time savers this program has.
  BUY IT!!!
  
  

• PSP8 and PSP7: A Comparison

  
  By A1OZZV3HJTHX3H on 2003-12-07
  I've been a user of Paint Shop Pro since version 3 and over the past year I've used version 7. I recently upgraded to version 8, thanks to the very affordable price. Without a doubt, Jasc typically makes great software at a very reasonable price.

  Compared to PSP7, PSP8 offers several advantages. One of the biggest is that on complicated images with multiple layers, it no longer takes several seconds to do simple operations like flood filling. The general performance of the painting component is much faster than before. PSP8 also brings with it a new interface more akin to Photoshop. It is much cleaner and more compact. There is a ton of information right at your fingertips now in centralized locations instead of scattered across various floating menus. Indeed, the whole package is a lot more organized than before.

  There are other minor new features that are nice additions. One great addition is the emergence of a freehand pen tool that allows you to more easily draw with the mouse by smoothing any curve you draw (similar to Macromedia Flash). The sensitivity is adjustable. There are also a few new special effects. Another new function is scripting. For all of those tedious graphic manipulation tasks where you find yourself doing the exact same thing repeatedly, you can automate routine actions using scripting. Again, another great idea. Previous in PSP7, Jasc offered automatic color, contrast, and saturation enhancements for any photograph. Here, they've integrated them into the "one step photo fix" feature that, as advertised, tries to fix an entire picture in the push of a button. To my surprise, it works remarkably well.

  However, there is a negative side to PSP8. It has a host of strange quirks and bugs. Perhaps thanks to the rewrite, some parts of PSP8 are unstable. While the program doesn't crash per se, it doesn't function like it should in some cases. In several cases, I've observed the Undo function breaking completely or even undo'ing the wrong portions of the image. In another case, a saved file did not save correctly when using the PNG exporter. And yet the worst part is that these bugs are rather nondeterministic. They occur sometimes and not others. Without a doubt, PSP8 would have benefit from more testing as even with the most recent patch installed, it hasn't earned my trust yet unlike PSP7.

  If you can tolerate the quirks, however, you gain a significant increase in speed when dealing with complex multi-layered images. It's a toss, really. If you're like me and you deal with such images, you might deal with the bugs and enjoy the speed increase. For the casual user, though, I would be cautious recommending this one over PSP7.
  
  

• Moving Up in Digital Imaging Software

  
  By on 2004-02-13
  When I was younger and had more time on my hands I was a very serious amateur complete with his own film darkroom (you remember those, don't you.) The advent of the digital camera and imaging software has actually allowed me to get back into the "digital darkroom" at a lot less expense and time commitment, and with a quantum leap (maybe even two or three leaps) in creativity opportunities. Also, I have a technical background and am very comfortable with software. My first experience has been with software that came with my digital camera, namely Photo Impressions 4, and with my computer, namely Dell Imager. I found both of these to be really good and user friendly for a beginner. These programs got me hooked on digital imaging. Once hooked, I wanted to move on to software with more capability, but didn't want to go the full Pro route. After researching the subject, I decided to download free trials of Adobe Photo Shop Elements 2 and Jasc Paint Shop Pro 8. I made the assumption, well supported by other reviews, that either program would have more than enough capability for my needs. I focused on user friendliness, ease of learning, and how likely I would remember how to use the software after a period of a month or so of not using it (probably typical for most beginners/amateurs). This last point is important, because it could become a barrier to continued use. Without going into all the gory details (see the other reviews - they make excellent points on technical details), here's how I reacted. After using the Adobe product for a few hours, I decided that it isn't particularly user friendly and would take quite a bit of effort on my part to learn how to use it with confidence. Also, I was convinced that after a month or so of non-use, I would have to retrain. I decided not to purchase the Adobe product. After using the Jasc product for about 15 minutes, I got hooked. It's user friendly, intuitive, fairly easy to learn, and I am sure that I'll be able to get back up-to-speed quickly after a few months of not using it. This is a no-brainer, I'm going to purchase Paint Shop Pro 8.
  
