Wheeee! I've Got Photoshop Elements
Over lunch I popped out to a local big box and bought Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 to take care of my more advanced graphics needs. I really liked MS Picture It!, but my copy semi-disappeared in the recent crash and didn't do a few things I wanted it to do anyway. It was time for an update.
For a brief time, I taught an earlier version of Elements at the local Gateway computer store and found that despite a higher learning curve that MGI PhotoSuite (a previous Gateway favorite and very easy to use for great results), it performed very nicely. The press I've seen about the current version touts more features and easier use, but so far the manual is as daunting as ever. Like most software, I'll just have to leap in and use it. Mostly I need to do some textures with transparent parts for builds in Second Life. With any luck, it will encourage me to start using my highly-expensive digital camera more often. I miss having the photo bug.