[gchappel]

Photoshop is still the king. Most professionals, all the ones I know, use photoshop as the basis of there image production, although several other programs are also in the workflow loop. This program is very powerful, but it is also large and expensive. Much like our 911's, in the right hands and with the right training, photoshop can do amazing things. If you give me a newbie at the track and he wants to learn to drive fast right now, the 911 is not the car for him. The 911 takes time and experience to drive well. Photoshop is the same. I have used it since 1989 and would not trade it for anything. If you are new and just want to make nice pictures for a while it might be overkill- other programs like elements are easier to use and may give better results the first month you are using it. If you are bitten by the photography hobby, or looking at becoming a pro, jump into photoshop. It will take some study and time to get good results, but it can be worth it. Most of these programs have a 30 day trial, take advantage of that. Also look at what you want to accomplish. Do you shoot raw, or jpg? Are you going to print 4x6 prints of your dog, or are you looking to produce 16x20 gallery prints? How much time do you want to spend post processing? All the programs work, most work very well- the more complex, the harder they are to learn, but at the same time the more they can do to help you produce that perfect image.
Gary