  
• Version 8 is absolutely horrible!
  By on 2004-04-18
  I have version 7, and love it!
  Upgraded to version 8, and hated it.
  Very sluggish in operation, user interface is
  completely different and difficult use.

  I un-installed version 8, and went back to version 7.
  
  

• STILL THE BEST FOR THE BUCK
  By AJE705WGX0KZE on 2004-01-23
  I have used PSP 8 now for about 1 month. Upgraded from PSP 7. I'm still getting used to it,but I can say I like it, and am glad I upgraded. The first thing to do if you buy the boxed version after you load it go to JASC.Com and download all the little fixes for it. The file is almost 25Mb in size so if you are using a dial-up connection it will take a while. But it takes care of all the little problems users have told them about. With PSP 7 I had to do the same thing. But it's nice to see a company stay on top of these type things with the software they sell. I also purchased 2 books on Amazon to help me get a feel for the changes. " Paint Shop Pro 8 fast & easy" and "Paint Shop Pro 8 zero to hero" I feel this product is worth the price and is fun and easy to use. Would give it 5 stars if their manuals were writen better. The program itself 6 stars.
  
  
• An excellent "easy" paint / photo package!
  By AD0J5KK4WQXNS on 2004-01-22
  To be honest Adobe Photoshop is the top pro paint/photo package to use but I find myself turning to Paint Shop Pro very often. Let me list the reasons why.

  - It is quicker than Adobe Photoshop.
  - It has enough functions to do most of the things I need.
  - It is easy to use.
  - The learning curve is not steep.
  - The package is smaller in hard drive size that Photoshop.
  - It can do the vast majority of things that Photoshop can do.

  In short, if you want to learn a pro package then learn Adobe Photoshop, but Photoshop has a very steep learning curve. If you are looking for an easier paint/photo package that you can almost start producing with right out of the box then this is one to get. It is easier than Photoshop but Photoshop still tops it for functionality.

  I use this package a lot. An aweful lot. It fits a perfect market niche for semi-pro or domestic paint/photo software users.
  
  

• Buggy and slooow
  By on 2004-05-01
  I'm PSP user for several years now. Two months ago I upgraded to PSP8 and I am very disappointed. Launching PSP takes 3 times longer than launching PSP7. In complex PSP images with multiple layers and a lot of vector graphics selecting a single object can take up to 5 seconds (you click an object, for 5 seconds nothing happens and then it gots selected). Strange error messages are shown while working with PSP8 that do not make any sense. Saving GIF files doesn't really work, looks like there are bugs in save routine. Once in a while PSP8 completely stalls and the CPU utilization goes up to 100%.
  All this behaviour I experienced with the latest PSP patch (8.1) and I NEVER had anything like this with good ol' PSP7.

  Yesterday I installed PSP7 again...
  
  

• Outstanding software
  By A2SKEQT0WTB954 on 2004-01-17
  I have always loved Paintshop Pro, beginning with Version 3. For many years I have been using version 5.03 without problem and with great results. When Version 8 came out and I read the reviews, I knew I had to finally upgrade. I am not disappointed one bit. I have used various versions of Photoshop, including Elements, but I still come back to Paintshop and prefer it for many reasons that I will not go into here, except for one: PRICE. For the money, this program should get 6 stars. Like other profressinal level graphics programs, you have to have the computing power to run it well. A 2+ processor (AMD or Intel) allows it to work without probmems, and 512k memory helps as well. You do need a 1+ processor and 256k memory and with that you will wait some, but it will run. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to learn from the ground up or who has some familiarity with other high-end graphics programs. The improvements to this version over 5.03 are tremendous. It is like a whole new program but with some nice elements remaining. The manual with it is huge and there is much support on line.
  
