Dada,

I own Photoshop/Illustrator, Corel Draw/Photopaint, Corel Painter, Paint Shop Pro, etc., etc. (I'm a junkie).

If I had to survive with only one program I'd choose Xara X without question. It is the finest piece of software I've ever encountered.

If I could have two pieces of software I would select Xara X and either Photoshop or Painter. Photoshop is much more the industry standard and easier to use. Painter, on the other hand, has some absolutely wonderful, unique features not duplicated in any other package.

Good luck.

Brian.