Adobe Photoshop CS3

Adobe Photoshop CS3 does more than the casual user needs to do, but reviews say it's by far the best photo-editing software for graphics pros on PCs and Macs. Experts say the novice will be a bit lost and ought to consider Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 (*est. $80), which has a "guided" level to do the basics. You may need to take a class to use Photoshop CS3, but once you learn it, you can manipulate photos just about any way possible. It's especially recommended for those who use RAW image files (you can change the photo's lighting), and it has non-destructive editing, meaning you'll always have an original version as well as a tweaked one. Improvements over the CS2 include better interface and dedicated black-and-white conversion tool.

Oddly, Consumer Reports' bare-bones coverage of photo-editing software doesn't include Adobe Photoshop CS3. But there are plenty of other options. PC Magazine, CNet.com and American Photo give Editors Choice awards to the CS3. A review in the Houston Chronicle is written by a Mac expert who says CS3 was great even while he worked on a laptop. User reviews at Amazon.com often are helpful. But note that in this case, the average score doesn't tell the whole story because most of the most negative ratings concern vendors rather than the software.