im thinking of getting an image editing program but im not sure if i should get paint shop pro or photoshop...opinions?

I recommend Adobe Photoshop, it's more complex than Paint Shop Pro.

photoshop. paintshop is like an easier version of photoshop...

Back before my Toshiba laptop crashed, I used Paint Shop Pro 7 - which is a very awesome program that does everything I want to do image-editing wise. But, since I have a Mac now, it's not compatible, so I'm currently using The GIMP, which is FREE and very powerful, it has most of the same features, but takes slightly longer to do the tasks. (Also has a bunch of cool filters and features) I highly recommend it. But, of course, I've never owned Photo Shop so I couldn't tell you about that.

You can check out this topic to see what the majority of members here prefer:
http://www.createblog.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14741

I definitely say Photoshop, It is a lot more expensive. But I just like it better.
PSP isn't too bad though. Michelle and Rachael have PSP and are both amazing at designing.

I'm on a Mac, but I still prefer Photoshop. Actually, I'm pretty sure that the majority of businesses that have design incorporated into their company somehow use Photoshop.

I would say photoshop. not only can you use it for image editing but all kinda of stuff.

If you want free, the Gimp is a great choice. Otherwise, Photoshop Elements should do the trick.

Photoshop CS2 and CS3 are "professional programs" but they are the most powerful (and most expensive).