Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0

Rating:
Summary: Elements 3.0 is Now Out
Review: This is a great product, but don't get it 'cause Elements 3.0 will be released on Oct. 11th, and Amazon is already taking pre-orders.

Elements 3.0 is a much improved version of an already great product, and includes Adobe Album built-in to it.

Check it out - the latest and best version at the same price!

Rating:
Summary: Pile of junk!
Review: Is Bill Gates running Adobe now? I have used and recommended the earlier versions. They were great! There are bugs all through this release. Steal an earlier version. This one isn't worth buying.

Rating:
Summary: Best image-editing software, incredible value
Review: Byte for byte, I really can't think of many other software products that deliver like Elements 2.0. It's tried and true (re: stable) that has more than stood the test of time. If you've used the full Photoshop product (which retails for over $500 more) you won't find much missing here if you're looking for quality image-editing software. At this price point -- $55 -- you can't go wrong. The learning curve will be less for existing Adobe or Mac users. That's because the user interface takes a lot from it's original Mac platform and as such may be a little more unfamiliar for Windows users. But don't let that scare you off. If it will make you feel more comfortable, consider one of the many basic instructional books (check out the reviews) that have been written to ease the transition. Once you get the hang of it, you'll realize it's really not that complicated to use. The bottom line: This is the standard by which all others are measured.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent product
Review: only stars off for being a little over my head at times, perhaps a little too powerful. But I'm able to undo just about anything, so eventually I get it, and it does a beautiful job.

Rating:
Summary: Now IS the time to get this one..
Review: If you are reading this review sometime between now and September 6, 2004 you can't do better when it comes to getting a GREAT program at a nearly unbeatable price (...).
In short, you get:
1, A great image browser
2. One step retouching and cropping
3. Easy uploadin for photo sharing or web sites.
4. The ability to manipulate your photos creatively and to expand your creativity - limited only by your imagination.
(...)

Rating:
Summary: Good program, but may be frustrating for beginners
Review: I am transitioning from beginner to novice with digital imaging and hope my observations will help readers who are just starting out, as I was a year ago. At that time I researched some of the leading affordable digital imaging programs and narrowed it down to Elements and MS Digital Pro. Largely because of other reviews at this site, I decided to purchase Elements. If you are a beginner, no doubt you have read conflicting observations of the user-friendliness of Elements from other reviewers. Some say its a breeze to learn, while other had difficulty learning the program. My experience was such that I found the interface confusing and not very user friendly. I was spending a lot of time referring to the manual to familiarize myself with basic tasks, and became frustrated everytime I used the program for about the first 6 months. However, I learned this was due to my unfamiliarity with Adobe products rather than any shortcomings of Elements itself. So recommendation #1: If you have never used Adobe products and are a beginner to digital imaging, you may want to try MS Digital Image Pro to get you acquainted with digital imaging. I purchased the program in Dec '03 and found it to be a much more pleasurable and productive experience as I acquired the fundamentals. This program has an interface that is much more user-friendly, and tasks are completed through an activity-guided process which is really hard to mess up. Nor do you need to familiarize yourself with DOS commands to perform some of the advanced features, and you won't be spending as much time (if any) referring to a manual, unlike Elements. Now having said that, if you are the adventureous type you will likely outgrow Digital Image Pro one day as your skills evolve, and will be ready to take the affordable plunge into the Adobe world of advanced digital imaging, which is where Elements comes in. Its at this point I defer to the other reviewers who have already said it all about Elements, except for one important point. Recommendation #2: If you do decide to purchase Elements, consider buying an Epson scanner, such as the 2400 model, which at the the time of this review, will cost you $129 through Amazon and will include Adobe Elements as the bundled digital imaging software. I wish I had known about that a year ago.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Amazing
Review: You will not find a more powerful graphics program for this retail price. I have been using Photoshop Elements for a few years now. I am just now learning its true capabilities. This comes packed with most of the features found in the professional version. Yet it is only a fraction of the cost. If you are looking for a photo/graphics editing program, you will not be disapointed. Believe me, there is nothing out better out there, for a better price than this!