I am learning Elements 6 (newbie here) with the book "Photoshop Elements 6: The Missing Manual." I have a chance to pick something up that comes bundled with elements 5. I installed 6 on my desk top computer and was toying with installing 5 on my lap top.

Is there that much of a difference between 6 and 5, that I will have a difficult time without getting its manual as well?

Personally I do not really feel there is a heap of difference but there is so much info on the net I feel you would need to buy the book for 5

Trust me... you will do fine! You won't need another book.

Hi, welcome to this great forum,

Missing Manual is a great book and an excellent resource - I own it and refer to it often as a reference. But, in my opinion, this is NOT a tutorial on how to learn Elements - version doesn't matter.

You will learn more, and faster, right here on this website (and/or several others on the web) where you have access to tutorials. And, most important, can ask a question and lots of people will jump in to try and help. That's how I learned and, I expect, most of the other people here.

I suggest that you go to the "Challenge Section" of this site and look for any of the threads that have the title "Homework ... etc". These are not "contests" or "challenges". Rather, they are an attempt to introduce us to something new. Do any of them in any order. At first you won't have the slightest idea what the heck you are doing. That's OK, just blindly follow instructions.

After awhile you will be surprised at how many techniques you have started to learn -- it's osmosis. Even if you think you have no interest at all in the subject, "Overlay Art", "Raised Frame", "Old Picture", whatever... all of those various subjects will take you thru step-by-step actions that are used in hundreds of different Elements tasks.

Before long, you will be posting here to answer questions somebody asked I kid you not!

Again, welcome to our fun group.

Rusty

Welcome indeed!

You can install PSE5, but why not install PSE6 on both. Your licence agfreement allows you to do that, and then you won't have the issue of learning two softwares.

There is a huge similarity, BUT, Adobe allways changes places of things from version to version.

I wasn't aware you could install Elements 6 more than once - on my desk top and laptop - thanks; I will do that.