Adobe Photoshop?

I am wanting to purchase a version of Adobe's Photoshop. Are there a better versions than others? How well does Photoshop tend to work for beginners? How much do they tend to run? If I buy a version from the company, can I get a student discount? If I decide that Photoshop is too expensive for me, are there are alternatives, where can I find them and how much would they be? Are there any free alternatives to Photoshop that work just as well?

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You can buy a student version at some College bookstores.

The latest version CS is the best.

Adobe is one of the best software out there, but not really beginner friendly.

A lot of computer software stores do offer classes, though, you can look around for those.

PSP is just as good for beginners and amateurs. You can download a free trial at jasc.com. PSP is more affordable, as well.

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If you're a beginner to photoshop and just plan on using it for for home picture editing I would go with Photoshop Elements. It's much cheaper and has everything you need. If you're just looking for something basic try PICASA by Google. I have Photoshop 7 which I use occasionally when I find that PICASA can't handle something...but you can't beat how easy it is and - it's a free download. Good luck!
There a no free alternatives that 'work just as well'. However Gimp comes closest. If, as you say, you're a student, you probably don't have a very large budget to spend on software. Although Photoshop CS2 is the latest version, it is (understandably) the most expensive. If you want it cheap I suggest you try eBay: