Getting Frustrated With Psp...makes Computer So Slow

[Guest Susan Scraps]

I am currently using PSP 10 which I love. It is the only software I have used for my digital projects/photos/scrapbooking. The problem is that it has made my computer SOOO slow. I have already upgraded the memory to 1 GIG, and don’t really want to increase it further and I am looking for some alternatives.

When using PSP, I do disable my internet connection, as well as my Norton AntiVirus software so they aren’t running at all. I also don’t have any other programs open at the same time as PSP.

I just recently renewed my SPYSWEEPER subscription/software, and I am not sure if that affected the computer’s performance, but it is now running even slower. For instance when I click on the PICK tool, it used to take about 1.5 to 2 seconds to become active…now it is taking even longer. It gets very frustrating.

I am thinking about changing to a different program. When I bought a scanner, I got Photoshop Elements with it. It is probably an older version of PE. I never have used that program and I have a few questions…

1. Since I already know the basics about PSP, do you think it is similar enough to PE that I won’t have to learn everything all over again?
2. Does PE take up less room/memory? Or is it probably about the same?
3. Will there be things in PE that I can’t do that I could in PSP?
4. I also have the opportunity to get the full fledged PHOTOSHOP…which I would think would take up even more memory than PSP, but I am not certain.

Any help or advice that you can provide me would be SOOO appreciated. I am so thrilled with this new hobby and I look forward to doing it whenever I can…but when it is so slow and I have to go do something else like fold clothes while it is SAVING a project …it makes it less fun!

Thanks in advance,
Susan DeWenter

[sprinklz]

Hi-

I started off in PSP too, and had a lot of fun working with it. My biggest advice for PSP is dump your clipboard often - this is one of the big memory hogs in psp.

As far as capability goes, I think pse and psp are similar, but they work a little differently. The advantage of pse is there are so many more tutorials and products (i.e. scrap simple tools) available since it is the most popular scrapping program.

Now I work in Photoshop CS2 and am amazed at what the program is capable of. In fact, I don't use PSP for scrapping anymore at all (there's no reason to - cs2 can do so much more).

If it is your budget, investing in Photoshop is worth every penny. I only have 1G of RAM too, and I don't have problems with photoshop bogging down like PSP does.

I'm sure there are many more people at sg that can give you some advice regarding your questions.

I hope I helped you out a little!

[Crueltyfre/Lori]

Yes, PSP takes lots of memory, drives me nuts. I too upgraded memory, turn off things in the background, etc. but saw no improvement.

I have almost every graphics program known to mankind...PSP, PS, PSE, and so many "lite" and "trial" versions of others its looking like I'm obsessed. Yet I still use PSP for about 95% of design/scrapping.

I continue to stick with PSP (though Corel butchered v11 like they did with all the other companies they bought out so not sure what I'll do in the future) for a few reasons...the time I wait on memory issues is easier for me to deal with than all the extra steps and loading of all the things in Adobe products. Just my personal quirk and idiosyncrasy, but having to load brush set after brush set and memorize shortcuts because there's too many steps to do anything just gets to me. Not sure why, but it does. I swear I tell myself that if all the other Adobe users can get use to all that then I can too. But after about 5 minutes in either PS or PSE I'm so irritated that I bounce back to PSP. I might have to spend one out of every 5 minutes waiting for PSP to catch up, but I feel I get more done in those other 4 than I do in PS/PSE. Plus I simply have to "see" all my stuff up front in advance. Seeing my brushes and patterns and gradients and such is a must for me, just like seeing my papers and embellishments. I can't live without the psp browser. Just another quirk of mine, but that's how I create.

I think PSP and PS each do about 90% of the other. There are a few things that one will do that the other won't and vice versa, so I don't think that will be an issue for you. There are many things that PSE won't do, it's sorta a "lite" version, but it's still a decent program and I use it from time to time as well. I got the trial of PSE5 and won't be using it anymore than I will PSP 11... that thing with only having one brush set at a time load would push me over the edge and I'd lose it, lol.

So, I'd get as many programs as you can and between them all you'll live happily ever after...
Lori