I got 4 letters for ya...C R A P !

The pics they always seem to be using are the 'perfect' one to use. I find this with all the programs. Of course there is no magic tool or solution to cutting out a difficult background. A number of steps and a variety of tools in your arsenal.

As for PSP XI I tried there sample for color change from a magazine which also is on their website ----> here
And it does not work as well as they say.
It seems to me that they use the kind of pictures I would actually use. I know they don't take pictures of my family.
I use a Canon A80 and Canon S3 IS for digital and sometimes my friends Nikon D200. I stopped using film since I got the above and no reliable film scanner.

I will look over the pdf you've included and see if my mind changes, but I doubt it.
Maybe you could post a picture of something that you cut out that was difficult to do in PSP XI or whatever version you have. I've only used version I and XI.

Thanks Mike