  
• Best program I own!
  By on 2004-03-14
  I had been using Photoshop 7 for almost a year when I tried a trial version of Paint Shop Pro 8. This program sold itself to me in about 15 minutes. It is so easy to use and does just about all that Photoshop does and more. The only tool I now use in Photoshop is the healing brush on a rare occassion. PSP 8 fills every need totally. It even has some features not found anywhere else. The scratch removal tool is incredible and works on many things....scratches are removed one by one, so you don't have a generally blurred image to get rid of scratches. And it also can remove face wrinkles, blemishes and just about any other imperfection you can find. I like the program so much that I also bought the Xtras 1 and 2 and the Virtual Painter program that works as a plug in. The only thing I do wish would change is their pricing policy. It is very erratic, so watch how much you pay and the current rebates. There is a suite of programs offered at the moment that after rebate is cheaper than the main program alone most of the time. But, as for the program itself, it is the best.
  
  
• The Last Good Version of Paint Shop Pro
  By A13MPH77KVE9NH on 2006-03-10
  If you're seeking an outstanding and economically priced graphics editor that competes on many levels for Adobe's hugely more expensive Photoshop, V8 of Jasc Paint Shop Pro is a great buy! Whatever you do, avoid the later Corel versions of this masterful product. I purchased the post-acquisition version, Corel Paint Shop Pro X -- as a long time user of Jasc's excellent software, I was disappointed and felt betrayed by the horrendous modifications made to the product by Corel. Corel has managed to morph Jasc's sleek, effective, intelligently implemented, high productivity tool into yet another of the many bloated, unreliable "all in one" software products on the market that do nothing well and lock up your computer in the process. On my dual-processor high performance P4 system, Corel's X version takes 30 secons just to load!!! Bottom line? Get this version .. Jasc's PSP 8 is and will always be a terrific graphics editor that you will be happy with.
  
  
• Stay With PSP 7
  By AVDITQ4AOV5E0 on 2003-08-04
  if you are a psp 7 user, i strongly recommend that you stay with v7. it's not, as one reviewer incorrectly says, because there aren't significant upgrades in psp 8. it's rather because there are significant upgrades which degrade the product's performance. i find v8 much more buggy running on my 2.6-ghz/1-gb ram machine. yes, it's nice to be able to dock all the tool bars, and the image straightening tool is a nice add-on (though they made it harder to turn off than it should be). but, the clone tool no longer moves or clones as smoothly as it did on v7. and, i for the life of me cannot figure out why some identical tools have completely different icons (v7 to v8). come on jasc: since we can all read words, icons never really made sense (at least to me), but it's crazy to change the language on us midstream!

  to put my money where my mouth is: i have both installed on my machine. i edit about 50-100 images a week. and i almost always click on the v7 install. every now and then i click on v8 thinking "it can't be as bad as i think it is!". oh yes it can!!

  mark d.
  
  

• GREAT PROGRAM for the money
  By A4Z7TW21G0KFT on 2004-04-08
  I have used Photoshop 5.0 LE and also my daughters Photoshop 7.0. I really liked Photoshop 7 but couldn't find a real copy that I could afford (I did get sold an illegal copy but luckily got my money back) and Photoshop CS was way out of my reach. I was thinking about going back to Photoshop 6 and was searching the web for a review of Photoshop 6 and 7. What I found was a comparison of Photoshop 6 and Paint Shop Pro 7, and I was impressed with what I read about PSP.

  I also found that JASC allowed you to download a 60 day full trial version. I downloaded the trial version and was sold after 3 days and purchased a full copy. I mostly want to edit photo's and this program does everything that I want it to. I am sure that Photoshop 7 has some features that PSP 8 doesn't have, but I am not sure what they would be.

  When you figure that PSP 8 cost about 80% less that Photoshop CS, I just don't think you can go wrong with this program. It is sure worth a 60 day free trial before you spend a lot of money on something else.
  
  

• The best value in high-function photo editing
  By on 2003-12-05
  I've been a long-time user of PSP going back to the shareware days. Over the years, and with the purchase of a digital camera about three years ago, I've slowly learned how such programs really work and what is possible. (Hint for newbies: a big key is layers!)

  PSP 8 is a great improvement with a lot more info shown on the screen now and within easy reach. The tool controls are always available. The scripts are great. JASC has terrific service and they send the only e-mail newsletter I actually read (you can opt out, but it's actually useful).

