What is the best upgrade?

[toez]

I have been using pse 3 for years (& not too well, mindyou). but have recently taken classes in the basics of pse 5. Now I find out there is a pse 6 ! Which should I download, pse 5 or 6? Will the download remain seperate from my pse 3 or will the programs merge together. I have just downloaded 1200 vacation photos into pse3 & started editing. Please give me recommendations for which program. Thanks

[Ted D.]

The download will keep 6 seperate from ver 3.

[Codebreaker]

Be aware though that your PSE6 Catalog will not be readable by any previous version.

Of course you should also be asking yourself - why do I need an update? What can't I do with PSE3 that PSE 5/6 will let me do?

Colin

[Karin Sue]

If you are ready to upgrade I think you should probably go with 6, the newest version unless you've got a great buy on 5 somewhere.

I am still using 2 and feel I haven't mastered all it has to offer yet. And it is old enough that all the how to books and cds are really cheap.

Another reason I am not in a hurry to upgrade is that each new version, while it does more, also takes more computer resources. I might not upgrade PSE until after I have a new computer. (Or buy a tablet with whatever version it comes with)

You might want to post info about your computer and someone may be able to tell you how well 5 or 6 will run on your pc. I know people have said the the official minimum requirements are just for "able to run" and to run well you want a bit more than those.

[Rusty]

Hi Toez,

Whichever version you buy, if you do decide to upgrade from PSE2 to 5 or 6, don't worry about your pictures. You have not "downloaded 1200 vacation photos into pse3 ". You have downloaded them onto your computer.

You can access them for editing with any PSE program.

Rusty

[graficalicus]

good point, Rusty - and an often misunderstood one. The photos you've added are not in Elements #.# - they're on your computer, accessible by any application (PS, PSE, PSP, Word, Irfanview, Fast Stone, . . . . )

Upgrading and removing earlier versions of any application will not erase your images. You'll have to actually delete those photo folders to erase them from your computer.

[Chuck S.]

Grafi, I seem to recall some nasty issues with Organizer in some earlier version doing unexpected deletions of images. Possibly operator error, but I think I'd have all my images backed up elsewhere (preferably on DVD or CD) before doing major surgery on Elements versions.

If I'm wrong about that, I'll delete this post so I don't unnecessarily scare anyone....!

[graficalicus]

that's an operator thing, Chuck, where the user has to actually click "Delete image". There are a few options in the organizer iteself - remove from catalog, delete image, etc., that could cause confusion. That's actually within the program, though, and requires a definite click.

But simply upgrading from one version to the next won't delete any images - especially, as you say, everything is backed up on DVD / CD. Everyone does, of course, back up all their images as soon as they get them off their camera, though, right...? Right? ;)

[toez]

From Toez - your comments were very helpful, everyone. Now I just have to learn how to use this board!!: