I'm sure you're going to get a lot of people on here telling you that Photoshop is tops- and I totally agree! Now that I am into photography I find that having a good photo editing program is essential, and Photoshop hasn't let me down yet. And don't let the stores suck you in to buying the $700 CS2 version, because 1) it's veery expensive 2) it does most of the same things as the "less advanced" versions 3) it is very difficult to learn how to use. As for myself, I like Photoshop 4.0. They have a 5.0 out now, which would probably be a bit better, but I haven't looked into it so I don't know what is different about it. If you go that route you will be looking at spending about $100 or slightly more. It's definitely worth it to have, and it has so many capabilities. You'll be blown away! If you're new to using Photoshop, you'll definitely want to go through their tutorials and maybe find some others online that can help you achieve a certain effect that you're going for. Best of luck with your decision, and may all your editting look stellar!