Well, the subject says it all. I want to know if they're any new features or anything like that - the cost really isn't an issue ;).

yes it would be a good choice to upgrade to ps7,for a number of reasons
1. ps5 is prehistoric lol
2. ps7 is so much easier to most people

so id say upgrade.:bandit: :smoka: :smoker2:

there are more filters and tools i think in ps7 then ps5, so id say go for it.

I have both at hand but im lazy to learn nu stuff in PS7:D so I still use PS5:smoker2:

Honestly, most of the added functions in any version of software(that is, including apps like PS, 3ds, geez even Office) aren't going to be used by the average user. Unless you're really doing professional stuff(not saying you aren't or won't in the future), you probably haven't used half the features available to you. Its simply a way for those companies to rig in more $$$.
True, PS7 is more user friendly, but essentially, you can get anything done just as well in PS5, and its faster and saves you HD space. Cause everyone must know this, new versions ALWAYS take up more space and system resources. I was at a school couple weeks back, and used an old computer to fill out some forms. I don't know the exact specs, but it had a whopping 8mb of ram. Thought it would be slow, but it actually wasn't too bad, running on windows95 and I think word 5? It did look crappier, but it did get the job done for me.

spididdy, you think ps5 is prehistoric? LoL, you should see PS3 :p

Couldn't find the list of what got updated from 5 to 6...but I remember it was GOOD...so here's what got updated from 6 to 7:

I have used (and noticed) File browser (slow but cool), healing brush (can't live without it), tool presets (SO handy!!), art brushes (AWESOME) and Liquify Enhancements (priceless!!) and you NEED TO UPGRADE!!!

File Browser

Search for images visually and intuitively rather than just by filename. With the easy-to-view thumbnails in the File Browser window, you can quickly organize and retrieve images from your hard drive, external drives, CDs, and disks directly within Photoshop. The File Browser also displays image metatada, such as date created, date modified, and Exchangeable Image File (EXIF) information from digital cameras. Rotate images, batch rename, sort files, and manage image folders--all within the File Browser. See Using the File Browser (Photoshop).

Healing brush

Effortlessly remove dust, scratches, blemishes, and wrinkles from your photographs, using only one tool. Unlike other cloning tools, the healing brush preserves the original shading, tonality, and texture in the retouched area. Use the related patch tool to work with selections. See Using the healing brush tool (Photoshop).

Web transparency

Make Web page elements transparent in Photoshop and ImageReady by simply clicking on the color you want to knock out. And with the new dithered transparency option, you can apply partial transparency to blend Web graphics seamlessly into any background--even patterns--without having to select a matte color first. If you need to edit the transparent effects later, you can remap more than one color at a time and easily restore colors to their original settings. See About optimization.

Enhanced Web output

Keep vector art and text looking crisp by letting Photoshop or ImageReady automatically assign a higher priority to those areas when you optimize an image for the Web. See Using weighted optimization.

WBMP support

Preview and save for Web in WBMP format, commonly used for displaying images on PDAs and wireless devices. See Optimization options for WBMP format.

Rollovers palette

Use one convenient palette to create, view, and set rollover states. Add a layer-based rollover to a Web page by simply clicking a button, and use the Selected state option in the Rollovers palette to add sophisticated interactivity, with no need for Java scripting. For example, you can create navigation bars that trigger different rollover effects simultaneously. The Rollovers palette also displays all the slices, rollovers, image maps, and animations in a file, making it easy to get a quick overview of all the document states. See Using the Rollovers palette.

Workspaces

Customize your Photoshop working environment by creating a palette layout and then saving the layout as a workspace. If you share a computer, saving a workspace lets you instantly access your personalized Photoshop desktop each time you sit down to work. You can also create workspaces for specific tasks--one for painting and another for photo retouching or Web work, for example. See Customizing your workspace.

Tool presets

Customize any tool and save your settings as a new, unique tool. Access your presets instantly from the options bar or the new tool Presets palette, which lets you view presets for all your tools in one convenient place. See Using tool presets (Photoshop).

Auto Color command

With the new Auto Color command, color correction has never been easier--and Auto Color provides more reliable results than Auto Levels or Auto Contrast. See Using the Auto Color command (Photoshop).

Data-driven graphics

Whether you're creating corporate business cards, an online catalog with hundreds of photos and descriptions, or a direct-mail piece with customized data, the new data-driven graphics features in ImageReady let you combine visual sophistication with automated production. Design a template and use the Layers palette to designate key elements as variables. Then use scripts, a Web production tool such as GoLive, or an image server such as Adobe AlterCast® to replace the variables with text or images pulled from an ODBC-compliant database. See About data-driven graphics.

