Digital BW, The Print

I usually just lurk&learn in this group but the PW question is one I can possibly help with.  

PW Pro has may advantages:

Very quick load, much faster than any version of PS.
A useful browse function with thumbs down the left side of the screen and "multiple open" feature.
A crop function "settable" to all the traditional final print sizes so you can move it around the image and best determine your final crop.  Also, you can combine resize with crop if you prefer, and resize options include Lanczos 8.
A color balance function that lets you indepentendly modify highlights, midtones and shadows via color picker and then make further adjustments manually if necessary.
"Photographer-think" options like cc "filters" and b&w "filters" rather than just "compu-think" options.  
Color lines that let you emulate b&w duotones or quadtones on color stock (heresy here, no doubt, but a light touch can produce nice results.) and I bet the function would be wonderful with a quadtone ink-set
A "levels" function that lets you go "off the scale" for special circumstances.
A Misc.Tools collection that lets you lighten, darken, blur, clone, sharpen, etc, selected parts of the image.
An excellent print function that accomodates icc profiles.
16 bit file structure.

Obviously, I like it a lot, in fact it is my favorite, but the disadvantages include:

NO LAYERS, PW mask function is not as useful, selection tools are not as refined (has anybody figured out the luminance selection tool?)
NO ACTIONS.
No plug-ins.  You are cut off from the PS plug-in industry.
Package printing is possible but difficult.

Bottom line, you will eventually have PS too, but you will never regret the small sum spent on PW Pro.  Go to www.normankoren.com for beautiful examples and comprehensive PW tutorial.

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