Very cool and so helpful to get reviews from folks we know. I'm dl'ing it now; thanks!

I was on a free image editor kick when mine expired recently and stumbled onto Serif PhotoPlus [6.0 is free, no time trial, but they are on 10+ now methinks]. Dandy for the basics [all I know]. It does have layers and masking for those who do all that [basic layerer here but masks escape me].

Hey, your Fstop post was too cool, btw. Me, I don't know an fstop from my wickedwitchfeet doorstop, but I did see differences, which was cool.

If you ever post particle beam thingy tips I miss, y'all drop me a line at my new email addy [cafeaulait @ still icky juno...it always makes me want a latte ;>]

I posted to a computer review forum, the guys downloaded it and loved it. I don't doubt one will write a tutorial on how to use it.

Thanks so much for the link. I've yet to install it but after reading what others had to say, looks like I'll love it when I do.

Here is a link that might be useful: What users say

I wonder what the price will be when the beta version expires in February.

I did some searches to see if anyone was hinting at a price somewhere but didn't find anything.

I imagine a couple or three hundred dollars since it looks like it's designed to compete with Aperture which is around 299.

I just really like the way it lays things out in the Library filmstrip and the way the workflow proceeds from left-to-right and top-to-bottom.

I've never used any truly high-end program so I don't know how to compare it to anything else. (I don't even know if it would be in the "high-end" category. I do know that I like it better than the Photoshop I'm using now, which is also Adobe.

I've been reading reviews online and some are from the earlier betas so they're not very flattering but they improve over time.

I don't know; it's just that it's free right now and something to "play" with.

MichaelAT