New paint engine

Create and save custom brushes with a powerful new paint engine that lets you adjust dozens of different brush settings--including size, shape, tilt, spacing, scatter, and jitter--to get precisely the effect you want. You can even simulate different canvas and paper textures. See Working with brushes and About brush dynamics (Photoshop).

Art studio brushes

In addition to the brushes you create yourself, you can use the preset brushes included on the Photoshop CD to simulate traditional wet and dry brush painting techniques to duplicate the fine-art effects such as charcoal or pastel. There are also special brushes for effects such as grass and leaves. See Selecting preset brushes.

Pattern Maker

Simply make a selection and apply the Pattern Maker plug-in to generate abstract patterns or realistic textures such as sand or rocks. The plug-in performs a sophisticated analysis of your selection to avoid repetition and seamlessly tile the image. Use the patterns to create compelling Web backgrounds, enhance printed or on-screen artwork, or produce unique new imagery in combination with the painting engine. See Generating patterns.

Liquify enhancements

The enhanced Liquify plug-in gives you greater control over image warping with zoom, pan, and multiple undo. You can also save your meshes, which lets you return to an image after experimenting with the Liquify tools and start where you left off. Or apply the same mesh to different images; experiment on a low-resolution image, for example, and then apply the mesh to a high-resolution version. Create effects such as smoke or fire with the new Turbulence brush. Use the new backdrop option to view individual layers or a flattened version of the file so that you can see your distortions in context as you create them. See Using the Liquify command.

PDF security

Photoshop 7.0 offers complete support for Adobe Acrobat 5.0 security settings, allowing you to add tighter security to your Photoshop PDF files before sharing them with others online or adding them to an Adobe PDF workflow. You can set password protection to keep users who don't know the password from opening the file. Or set one password to open the file and another to allow printing or editing. See Saving files in Photoshop PDF format (Photoshop).

Picture Package enhancements

Save time and money when printing by using Picture Package to print multiple images on one page. Enhancements to Photoshop 7.0 let you print to different page sizes, add labels or text to each image, print more than one image per page, and output images as one flattened document or to separate layers. See Creating multiple-image layouts (Photoshop).

Web photo gallery enhancements

Showcase your work online quickly and easily by posting a gallery of images. Photoshop 7.0 offers sophisticated new templates to give you more design flexibility, and a new security option lets you enter text or embed the filename, caption, or copyright information on the image as a watermark. See Creating Web photo galleries (Photoshop).

XMP support

XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform) format lets you embed metadata into a document so that you can easily repurpose, archive, or automate files in a workflow. You can also ensure that image information--such as caption, credits, and copyright--travel with the file. See Adding file information (Photoshop).

Multilingual spelling checker

Search and replace text, check spelling in multiple languages within the same file, and correct spelling on one text layer or across all text layers in the same document. See Checking for spelling errors (Photoshop).

Illustrator

Move files freely between Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator--layers, masks, transparency, and compound shapes are preserved. Maintain rollovers and animation information when you import Photoshop files into Illustrator, and export Illustrator HTML tables with CSS layers to Photoshop.

InDesign

Paste or drop native Photoshop files into Adobe InDesign--even layered images. Paths, masks, and alpha channels in the Photoshop file can be used to remove image backgrounds or to create text wraps in the InDesign document.

GoLive

Design and slice your Web page in Photoshop and then bring the sliced file directly into GoLive. Use the GoLive Smart Objects feature to generate variable designs automatically from Photoshop templates.

LiveMotion

Drag and drop layered Photoshop files into a LiveMotion composition and quickly convert them into animation-ready independent objects, groups, or sequences. Photoshop blending modes, layer masks, and effects are preserved, and the Photoshop artwork stays editable as you animate and code.

Acrobat

Include transparency information in PDF files saved out of Photoshop, add password protection to secure your Photoshop PDF files, and use the Include Vector Data option to preserve text and vector graphics as resolution-independent objects.

AlterCast

When you want to automate the production of dynamic data-driven graphics, Adobe AlterCast is the perfect tool. This new image server software (available only in English) automatically replaces the variables--both text and graphics--in your Photoshop templates.

:o yepforgot about image ready.... the only upgrade I need:p

i think even flash is easier than image ready when it comes to animated movies;)

but it might be useful if you know how to use image ready..