PSP XI is here!

[Emma]

I just heard that CompUSA was giving PSP X for $10 after rebates, which prompted my PSP class to wonder when XI was coming out, and LOL! Here it is!

http://apps.corel.com/edm/psppxi/3154/us/index.html?trkid=psppx1s2b

I'm definitely getting this one right away!

And I have to add, just for the violin music, that this has happened EVERY month I've debuted a new class, in EVERY software! I'd better write that PSP Brushes class quick because if I don't XII will come out the month I release that!

What is UP with that? I need to get on the beta testing lists...

[Maikku]

I'm itching to get it but I wonder how it is better. I just got used to the changes from PSP9. :D

[canay]

Thanks Emma. I was just "talking" in the Corel group about Comp USA's $10 offer. They mentioned that XI may be coming out in a few weeks...and voila here it is. I am anxious to see what people think of XI as apparanetly many were disappointed in version X. Off to check it out. I am at work and can't be doing homework anyway...well...probably shouldn't be reading posts either... LOL

[Emma]

here's the XI trial download
http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CorelCom/ProcessLayout&lc=en&ppg=CorelCorp/Trials/Login&pid=1156169694605&cid=1156169693940&trkid=pspdrfilefinderr

Remember, you have 30 days from INSTALL to play with this

[Stacey42]

A new version coming out was my first thought when I saw X was only $10, but really, I thought it would be closer to Xmas when it was launched. I've enjoyd X so I'm going to hold off on getting XI for now, but I'm eager to read what people think of it.

[Emma]

what the ???

Here's the new PSE 5.0 today too!!! Looks like they were in a RACE!
http://direct.adobe.com/v?xJHnJvnETWJJcJcl

I MUST say I'm glad so I can go in and edit my PSE class I'm writing now and not AFTER it's completely done, LOL!

[ScrapMel]

Okay, a question, is PSPX worth the $10? Probably a silly question, but I have PSEv4 and I have a 'lite' version of PSP (studio) which does text on a path (which is sooooo gooooood!). What would PSPX offer me that I don't have with PSEv4? Emma? Since you are proficient at both, what do you say? I do know that PSP Studio doesn't handle scripts - or I haven't gotten them to work! lol.

[starmom5000]

I have pse3, psp9, and ps7, and the new features for pse5 and psp11 just aren't compelling enough for me to upgrade. I kinda like the color changer in psp, though, but that just seems more like a 60 dollar toy, and while tempting, just isn't worth 60 dollars to me.

Both new programs seem to be emphasizing photos (note that in the new psp name? giving adobe a run for the money?), but I'm not a photographer, just a picture-taker, and the tools I already have will suffice, more than enough.

Heck, I think all three of my programs are magic. I've added a couple plug ins, some additional brushes, and I have more than I can use as it is.

Although, if I could get PSCS2 for the same price...... well, that would be another story entirely....

[crazycowgirl]

Anybody testing PSPXI yet??????
I love version X and I'm thrilled I got the e-mail from them today about the new version. I want to know NOW what is new....I guess I may have to go to town and d/l it so I can see. LOL I'm a PSP addict.

[dmrdm]

Yesterday when I got home to check emails, I had two...one from Corel on PSP XI and one from Adobe for Elements 5. Wild isn't it. Last time around Corel beat Elements out and this time around emails come out on the same day. Would actually be nice if they didn't come out with new ones every year and just come out with new ones when they really, really, really had a lot of good new stuff.

[Maikku]

I just downloaded PSPXI trial! Too bad I have ot go to work.. So far it looks same as PSPX.

[Emma]

I think X is worth $10 for sure! So cheap, they're just cleaning otu shelf space!

I have to buy the upgrades since I teach, many of them I wouldn't bother with. I think 8 and 9 were pretty similar, X was a bit more of a jump. Not sure about XI yet, have the trial downloaded and waiting to install when I have time to play later this week so I get more days to play!

I agree the upgrades are too frequent, I'm going broke, and I can't keep my classes up to date fast enough, LOL! Not much earth shattering in there. I usually would do every OTHER upgrade. And sometimes I do, just getting the trial and learning the new features, but I haven't done that for awhile now.

[Emma]

do we have to start calling it PSPP now? Might be good since Play Station Personal is PSP and confuses me elsewhere online, LOL!

Here's the What's New from the Help file
What’s new in Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI
Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI carries on where the last version of Corel Paint Shop Pro left off by offering affordable, powerful, professional-grade tools and features. Photo enthusiasts — ranging from professional photographers to digital camera newcomers — can take their projects to a higher level with a toolset that yields astonishing results yet is easy to learn.

Integrated photo management
There’s much more to Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo than powerful image-editing tools and features. It’s a multifaceted digital photography suite that lets you effortlessly import, organize, and share photos with the built-in Organizer.

• New! Organizer — This one-stop photo-management center takes the guesswork out of finding photos stored on a computer. You can search for images by filename, date, file type, or folder location. Thumbnail zooming makes finding a particular image even easier and faster. The ability to assign keywords, ratings, and other information to an image gives you even more ways to search for photos. The Organizer is customizable, so you have several options for integrating it into their workflow. In addition, EXIF-data editing and the ability to play and extract frames from video files make the Organizer an essential, time-saving tool for hobbyists and professionals alike.
• New! Quick Review — You can review photos and videos in a full-screen slide show format. Not only can you preview photos in a slide show, you can use Quick Review to apply a quick fix to a slide, set a rating for a slide, add captions, and rotate images in a slide show. You can then share your images by saving or e-mailing your images as a slide show file.
• New! Photo Trays — You can gather photos from various folders and then e-mail, print, or upload the gathered photos.
• New! Image Information panel — You can access key information about your photos quickly and easily in the Image Information panel. You can also rate your photos, as well as add keywords and dates, to facilitate image searching.

Essential photo tools
Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo is renowned for being user-friendly because your feedback has always played such a major role in the program’s development. From requesting one-click automatic fixes that take the guesswork out of image correction to demanding advanced tools that meet the exacting standards in digital photography, you the user have spoken, and Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo has responded.

• Enhanced! Crop tool — In response to your feedback, the Crop tool has been enhanced to give you the exact dimensions you want in a snap. When you select an area of an image with the Crop tool, a floating toolbar appears below the selected area, allowing you to choose a predefined crop size or to rotate the selected crop area. For more information, see "Cropping images."
• Enhanced! One Step Photo Fix — This feature automatically adjusts the color balance, contrast, clarity, and saturation of an image. For more information, see "Making basic photo corrections automatically."
• Enhanced! Curves and Levels dialog boxes — The Curves and Levels dialog boxes have been overhauled to give you control over some of the most critical imaging adjustments. These dialog boxes now have histograms and improved rendering, so you can easily and intuitively fine-tune your work. If you are a less experienced user, you can try the three new automatic settings to optimize the contrast and color levels in your images with just a few clicks. For more information, see "Adjusting brightness and contrast."
• Enhanced! Raw camera file support — You can open and edit raw files from leading digital cameras.
• New! Video file compatibility — You can now make the most of video clips. Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI lets you view video clips and extract frames from a clip.
• Enhanced! E-mail — Sharing images and photo projects has never been easier. You can e-mail photos, slide shows, and video clips as embedded files or attachments. A preview allows you to double-check images before they’re sent, and the program keeps a running count on the size of the selected files. For more information, see "E-mailing photos, videos, and slide shows."

Ingenious editing tools
Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo has a powerful toolset that can fix virtually any digital photo imperfection. If the problem stems from the quality of the image produced by the camera, you will find a series of tools that offer easy, quick corrections. Or, if photo subjects don’t look their best in the photo, Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo can spruce up their appearance.

• New! Color Changer tool — You can easily change colors in digital images to achieve more realistic colors. Rather than simply replacing a color, the Color Changer tool detects and analyzes variations in brightness caused by real-world illumination and reapplies the illumination to the new color to produce a realistic effect. For more information, see "Recoloring image areas for a realistic effect."
• New! Skin Smoothing — You can quickly and easily even out the skin tone of people in their photos with the new Skin Smoothing feature. A preview of the change lets you choose how much smoothing to apply. For more information, see "Applying cosmetic corrections."
• New! Compatibility with Corel Painter Essentials and Corel Painter — Renowned among digital artists, photo hobbyists, and professional photographers, Corel Painter and Corel Painter Essentials can simulate a wide range of traditional art tools. Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI now supports RIFF, the native file format for both of these programs.

Unique special effects
Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo offers an array of graphics tools and creative effects that help you transform a photo into a truly unique image. Whether you are inspired by a photographic process from a bygone era or want to add stunning artistic effects to your images, you’ll find the tools that let you unleash your creativity.

• New! Time Machine — Now you can see what your photos would look like if they had been taken in another era. The Time Machine offers a range of settings based on photo styles from the 1830s to the 1980s, so you can easily send your photos back in time. For more information, see "Creating vintage-style photos with the Time Machine."
• New! Film and Filters — Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo XI provides a range of effects inspired by classic film and filter types. You can combine different effects with different film or filter types to produce interesting, eye-catching results. For more information, see "Applying film and filter effects to photos."
• New! Depth of Field — You can now easily draw attention to a specific area of an image. The new Depth of Field effect lets you apply focus to a region of a photo while applying an out-of-focus blur to the rest of the image. This new feature lets you easily replicate the look of the depth-of-field feature found in high-end cameras. For more information, see "Creating an area of focus by controlling depth of field."

Corel Snapfire Plus SE
Corel Snapfire Plus SE is a preview product that offers you a series of great image-editing and photo-management tools that work in tandem with Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo. These tools can help you import, edit, and share your images. After the limited preview period, you can continue to use the more basic features, which are found in Corel Snapfire.

