All Graphics and publishing

The Bottom Line: The professional's choice for image editing spawns Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended to appeal to select vertical markets, but it delivers mixed results.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, DVD-ROM, XGA monitor, 64MB video memory, Internet connection, MacOS

The Bottom Line: The professional's choice for image editing spawns Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended to appeal to select vertical markets, but it delivers mixed results.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, DVD-ROM, XGA monitor, 64MB video memory, Internet connection, MacOS

The Bottom Line: The professional's choice for image editing spawns Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended to appeal to select vertical markets, but it delivers mixed results.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, DVD-ROM, XGA monitor, 64MB video memory, Windows, QuickTime 7.0 or later

The Bottom Line: With its streamlined tools, enhanced nondestructive editing capabilities, and better performance, Adobe Photoshop CS3 will look very attractive to almost any user.

Specs: Intel Pentium 4, Intel Xeon, Intel Core Duo, PowerPC G4, PowerPC G5, DVD-ROM, Intel Pentium 4, Intel Xeon, Intel Core Duo, PowerPC G4, PowerPC G5

The Bottom Line: With its streamlined tools, enhanced nondestructive editing capabilities, and better performance, Adobe Photoshop CS3 will look very attractive to almost any user.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, DVD-ROM, XGA monitor, 64MB video memory, Internet connection, MacOS

The Bottom Line: Adobe has improved the speed of Flash and its integration with other CS3 apps, although flashy new features are few. Plus, Flash now works natively on Intel-based Macs.

Specs: Intel Pentium 4, Intel Xeon, Intel Core Duo, PowerPC G4, PowerPC G5, DVD-ROM, Intel Pentium 4, Intel Xeon, Intel Core Duo, PowerPC G4, PowerPC G5

The Bottom Line: This raw work-flow application isn't the Holy Grail many hoped it would be, but Apple Aperture 1.5 could make life easier for photographers who need to cull, retouch, and output large numbers of photographs quickly and efficiently.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, 1.5, DVD-ROM, MacOS

The Bottom Line: Expression Studio includes Microsoft's FrontPage replacement and three other new applications for creating and managing images, Web sites and rich media applications.

Specs: 1 PC, License, MacOS, Windows

The Bottom Line: For downloading, retouching, and exporting raw-format photos, Adobe Lightroom is the cat's pajamas.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, Apple MacOS X 10.4, 1 GHz, 1.0, CD-ROM, XGA monitor, 1 GHz, MacOS, Windows

The Bottom Line: Roxio continues to improve a strong suite and keep Toast current with the release of version 8. If the Mac OS and Apple's bundled apps don't meet your disc-creation needs, pick up Toast at once.

Specs: 1 user, Complete package, 8, CD-R, DVD-R, MacOS, QuickTime 7.1 or later