I have used Photoshop since version 4.0 and like using it on a day to day bases. An artist friend of mine once said to me, if you want to master Photoshop you have to practice while using it. Practice is the key to mastering any version of Photoshop. If you are new to this program than you are in for a treat. If you are an expert than this review can help you decide if this latest version is what you need.

First of all you have to meet some requirements before you can even consider using Photoshop 7. This version was intended and developed to run on the Macintosh with OS 10 + and Windows XP.

• However  you can run using the very basics on a Macintosh G3 or G4 or a dual G4 with OS9.1 or OS 9.2 and OS 10. A mere 320 MB of hard drive space with 192 MB of RAM.

• For Windows use will need a minimum and comparable to an Intel Pentium III, or a Pentium 4 with Windows 98, Windows 98 second edition, Windows 2000 and XP. You will need at the least 280 MB of hard drive space and 192 MB of RAM

Okay let say you meet all the requirement is this a version of Photoshop that you need to upgrade too? First of all if your after speed you will be happy to know that version 6 is very quick too. You will not see much of a difference unless your using a dual processor. Advancement come with every new version and there are improvements and added tools also. However not all versions are created equal. Abobe and other manufactures no that customer do not upgrade every year. If they did they would stop upgrading and just buy a version possibly many years later or never again. Manufactures allow for a year or two to pass without the customer losing out on those incentive to upgrade prices. This version of adobe Photoshop 7 costs about one thousand dollars Canadian or $609 US and the upgrade is about $230 Canadian and $149US. Which one would you pick?
If the customer is given the option to miss a year or so they tend to stay loyal to that company. If they were to lose the upgrade status cause thay did not want or need to upgrade yearly, than they tend to buy other software that would come closer to meeting their demands.

Here are the high light to what is new

• Computer with Mac OS X and Windows XP
• Paint Engine
• Healing brush tool
• Patch Tools
• File browser
• Enhanced Liquefy filter
• Picture package
• PIM Plug - in

What does this all mean? If you are new to Photoshop this version is a great buy. Here are what these new features do.

Now I know why at times I favor using version 5.5 over 6 and that is five still had the paint brush. In version seven Adobe brings the paint brush back A redesigned engine adds multi new improvements. With an endless option to create different size of brushes, styles and sensitivity. This tool borrows from the technology once only obtain by using a Wacom tablet, now incorporates a pen like pressure sensitivity. Using this sensitivity allows for an endless array of fluid like appearance.

Much has been said about this tool the "Healing Brush". Similar to the rubber stamp tool the new tool will automatically preserve the image's shading, lighting, and texture. This is all done at the same time which at one time may have had to be done in four or five steps.

Ever wonder or had to resize an image for printing now use can. You can do multi reseizing of images ready to be printed.

Taken into the consideration of computers with multi - processing capabilities. If you want speed here is where you will see it. Bench mark testing a dual 500 Meg Hertz computer, revealed that it will out rank a computer with 900 Mega Hertz computer by as much as thirty percent. A difference of thirty percent may make a difference to to you.

Network sharing is more common among muti - computer users and office settings. Now by incorporating through the Acrobats 5 engine, you can use a PDF to create a passwords that can be assigned to photo images thus restrict access to anyone who does not have the right password. If you lose your password - oops those files are hidden from you too.

A browser like recreation of images collected through out your hard drive are gathered and displayed as thumbnails on a single page. If a zip drive or Cd in the player has any images they will also be include as a thumb nail. Included with each thumb nail is information on color, size, date created, or date modified. The exchangeable image file or EXIF is information gathered when using a camera can now added to the information visible to the user. In Photoshops browser you can rename, sort, rank, and rotate your images with out altering the original. This feature takes into account that your computer has a lot of RAM installed.

If your using an Epson color printer  via a plug - in you can use the print image matching or PIM technology. Images can now benefit by using Epson technology. I never had any problems when using a color jet by HP.

As you can see there are many new feature which may suggest upgrading to this version is a must. If you work with many camera created images this maybe more than enough reason to move towards this version. However if you need to upgrade to a new operating system and you don't have a top end computer the added expenses may stop you from buying this version. Version six is still satisfying professional users around the world so your not alone if you stay here another year. It is within your upgrading rights and pocket book fiances to remain with the version you are presently using. In other reviews read, it had suggested that with the new tools many professionals are not making the jump to this version. Adobe offers you a free trail of Photoshop 7 to download to your computer. If you have the proper requirement than let yourself be the final judge whether you need this version Photoshop 7 or not..