• Photo Doctor — The Photo Doctor removes the guesswork from photo correction by analyzing a digital photo and recommending when Quick Fix should be applied. With a single click, you can then adjust the color balance, contrast, clarity, and saturation to optimal levels.
• Corel Photo Downloader — When you plug devices such as cameras or card readers into your computer, Corel Photo Downloader can automatically download the photos and let you edit them with Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo or Corel Snapfire. Corel Photo Downloader has a memory function that keeps track of which photos have already been downloaded, and you can easily view the most recent downloads. What’s more, you can instruct the Corel Photo Downloader to perform the download automatically when a camera or memory card is inserted.
• Simple photo projects — Corel Snapfire Plus SE includes many creative templates designed to inspire you to do more with your photos. With drag-and-drop simplicity, you can easily create stunning album pages, greeting cards, calendars, and collages.

[ScrapMel]

Where is this PSPX for $10? I went to CompUSA and it shows it as $30 after rebate - did I miss it????

[Emma]

not sure if that offer is over: there was an instant rebate at the register, then a mail in rebate as well. I think the instant was $20 and the mail in was $30 or something like that for a final price of $10

[canay]

I have pse3, psp9, and ps7, and the new features for pse5 and psp11 just aren't compelling enough for me to upgrade. I kinda like the color changer in psp, though, but that just seems more like a 60 dollar toy, and while tempting, just isn't worth 60 dollars to me.

Both new programs seem to be emphasizing photos (note that in the new psp name? giving adobe a run for the money?), but I'm not a photographer, just a picture-taker, and the tools I already have will suffice, more than enough.

Heck, I think all three of my programs are magic. I've added a couple plug ins, some additional brushes, and I have more than I can use as it is.

Although, if I could get PSCS2 for the same price...... well, that would be another story entirely....


We sound so similar. I have PSP9 which I use the most, I have great plugins that my son gave me for mother's day a couple of years ago, PSE2 that came with my scanner and I have't really used, PSCS2 that my DH gave me for mother's day, I have been taking some lessons and learning it, HP Scrapbook Assistant that I won from DSP and have not used. And for my birthday my girlfriend gave me CK Scrapbook Designer by Broderbund...my friends don't really get digi scrapping:) Well, it comes with 600 fonts so not all will be lost.

Way too many tools for my liitle hobby!

Sorry...back to the purpose of the thread! Over at the Corel newsgroups they just set up a new group for PSPPXI. Sounds like some people are extremely not happy with the new browser/organizer. Also, some scripts don't work properly on selections. Apparantely this was a problem in version X and it hasn't been addressed in the new version. A couple people commented that when they try to send pics by email it will only do so in Outlook not Outlook Express.

The only positive response so far is that the brush size has been increased to 1,000. Yippee, that is good news for scrappers. But that will probably mean that brushes created in PSPPX won't be backwards compatible.

Another complaint is that the upgrade price is the same price that Corel is offering to the general public. Should current users get a better deal for upgrading? I happen to agree with this one:)

So still contemplating what to do...probably will stay with what I have and wait for the stores to start offering large rebates on the new version. Until then like you my programs are magic and I have more than I can handle anyway.

LOL...I actually thought about learning HP Scrapbook Assistant just so I could help newbies that come to the site. I think I am just a learning junkie:)

[canay]

do we have to start calling it PSPP now? Might be good since Play Station Personal is PSP and confuses me elsewhere online, LOL!*snip*


I know!!!!! I google PSP tutorials and get all kinds of stuff for the play station.....

[Pam]

I guess it comes down to what you use your software for - and if you already have something or are starting from scratch. The "bells and whistles" sure aren't necessary for someone creating scrapbook pages - the HP Creative Scrapbook Assistant will allow you many options for making pages.

The present versions of PS and PSP will create amazing effects and elements. What I personally would like is one program that will tweak my digital and scanned photos and another for scrapbooking so as not to use so much computer memory for preloaded tools.

[Emma]

that' what I use my HP for: fast pages! Serious photo retouching or element creation is done in my photo editing/graphics software, but once I have a kit in my hand, whether I made it or downloaded it, HP can scrap as well as anything!

[debbers]

Increased brush size.... sounds intriguing to me. And the new color changer tool caught my eye. If the new depth of field tool will do it gradually, that would interest me, too.

I am irritated because I upgraded to X *5* weeks before XI was released. If it had been *4*, evidently I would have qualified for an upgrade to XI.

Had I known XI was anywhere near close in the next three or four MONTHS, I'd have never upgraded until it was ready.

So much for MY psychic abilities...

deb

[cmdixon]

I am irritated because I upgraded to X *5* weeks before XI was released. If it had been *4*, evidently I would have qualified for an upgrade to XI.

Had I known XI was anywhere near close in the next three or four MONTHS, I'd have never upgraded until it was ready.

So much for MY psychic abilities...

deb

How do you get the upgrade? I JUST updated to X last Saturday. I got the email about XI on Tuesday. :(

[debbers]

Colleen: Check the corel site, one of the questions in their knowledgebase, or whatever they call it, gives instructions.

I sure hope you get some satisfaction from them on this.

:)

deb

[Stacey42]

The color changer tool sounds a lot like the color manipulator tool that was in PSP9 (and X only hidden) I use that rather often. Is it a big difference? I'm not finding anything on the corel site that compares them, probably because it was 'unused' in X. I'm not at a connection speed to download the trial and find out for myself right now.

[cmdixon]

Colleen: Check the corel site, one of the questions in their knowledgebase, or whatever they call it, gives instructions.

I sure hope you get some satisfaction from them on this.

:)

deb

Well alright! I called. Because I bought version X at CompUSA, they said I'd have to adhere to their return policy. If I had bought it through Corel, they would have just swapped it for me. BUT, she was willing to offer me version XI for $25.00 - that was for the electronic version. If I wanted a CD mailed to me it was going to cost an additional $7.00. So, I went ahead and paid $25. This includes the 2 hours of video training and Corel Snapfire Plus SE.

I'm so glad you said something Deb!

[Christine]

Do any of you that have PSP X also have the Redfield free plug-ins? I just recently dl'd the PSP X trial, so glad I didn't buy it now that XI is out. I had PSP 9 and my Redfield plug ins worked fine, but when I tried to add them to X they aren't in my effects even though the Eye Candy ones that are in the same folder are there. I do have the subfolder checked under file location preferences. I emailed Redfield and they said they are compatible with PSP, but I am not seeing them. The funny thing is they don't show up in my Corel Photo Paint 12, which they are supposes to be compatible with, as well. In both cases I have double checked that the file locations are correct for the plug-ins and restarted my program, computer, etc. I am wondering if XI will support them. I actually have 18 days left on my X trial, so I thought I would use up those days then try the XI for another 30 days before I have to buy it. :) Hopefully one of you brilliant ladies can help me out. I am just getting into the raster side of digital imaging. Give me CorelDRAW and the vector side any day, there I can do cool stuff. With rasters I think I just keep reading help files and tutorials. Hopefully someday I will figure it out. Thanks in advance for your help.

[JusteKash]

I downloaded the PSPXI trial (I currently use PSPX) and had the chance to play around with it yesterday. The new features are nice, but I was able to accomplish some of them already in PSPX.

What I don't like is how much computer memory PSPXI uses - a real hog! I have as much RAM in my computer that it can hold and it zips along quite nicely. But when I was playing with PSPXI, I would get program pop-ups telling me that my actions would require a lot of memory. Next thing, my computer was telling me that my virtual memory system was too low! It took nearly an hour just to resize a layout.

The other thing I didn't like about PSPXI is that my brushes, tubes, etc. are all arranged in a different order on the pull downs and the file names for them no longer appear. I knew the file names for most of my favorite brushes, but now it is a scavenger hunt to find them.

Think I will stick with PSPX.

[debbers]

I have PSP X, and the Redfield free filters, and they show up normally. Not sure why they wouldn't be showing up if they are in your Corel->Paint Shop Pro -> Plugins directory. The Refield ones live in a folder all their own in there.

Maybe it has something to do with the preview version.

But they work fine in my PSP X. And some of their commercial plug ins are on my list of things I'd like to get one day.

deb

[Christine]

Yeah I got them working, I had them in a different folder which supposedly PSP was looking in, but when I put them under Corel, etc, they worked so go figure. Now for question # 2 about PSP X, whenever I try to do something it tells me the "image must be demoted to RGB- 8 bits/channel. Does any one know what that is all about? I am opening the new image as 16 bit, but then I can't do anything with it, makes me wonder why it is even an option. I was already to get XI, but now I am wondering if I can't figure out X how will I ever get XI, I guess the good news is I won't have to change any X habits. Thanks again.

[Emma]

most filters and tools work in 8-bit images, 16 is far more limited. It's really for a different type of graphic that I know I won't be making anytime soon! So just start w/ 8-bit

I'm updating the next run of the PSP Intro class to be version X and XI, so you'd love it!

[Christine]

Ok, thanks Emma

[Lifeweaver]

I have PSP 9 my son who also enjoys is was bugging for the PSPX glad I held off I downloaded the trial of PSPP XI and like some of the features of course I don't know if they were offered in X since I didn't get it. My daughter recently took a picture of my granddaughter in a partly shaded area I was able to play with the shaded photo fix and get it ok. But what I really liked was I could change background to black and white while keeping her in color and it wasn't allot of effort to get this effect. I may have had the capabilities to do this in 9 but never came across it. So I will probably go for it after I see what else I can do.

[LindaSH85]

OK, so I bought PSP X for my laptop in July. I don't like upgrading two months later, and I really don't like the idea that I am paying the same price for an upgrade that someone else is paying for a new version. That really sucks. Yeah, it's only $60 but that isn't chump change around here.

I don't honestly know if it's worth the cost to go from X to XI. Who has tried them both? What do you think? I haven't used it enough to really have a feel for whether or not I NEED to get the newest version! (Two freakin' months!!!!!)

What's a girl to do????

If only I could afford Photoshop for my PC to go along with PS for my Mac.... Sigh

[Maikku]

I've been using PSPX since the beginning of this year. Prior to that I used PSP9. I desided to try the trial of PSPXI and have been using it now for 15 days. I'm not too impresssed with it at all to be honest. It is extremely slow to start takes about 1-2 minutes. I should have more than enough memory I have 1435 mb and a 80G hd ,half of it empty. It constantly freezes if you have many layers open. I also get strange error messages and system crashes using the text tool and to my surprise you can no longer copy and paste from the text box.:eek: ...Someting I use all the time. I have really liked the new features like the time machine that is cool, and so is colorchanger but both are things I can live without ....not enough insentive to upgrade. The only thing I will really miss is the larger brush size. I'm happy with my PSPX and would not even recommend anyone to upgrade. That is just my 2 cents on that one...

[Haley64]

Don't make the jump so soon, just one very important thing to digital scrapbookers is even though you can see the .png optimizer it is not working correctly... it will not save with a transparent background that any other digital program can see. This is only one of the many bugs and issues reported on the corel newsgroup.
I love and live PSP but this version is something that should be by-passed for now. Let corel figure out how to make this program rock again without us paying for it!!

[mrsmojito]

Hi i'm an absolute beginner and was about to buy the software PSPX1 mentioned but not sure what to purchase after reading your views. Also the PSP tutorials are for PSPX perhaps I should start with PSPX what would you recommend and is corel the best choice, any advice appreciated.

[debbers]

Miranda .... I would have NO qualms in recommending PSP X - I read that the new PSP XI has some stability issues (from several completely different sources) so it might not be the best of things to begin with.

What you learn in PSP X will translate over to a new version when you upgrade. Sometimes they move a tool from one menu to another, or they add another function of some sort, but there aren't that many differences in PSP X and PSP XI that I've heard about yet.

The great news is that you should be able to find PSP X seriously discounted all over the place because there's a new version.

I only upgraded from PSP 9 to X about 6 weeks ago. I'm not budging from it for quite a while.

deb

[christinaquilts]

I love my PSPX too, but someone mentioned the new XI having a larger brush size and that is ONE thing I would REALLY like to have!! But if there are so many problems with it crashing and being slow, I dont know.... for now I get around the brush capabilities, say if Im making a background, by starting at 12 inches, and when i am ready to brush, I size down to half that, then when done brushing an overlay or somthing I resize back up to 12 inches... so far I have never lost any of the details by doing it this way, its just an extra step Id like to avoid....

[mrsmojito]

Hi thanks for the advice debbers, I have just tried to find corel psp x trial download and it seems that it isnt available in corel trial section only the x1 version, so I have had a search and still unable to get a trial. Anyone have any idea how to obtain pspx trial, sorry about tenuous link to initial thread topic lifeweaver.

[Mooshu]

Here's the link to the free trial: http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CorelCom/Layout&c=Product_C1&cid=1155872554948&lc=en Look for that little button that says "Try".

I did try it for two weeks and have uninstalled it. Snapfire got on my nerves taking over my camera downloads. I liked the time machine effect, but really, I could work scripts out myself for the effect, or find other filters cheaper than the £59.99 they were asking me for an upgrade.

I had thought I might work between Version 9 and XI but I found the native pspimage format isn't backwards compatible. The Deform tool was all over the place: as that was one thing I really learned to love in V9 I wasn't impressed. Depth of field seemed a good idea, but to actually get anywhere near the effect took me ages! Perhaps I'm stupid, but surely there's an easier way!

In a nutshell, I didn't like it one bit, can you tell? :p I felt, in my limited and humble opinion, that it seemed to offer less than Version 9, and it seemed all "fluff" rather than substance. Then I read a couple of reviews where they were talking about the bugs, like the png transparency, and I decided it just wasn't worth it!

Perhaps I'll get it later, when the price is reasonable and I don't feel like I'm paying through the nose for very little improvement.

[mrsmojito]

Mooshoo thanks, but as I said already I have tried this at corel the link takes me to latest version I wanted to try pspX and yeah LOL I can manage to download a trial.

[Maikku]

I think it is a good idea for you to try the trial. Best way to find out how your puter likes it too. I would definetly recommend PSPX but not the newer one I've had loads of problems it crashing and freezing (I still have about a week of the trial but have stopped using it) You can propably get the PSPX less$$ I saw it on Amazon for $69.99.

