Photoshop -vs- Corel versions

[Ghastly]

Hi Guys - I'm a programmer, not a graphics guy.  When I first began to need to manipulate graphics, I learned Corel because it was like 1/3 the price of Photoshop  (well enough to do the things I needed to do, anyway) and have pretty much stuck with it ever since.  But... it never worked real well for a lot of things where you take the output and use it in another program - (the alpha channel always seems to be "wierd" compared to when you create the same thing in Photoshop, for example).  

The problem is, What I own - CorelDraw V 7 - is way long in the tooth, and I'm not even going to mess with trying to do the graphics associated with creating maps in it.

So, it's time to spend money ... and I don't really want to spend more than I need to, so... for those of you who create maps, what graphical editing software do you recommend for someone who's not a graphics pro?

If Photoshop, does CS3 have what I need?
Is the extra stuff in Extended worth having for this purpose?
Does Elements do everything I'll need if I want to do it on the cheap?

Does anyone use the CorelDraw Graphics Suite X3 and if so, does it do everything I'd need, and without problems?  Since I own C7, I could get the upgrade for 1/6th the cost of CS3 - and frankly, I have ALWAYS found Photoshop to be bewildering, but have learned Corel well enough to do what I need, eventually.  

But, in the past, Corel has been problematic if you try to use it's output for anything except "pure graphics:, and if it's going to create headaches, cheap will equal expensive in time and aggravation real real fast...

Or is there another graphics package that people are using that's just as good, but not so mainstream and so not as obvious?

Thanks in advance,

[Xjazz]

The GIMP is free.

[NUTTZ]

I use Corel x3,  I am a Corel user for life. corel 9 is my favorite. CorelPaint will do everything photoshop will do. CorelDraw will do everything Adobe illustrator will do. having working with both Corel and Photoshop I still prefer Corel THE ONLY thing that Photo shop (IMO) is do "sepia" conversions better. I also feel Corel is alot more user freindly.

Your Corel 7 should work fine.

ANY questions you need answered in Corel I can help.

NUTTZ

Originally posted by Ghastly
Hi Guys - I'm a programmer, not a graphics guy.  When I first began to need to manipulate graphics, I learned Corel because it was like 1/3 the price of Photoshop  (well enough to do the things I needed to do, anyway) and have pretty much stuck with it ever since.  But... it never worked real well for a lot of things where you take the output and use it in another program - (the alpha channel always seems to be "wierd" compared to when you create the same thing in Photoshop, for example).  

The problem is, What I own - CorelDraw V 7 - is way long in the tooth, and I'm not even going to mess with trying to do the graphics associated with creating maps in it.

So, it's time to spend money ... and I don't really want to spend more than I need to, so... for those of you who create maps, what graphical editing software do you recommend for someone who's not a graphics pro?

If Photoshop, does CS3 have what I need?
Is the extra stuff in Extended worth having for this purpose?
Does Elements do everything I'll need if I want to do it on the cheap?

Does anyone use the CorelDraw Graphics Suite X3 and if so, does it do everything I'd need, and without problems?  Since I own C7, I could get the upgrade for 1/6th the cost of CS3 - and frankly, I have ALWAYS found Photoshop to be bewildering, but have learned Corel well enough to do what I need, eventually.  

But, in the past, Corel has been problematic if you try to use it's output for anything except "pure graphics:, and if it's going to create headaches, cheap will equal expensive in time and aggravation real real fast...

Or is there another graphics package that people are using that's just as good, but not so mainstream and so not as obvious?

Thanks in advance,

[OOZ662]

Originally posted by Xjazz
The GIMP is free.

Yes. Very yes.

[Ghastly]

Thanks guys!  Given your advice I'll update my Corel (since it's minor dollars) and give Gimp a try...

(and thanks again!)

[OOZ662]

Remember that GIMP is originally Linux (Unix?), so it's interface is a little different. Not too bad though; still very easily useable.