  To put this in perspective: I shot a wedding recently on film and had film-transport problems causing creases and scratches on many photos. I had the negatives digitized at high resolution, and was able to repair or rebuild all the important photos and fix up most others. We're talking >200 photos. Every problem I faced, PSP had the tools to solve.

  If you're new to photo editing, there are the simple operations like one step photo fix, and easy contrast and saturation adjustments. But when you need something more, or are ready to expand your artistic reach, Paint Shop Pro will be ready to unleash all its power for you.
  
  

• You can't go wrong with PSP8
  By A6F11URV14YA on 2003-12-17
  As a pro-am photopgraher I can't say too many good things about this gem of an application. PSP has matured over the years into a full featured image editor that can compete with anything Adobe can produce in this price range. I use PSP along with Adobe Elements as they both have their minor nuances. It is unlikely that you will be left wanting any more features or capabilities with this package. Although it is so feature rich that it can take some time to find all of the capabilities...buy it, spend the time and have some fun.
  
  
• version 8 vs version 7 and photoshop
  By A3LRLGL8XQ8YB5 on 2003-10-21
  Version 7 is nice because all the tools are out in the open, visible at the opening of your first image. Version 8 on the other hand has a truncated left (usually) docked toolbar tools with those little arrows to indicate that more is hidden from view. I could see how one would find this useful in a screen resolution 800X600 or below, but for those at higher screen resolutions is really just hides the tools behind another click or too. If version 8 supported the interface of version 7 I would not have a problem with this program, however, version 8 does seem to be a lesser clone of photoshop. Adobe products all run slow on my computer, and I fear that paint shop pro is on the same trek as Adobe by some of the other reviews on the slowness of this product.

  My recommendation is to find PSP 7, one of those small stores in the big city may have a copy. I will NOT use PSP 8. Being a first time customer with PSP 7 I would hope that Jasc would want to keep people like me happy and continuing the buying of thier products. I will see what V9 has to offer before I decide to upgrade again.
  
  

• Pretty Good Graphics Editor
  By on 2003-12-05
  I've used lots of graphics editing programs and this one is the best & easiest for the money.
  I upgraded from PSP7 and PSP8 was a bit buggy but the final upgrade 8.10 finally made it great & JASC mailed me the new CD with final upgrade without me having to even ask :)

  Those of you that miss the way PSP7 LOOKED ...just load the PSP7 Workspace on PSP8 and TADA! There you have it, PSP7 setup again!

  I don't know who the heck said all the good reviews are from people working for the company but I know I don't work for them, I'm just a stay at home mommy with a love for graphics...but if you'd like to hire me JASC, Gimme a call! LOL

  I have NO bugs since version 8.10 and it runs fine on my P4 1gb ram WinXP computer.
  
  

• My main and favorite photo editing program
  By A37OKOWUR84RKR on 2003-10-29
  I just got this program for my birthday, I have to say it is a enormous upgrade from the microsoft photodraw, that program was aggrevating. in micorsoft's PhotoDraw 2000 it would always put a border around my pictures, and there was no way to save a picture at a different color depth than 16 million colors. In psp 8 all my dreams came true, i can change my color depth to 8-bit in 2 clicks of a mouse button. this program is great for mappers out there, i reskinned some half-life models for my map, and it required a 8-bit texture to work. this program made it easy. Also converting, making, and resizing textures for my map is easier than ever. I love this program, although the way they arranged the stuff is a little awkward at first i got used to it, after i read some of the manual.

  Since this was the first time for me to use any other program other than MSPD2000 in 4 years, its a definate upgrade from where i was. the last psp program i used before this was psp2 and that was a really long time ago.

  Also, psp 8 cant do as much as photoshop, but it can do alot of the same stuff; if you have 1000 bucks go buy your photoshop, but if you don't buy this. its that simple.
  
