Oh Dear! ... Sally!!

[Kiwi]

I just come across this reply by you in the PSP Forum ...
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BTW, PSP is easier than some other programs, you should try learning Ulead's PhotoImpact next, a whole new level of beginner frustration. However, both of these are fabulous programs if you can hang in there and do those tutorials.
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Photo Impact is the easiest program that I have ever tried to learn, no playing about with layers and such ... easy peasy lol.

Had PSP but never really bothered with it as the learning curve is too steep and PI can do it all anyway!

Oopps! Forgot to mention that PI is also the only software I've seriously tried, apart from Xara.

[Grafixman]

The thing with all programs is that there is no one size fits all. It depends on how you work, I suppose. I draw faster in PI than in Corel Draw. And exporting for web is a snap in PI....
Want a steep learning curve? Try to learn Blender... I think they named it that because it's what your brain goes through when you first try to learn it...

[sallybode]

I have taken the time to learn both and much prefer PI to PSP because it does more and the quality output if PSP isn't even in the ball park. There are a few things I like better about using PSP, but not a lot.

At points, PI is better at retouch than Photoshop. If you are working with a big file, Photoshop manages memory better. I am talking about posters mainly. Or if you have a ton of layers and don't merge every now and then.

PI offers more of a challenge.

I prefer that. Keeps the brain young.

It was a lot different learning PI to PSP. If I had'nt learned PSP first, I think I would have found PI quite easy. In the meanwhile I had also learned Photoshop which has parts which are similar to both.

I did a whole seriese of photoretouches in PI, I had to reconstruct shoes of all things. It would have been impossible in any othe program.

[Kiwi]

PI has suited me just fine for the last couple of years but lately I have been playing with some animated gifs that require very small objects to be drawn and it appears that Xara Extreme handles this very easily and the xara animator (though unfamiliar to me) seems to work well.

I agree.. Sally, We shouldn't always blame the tools

[Grafixman]

Ah, but very small animations can usually do without anti-aliasing. They're sharper that way and the files can usually be saved even smaller, since less colors are involved. I have never used vectors to create pixel artwork, but that is an idea. Usually, I just zoom in very close and use a 1 pixel square brush in PI. You can also open another preview window on 1:1 zoom to view how things actually look. I get a lot more control over the pixels than I would if I used vectors and exported as .gif files.

[Kiwi]

Using vectors to draw images for animating allows you to easily make small changes eg. a leg moving etc, Pixel painting will require painting every image?

The only problem I have is in spending an hour drawing an image at 1-2000% and not being able to see any detail when going back to 100%.

Good fun though!