[mrsmojito]

Maikku I have looked on Amazon and after reading what Mooshoo said about PSP9 have found a new copy of PSP9 and photo album as a complete package for £30. now it seems quite a good deal for a beginner so I think I might start with this if theres hardly any difference between 9 and x but is the album really needed because if not I will leave it and just buy PSPx. Also I have just downloaded a TRial of Foto Finish OMG how simple it is to use in comparison to PSPX1 trial to a beginner. LOL Mooshu and Maikku thanks for the advice.

[Mooshu]

I apologise Miranda: I thought you were having trouble with the PSP XI trial download. That will teach me to read something properly before answering!

PSP9 is the last version before Corel took over: PSPX is where the layout design of the program changed and took on Corel's design, so that will make it look more like XI that you have seen.

I bought the PSP9 package this year and I've not regretted it. I haven't used the Photo Album add-on but I still think the program itself is worth the £30.

I guess the only other consideration is the fact that tutorials/classes might be a headache once the instructors upgrade to XI, so PSP 9 might be a step too far back, if you're planning on taking any classes in the future.

[mrsmojito]

Hi Mooshu :) thanks for the advice, you know what I am going to take the bull by the horns and go with PSPX and then upgrade when needed as I dont like the sound of some of the X1 reviews love the name mooshu :cool: nice to meet you. Where in UK you from, guess I should ask this in another part of the forum whoops ;)

[Mooshu]

Nice to meet you too Miranda :) I'm "oop north" from you, between Liverpool and Manchester.

I'm sure you'll be fine with PSP X: most people seem to rate it as being OK. I just didn't bother upgrading because I had only just bought Version 9.

[Emma]

PSP X got terrible reviews as well, so don't let the XI reviews scare you. Get the trial, see how it "performs"

As for tutorials in the wrong version, that'll be the case every time a new version comes out. You eventually get used to it and can read tutorials in many versions, and often other software completely! I'm also updating the Intro to PSP class to version XI and that should be available soon.

[debbers]

Mooshu: You can set your SAVE AS options to save in PXP X, PSP 9, PSP XI, whatever format. It's been that way for several versions.

For a while I did not have the same PSP at home and at work. That made bringing anything home to work on pretty dicey unless I saved as psp 9 on both of them.

I'm a latecomer to PSP X - held on to PSP 9 for a very long time. :) And I totally SKIPPED PSP 8, talk about interface change! I was so traumatized trying to move from PSP 7 to PSP 8 that I uninstalled 8 and totally gave up on it. So I used PSP 7 for years before upgrading directly to PSP 9.

Aren't we oddballs, we humans? ;)

deb

[DSanchez]

Ok well I just downloading the trail version of PSP XI, I'm learning where everything is and the icons are slightly different which throws me off, don't know too many of the new features yet because I only got a chance to play for a little bit but I do like the "Photo Effect" in which it turned my pic into one that would have been printed in 1904, nice save for a cheapy cell phone pic.

What do you think?
http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=136479&cat=500&ppuser=17787

I think after a little more play I might like this version, currently I'm using PSP 9 and although I love to digi-scrap my passion is for learning photography. After some home repairs this weekend I'm hoping to have the strength to drag myself to the computer and play with it some more. I'll let you know what I think once I do

[KSCrocheter]

I tried PSP XI..intially I LOVED it..especially the improvements on the crop tool, and the larger brush size capacity...However, as you other ladies said, it was VERY slow to boot up, crashed the system, takes a lot of memory, has bugs...I'm seriously thinking about uninstalling it, and saying to heck with it..I'll stick with what I have...( I tend to shift between 8,9, and 10 mostly...but really prefer X...but 8 will do in a pinch..I don't much care for 9...)

Nita

[debbers]

I think it's like a new version of windows -- wait until there's been at LEAST 2, preferably 3 major patches/updates before switching to it. :)

Anyone in IT will tell you *never* install Microsoft version.0 of ANYTHING on ANY production machine. :)

deb

[JusteKash]

When I first installed the trial version of PSP XI, I was a bit frustrated with the slowness and how easily it seemed to crash. But after playing with it for a couple of weeks, I decided I liked the additional features well enough to purchase the upgrade. Now maybe it's just coincidence, but after the upgrade was installed, I uninstalled X, ran some basic utility programs that seemed to make XI run a bit more efficiently. If I am working on something that I know I will want to keep, I just don't tempt fate and save periodically. I think I'm really going to like using XI.

[PurdueLiz]

I like XI as well. I just purchased X a few months ago, upgrading from PSP7. I haven't had any problems with XI and really like some of the features, especially for photos. But, I'm also an aspiring photographer, and found them to be useful.

[JusteKash]

I have been working with the trial version of PSPXI and have purchased the boxed copy which has not yet arrived. Yesterday, my trial version expired. I wanted to work on some layouts that I had created in PSPXI, but soon discovered that they will not open in PSPX. I will be able to complete them once my software arrives, but if you have decided to pass on PSPXI, you may want to resave your layouts in the current version of PSP that you use.