  

• Takes Some Learning but is Worth it!
  By AI8157E0ESZ8J on 2003-06-19
  If you are coming to PSP8 from PSP7. you may have some difficulty since many things {I understand} are changed, but coming to it new, as I did, it is more and more becoming a pleasure to use as I learn more about it. There is an excellent one-click "Enhance pictures" button and it is also easy to do the various steps like increase saturation and balance colors separately if you wish to do so. Particular things that I like are the efficient background eraser, tubes {little pictures that can be "squirted" onto a picture} a very nice easy-to-do framing procedure and lots and lots and lots of interesting effects from artistic to just plain weird. In addition, there are some pre-written scripts which do such useful things as putting a border and a simple caption on a picture to converting a picture into a credible facsimile of a watercolor. If you are prepared to put some time into learning this program, it will do everything you need to enhance your photographs and enable you to produce some pretty good graphics of your own.
  
  
• Great Program
  By A7IYBT9KY6UTR on 2004-03-05
  Jasc Paint Shop Pro 8 is a great program! I began using it when I got a job as a technology teacher. The software offers so many options for teachers, students, and anyone who is into design, editing photos, WebPages, and even PowerPoint Presentations.

  My middle school students love this program! They have designed so many graphics that it is unreal. The program offers downloadable picture tubes that allow for students to add pictures, drawings, or unique effects to their graphics. I, as well as my students, have designed monthly banners for the school web page calendar that are absolutely amazing.

  As I was teaching myself, a few things were a little tricky such as the layers, floating images, and selection tools. However, I quickly learned how to use these items to create some wonderful graphics. I really like this program because you can edit existing items. My students changed a graphic by selecting and changing the colors in it and adding some of their own effects. It is really neat that the students can personalize or spice up an already existing graphic.

  Another great feature is that Paint Shop Pro comes with Animation Shop which is a wonderful program. Students have as well as myself have taken several items that we have made or found and made animations out of them. The animation wizard makes it really easy to load the pictures into the frames to create an animation. It is super easy to add any effects such as changing colors, wheel, rotate. This is very helpful for creating just the animation that you need for your Webpage or Presentation.

  For the price, this program is the best! I have had no bad experiences with the software at all. I would recommend Paint Shop Pro to anyone!
  
  

• PSP 8 rocks! and YES, upgrade from PSP 7
  By A1HRMBNTNA52G5 on 2003-10-26
  I'm a longtime user of PSP 7, and PSP 8 has lots of little features that make my life easier. Dialogs like Unsharp mask, etc. are resizable, you have a dropper in Histogram Adjustment mode that allows you to get details on your image, etc. ... in other words, the little things that give you fewer and fewer reasons to pay 6 (or if you're just upgrading from PSP 7, **12**) times the price of Photoshop!

  To those complaining about speed: I have a 1Ghz and it works just fine. Cold startup time is marginally slower, but after that, it's just as peppy as before (in fact, perhaps slightly faster). And to those complaining about the toolbars being "stacked on the left" ... umm, you can move them? Mine are all on my second monitor, so that's a great option, but it supports many other configurations as well. Just work with it, give it a chance ...
  
  

• Getting better
  By A3R74EHB34JTTP on 2004-05-25
  I love PSP. I've used it since version 3, and I've always been impressed by what I could do with it. Paint Shop Pro 8 (and by "8" I'm really referring to "8.1") is the best yet. More intuitive, more features, etc.

  I have only 2 complaints that keep it from being 5 stars. One is that - depending on your RAM and CPU - it can take awhile to load its very large .dll library. It uses a lot of resources to do what it does.

  The other continues to be a peeve with me: the online help. For a product that does as much as it does, the help is far better than even version 5, but still not at the level of quality it could or should be. (For example, the online help says I can change the ruler increments in the Units box. It doesn't tell me where to FIND the "Units box.")

  If you're going to spend money on a powerful graphics package, this is a bargain compared to the wildly overpriced and overrated Adobe product and does the job just as well.
  
  

• Great improvements and functionality, but . . .
  By A25POM1TDFICPD on 2003-07-25
  The new PSP 8 is a fantastic improvement over PSP 7, but it still seems to be a little buggy and has crashed several times on me.

  First the good news. I thought the main improvements for PSP 8 were the scripting capabilities and the background eraser. But in my opinion, the best improvement is the reorganized menu and toolbar options! Things are laid out much better now, and with the help of the fantastic learning center, it is pretty easy to figure out where things are.

