I'm thinking to getting a Photoshop program, but I'm not sure what version to get. I was thinking of getting the CS2 version, but I'm not sure. Is it a good program or should I get the CS3 or PS7 program? I want a program that give me a very nice lineart, better than PSP9 or GIMP. Other benefits is also a plus, when you thinking of the right one.

CS3 instead of CS2 isn't really that big of a deal.
What CS3 will allow you to do that CS2 won't, is manipulate 3D objects in Photoshop. So, if I had a 3D model, I could rotate, and place it, however I wanted to, right in Photoshop.
Neat, if you do a lot of 3D in 2D pictures, but otherwise pretty useless.
The only other benefit is that it has a more easy-to-use brush creation thing. And it's not even that much easier. Just more accesible.
The only thing CS3 really has over CS2 is that it's much easier to obtain, illegally. But, if you're gonna buy it, that doesn't matter, anyway.

Now, as far as CS2, over 7, I can't really say. I used 7 about 2 months, and it was the first Photoshop I used. Therefore, I didn't really know what I was doing, or how to get along. Then CS2 came out, and I jumped on that, so that's where I kinda learned everything. But, I didn't really notice any major differences. But, like I said, I didn't spend a lot of time with 7.

I would reccomend CS2, as it's probably cheaper than CS3, and it did come out some time after 7, so I bet it has some features that I just took for granted.
But, understand that that's a pretty uneducated reccomendation. Sorry.

As far as clean lineart, though, I can't stress enough the pen tool. It is the single most useful tool for inking digitally.
It is a bit difficult to learn, but once you've learned it, you can get professional caliber stuff with extreme ease and efficiency.
Not to mention that a variety of programs use some form of the Pen tool, so it also helps in learning how to do things in Flash, and Illustrator, and the like.
Although, I haven't worked too much with GIMP, I do know that it's "Pen" tool is called the "Path" tool. So, you might want to play around a bit more with GIMP before you spend too much on Photoshop. The tool works almost exactly the same way, and I assure you, you can get amazingly clean lineart.

Anyway, those are just my thoughts. *shrug*

1076

Thank 1076! I think CS2 seems like a nice program and a little cheaper.

The 3D feature of CS3 seems nice, but like you said, it is kinda pointless. It just better to get a 3D program that will give a better result and is made for 3D image.

As for the Pen tool, I actually have some experience with it. I have been using it for a long while. But, it just seems that it just not getting proper result as I hope. I look at some lineart made by CS2 and it seems much better. I have no experience with CS2, however, so I wasn't sure about it.