[snapscrappy]

i just started using the trial for XI yesterday and i'm having the same freeze, crash, RAM issues as other people have had.

i have two hard drives, one with one free gig and one with 40+ free gigs (and i installed XI on that drive). i will import a background and things go downhill from there. when i bring in a photo and try to put in a new layer things come to a screeching halt. i've tried 4 times now and haven't been able to complete one thing.

i read someplace that if you're starting with 12x12 300 ppi that could be a problem (don't know why, most software can handle that just fine) and i also read that XI will automatically put your 'undo' files in your TEMP folders - so i looked and sure enough, it had mapped my undo history to my littlest hard drive, so i remapped it to the bigger one. things still didn't work quickly (or at all).

i really, really like the interface of PSP (i used adobe elements 5.0 last month) and i think it would be very easy and fun to use this program IF IT WOULD WORK! i also really love the snapfire photo editing tool - very qucik and easy to use.

granted, when i tried adobe 5.0 it was a hog as well and running extremely slowly as well.

edit - i just tried a new project at 8x8 200 ppi and things were going much faster. but as soon as i had two photos i tried to work with - sloooooooow again.

also, i noticed when i used PSE's trial it would somehow intuitively resize the pics for me to add to my project and then let me drag by corners to further resize on my background (as well as move the pic around in the frame). PSP doesn't seem to have this feature -- does this mean i'll have to first resize every picture B4 adding it in a LO?????

[snapscrappy]

ah, i just answered my own question about resizing with a bit of googling. ;)

http://www.pixel-expressions.com/PixelExpressions/tutorials/resizing-psp-tutorial.htm

[snapscrappy]

still messing around with the trial version - things were moving along much more quickly when i used the smaller size/resolution for my canvas, i actually had 3 pictures on a background but then everything froze when i tried to crop one of the picture layers....geez.

so i still haven't managed to get one single page LO using this software yet....

anyway, i really love the image-picture frames feature - but is there a way to get the white part of the frame to be transparent once it's applied to the photo??

[GailS]

I'm not sure if this is the best place to post, but here goes:

I got an email today with a link to freely share with all my friends :) on a discounted price for Paint Shop Pro Photo XI:

Purchase Paint Shop Pro Photo XI for only $79 -- Over 20% off the suggested retail price! This is a special page not accessible to anyone via Corel.com - the only way your friends can get to it is through this link:

http://corel.rsc01.net/servlet/cc5?8hjLtQYCWYBQSAVnHptQkpuikhgxgLlFLjhQgLlV2VR

Edit: This link brings up an upgrade price of $59.99.

[debbers]

_Upgrade_ price is $59.99, too!

[Vallie]

I downloaded a trial of XI yesterday. I used 9 previously. So far I really like it. I made one layout of 13 layers and it didnt crash, did a cosmetic makeover of a photo and was very pleased with the result, the skin smoothing looked great, and I like the depth of field tool. I noticed the masks weren't named so that is a bummer, I use the names to give credit and it will be harder now. I havent checked the larger brush yet, so must play with that. I cant find Manual Color Correction so I guess it is gone.

Kashateaparty wrote " I have been working with the trial version of PSPXI and have purchased the boxed copy which has not yet arrived. Yesterday, my trial version expired. I wanted to work on some layouts that I had created in PSPXI, but soon discovered that they will not open in PSPX. I will be able to complete them once my software arrives, but if you have decided to pass on PSPXI, you may want to resave your layouts in the current version of PSP that you use."

So anything I create in XI I should save as a 9 version in case I dont keep using XI? :)

[Vallie]

Me again, I tried opening my XI pspimage layout in 9 and it wont open. I couldnt find anywhere in XI on how to save in 9 or X pspimage. The jpg is okay but the layers dont save. So now I am a bit wary of doing any more layouts just yet in it. I love the big brushes though, but the names have gone off them too. I will google around for some advice. :)

[debbers]

Vallie: YES - SAVE AS - pspimage - options button, and select v.9

If PSP XI is like PSP X, a wonderful tip I picked up here from another DSP member was to go look up the unused commands and then drag them back to where you want them in the menus!

Manual Color Correction went away in PSP X menu creation, don't ask me why. I suppose we're supposed to make heads or tails out of those really odd new fangled things they replaced it with.

So, here's how to recover Manual Color Correction (or anything else you miss):

I'm using PSP X, remember, so there's probably some token menu renaming and changes you might have to search around for. You know how THAT goes.

View menu
Select Customize - make sure this opens up plenty far away from your pull down menus.
In the Categories side of the dialog that pops up, choose UNUSED COMMANDS.
Look in the right hand colum for the menu options you miss.
Find one, literally, grab it and DRAG it up to your existing menus, let them fly out, and place this recovered one where you want it.

