It's time to abandon PhotoShop

I have wondered this myself at each upgrade. I use CS5 mainly for the plug-ins and layers. I also use Aperture. I tend to prefer to use CS5 as an external editor even when I don't need to, primarily because, although Aperture can handle a lot of plug-ins, it doesn't handle them all. I like to have all of my plug-ins available when I start to do more creative type stuff with my photos.

Bottom line for me = when I can really do without photoshop I will, but I don't find that other software is yet compensating for what I want to do with plug-ins, etc. in CS5. I much rather use NIK products in CS5 rather than in Aperture, for example.

Its tough with the upgrades. Although I prefer to have continued enhancements in the software, I find that one just about has to upgrade everything just to stay at the same level. Software upgrades, then a new computer is needed, then software bumps up to the more sophisticated machines, and again you have to keep up -- especially when the computer keeps bugging you that there is a newer version of this or that.

I certainly wished that Aperture 4.0 would come out, but at least I can always pop over to CS5 for what I need. Anyway, I sympathize.