  I was skeptical of the background eraser at first, but it does work. Of course, if there is little difference in color or edging between the foreground object and the background it doesn't work too well, but if there is a clear difference it will quickly wipe out the background.

  JASC really seems to be putting out a professional tool at a consumer pricing level. I have a professional photography business in my spare time, doing mostly sports-action photography and family and senior portraits. I had been thinking about upgrading to Photoshop, but now that I have tried PSP 8 I won't be making the change. Everything I need in a photo editor is done by PSP 8.

  Now for the bad news. There are still bugs in PSP 8 that will cause it to freeze up and not respond. I have a Windows XP computer and used PSP 8 to design a 300 dpi, 8.5 x 11 ad for a high school football program. It had between 25-30 layers (no vectors). In the 8 hours it took to design, PSP 8 froze up four times. If it wasn't for this, I would be giving PSP 8 five stars.

  Hopefully JASC will get this fixed.
  
  

• PSP 8 has much to offer
  By on 2004-02-08
  It has much to offer, but it will take some time to experience all the effects and features, because they are sort of hidden. I had gotten a 60-day-trial and the trial was half way done, before I had found all the features and how they worked. It is a great buy for amateur graphic designers, if you are not willing to pay a lot of money for Photoshop.
  
  
• Paint Shop Pro rulez!
  By A3L5QGVD7WJMG1 on 2004-07-02
  I purchased this program mainly to edit photos as I had heard it was pretty good at it. The first photo I edited on it was a slide I scanned in that my daughter had picked up at auction and we had no idea what it was. The one-step photo cleaned it up in virtually no time - it was a picture of Paris! After that, I wondered what else I could do with it, since it looked like it could do more. I ended up having to take online classes - and they are readily available all over the net - and am now making graphics I could have never done before. I don't consider myself particularly artistic, and I had never used graphics programs before other than to edit photos. Now, I am making animated graphics (Animation Shop is included), and am making some totally awesome graphics.
  
  
• The Greatest Thing Ever
  By on 2005-01-01
  It is great for kid and adults who want to do graphics on the internet or other things like names tags, banners and posters!
  
  
• Most Excelent Software Around
  By on 2003-07-17
  This is definitely the best software around. Of course, it depends what you're looking for.
  If you make graphics and animations for personal use, like me, this is great. I usually get pictures from websites, or products such as The Big Box of Art 350,000 or Art Explosion 200,000.
  You may want to use Paint Shop Pro 8 for various reasons. You are able to improve your photos in any way you can think of (i.e., remove red eye, scratches, add bubbles, improve perspective. distort, etc.)
  Or, you can create/edit clipart in ANY FORMAT, and save it in ANY FORMAT (i.e., GIF, JPEG, BMP, CUR, etc.) My favorite feature in this product is the ability to put different parts of a picture on different layers.
  I hope this review helps!
  
  
• Paint Shop Pro - real image tool for everyone
  By A1VUGZJX899S24 on 2003-07-21
  I am not an artist but I have used both Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro. PSP is by far the easier, more intuitive and far cheaper product. I have used version 5, 6, 7 and they all are great. (MS photo editor and other tools are useless compared with this tool.)
  I have yet to find something I couldn't do. Certainly, some of the editting I have done took a while to figure out. But that was more a matter of figuring out what the operation was called to find it in help. If I was an artist I probably would know the right words. Once I find it in Help, the answer is clear with step-by-step guides.
  If you want to edit images, this is the tool. Note: If you are going to do a lot of editting, it is faster if your PC has a fair amount of RAM (no matter what product).
  
  
• Slow, slow, slow
  By A1QYHT0XVY8U9U on 2003-10-14
  The main difference I notice between version 7 and version 8 is that 8 is incredibly slow. Perhaps now that everyone has a 3 GHz P4 (I don't) they think no-one will notice, but I certainly do. Others have made the same observation. Everything takes longer. A terrible upgrade, just on that score. STICK WITH v7.
  
  

• Paint Shop Pro 8 Zero to Hero
• Paint Shop Pro 8 for Dummies