Rinse and repeat for each resurrected command.

deb

[JusteKash]

Me again, I tried opening my XI pspimage layout in 9 and it wont open. I couldnt find anywhere in XI on how to save in 9 or X pspimage. The jpg is okay but the layers dont save. So now I am a bit wary of doing any more layouts just yet in it. I love the big brushes though, but the names have gone off them too. I will google around for some advice. :)

Debber's reply to you as how to save your files in the event you decide to pass on XI was the same answer I received from Corel tech support. It never crossed my mind to do that since when I upgraded from IX to X, it wasn't an issue. I received my upgrade two days after ordering (using standard shipping) and find I'm really enjoying XI - the new extras are great!

[Vallie]

Thanks Kas and Deb!!!! Deb, I got my manual color correction back!! Yay!! And saved my layout in PSP9!! Yay!! Thanks so much for that, you are a marvel!! Now, I dont understand the color depth thing. PSP 9 says colours 24/16 million, PSPXI for same image says RGB 8bits/channel. Is this the same, better, not good or what. Maybe I should get PSP for dummies!! Is the quality the same and will they print the same is what I want to know and if 8bits is not good can I change it so it is always the better value? Ha Ha, I am having a DaH Day! :)

[debbers]

16 million colors = 8 bits/channel.

The new mode they added with more color ... is less than useful. Many MANY features of PSP don't utilize it ... and I don't understand what it's even for, especially when most everything you will want to do in PSP will revert back to the regular 16 million color setting. Maybe for photographers or serious high-end printing?

I mean, our monitors only do 16 million colors ... at least that's all mine does. :)

deb

[Vallie]

Thanks Deb! I will carry on! I really like the skin smoothing tool, boy it glams people up so well, very magical! :)

[debbers]

Is that the same touch up tool they added in PSP X? Or is it different than that one?

deb

[Vallie]

I dont know Deb as I didnt use X. There is a tool called "makeover tool" too which has in it a teeth whitener which is great, suntan (paint on a golden tan!) and blemish fixer which is sort of a clone brush but just one click. Under the Adjust menu is listed "skin smoothing". Somehow it just targets the skin and with one click smooths it, you can adjust the amount of smoothing on a slider. I really like it, even makes me look good! I dont know if these were in X or not but I really like them. It is fun playing around with this. :)

[Pam]

Just ordered XI. PSP has gone through so many changes since I started with it in version 3 - and with new ownership, changes are inevitable. But I loved/hated so many changes in X that we'll see. I hate the changes to the browser but kept PSP 9 on my computer (though I use it less & less). I absolutely love the red eye dropper and the makeover tool.

I had to "dig" through the customize to find the gamma correction and the manual color correction but also learned how to use the levels tool on my photos - so looking forward to the enhancements for my digital photos.

[Vallie]

Yes that red-eye remover is great. And I put manual colour correction back in the trial version I got too as I used that a lot to recolour elements with in PSP9. I guess I will have to buy this program. I dont know how much it costs in Aust so I will google around for it, but I will probably have to wait until after Christmas unless Santa is reading this!! :)

[Pam]

I'm not sure about shipping for Australia but this link (http://apps.corel.com/ms/psppxi/3668/buy.html?trkid=psppx1w2g1) has dated (until 11-3-06) offers for the program (boxed or download version), a tshirt, and 6 issues (one year) of American Photo magazine.

[Vallie]

Thanks Pam. I found it at a shop for $aus157 here which I think works out about the same in US$ though I have seen it for over $Aus200 in some places, one place had it for $aus153 but postage was $aus 12. Free t-shirt, wow! Ha Ha, maybe they should just knock a few extra bucks off the price instead. Funny thing is if I go to the shop and get it, it will have cost me $12 in train fares, plus of course a cappacino and cake or lunch! So probably works out cheaper to get it online but not as much fun! :)

[JusteKash]

The boxed version also comes with a training video CD that seems to be pretty cool.....I haven't had the time to sit down with it yet, but I did scan through it briefly and it appears that it contains video demonstrations and do-along practice exercises. I've also used the well written user guide that was enclosed to play a bit with some of the changes in PSP XI. I'm still loving it! Oh...the shirt is of decent quality - just really huge!

[Vallie]

Maybe you could wear it as a nightshirt! Ha ha!! :) I had my first crash with it today. It seized up when I tried the object remover tool. Mind you, I had no idea what I was doing so probably tried something impossible! I did the ctrl, alt delete thing but that didnt help so had to push the off button. It started up okay after reboot and I have been fixing heaps of photos since then with no problem. I like the levels for fixing the brightness/contrast. :)

[debbers]

Oooh, the Skin Smoother you're talking about is *not* in PSP X - the new Red Eye, blemish, suntan tools *are*.

deb

[Vallie]

The skin smoother is amazing!! I have just been fixing up a lot of a friend of mines photos she took at a wedding. They were an older couple and the light was not good in many of them or too harsh in some. After a bit of fiddling in PSPXI they look pretty darn good, if I may toot my own horn!! And I did a couple of layouts with them for her, and they printed up beautifully. I will definitely get this program now. :)