• Measurement and Data – Once you set a scale on your image, you can then use the ruler tool to measure distances between objects.

• DICOM Support – has the ability to open multi-frame files, open multiple frames as individual layers or as a single layer of tiled images. You can preview the metadata in the file, as well has the option to remove patient-identifying data from the metadata.

• MATLAB Support – now eases the difficult task of visualizing the results of MATLAB processing routine results with interoperability with the MATLAB command line.

• Image Stack Processing – not to be confused the thumbnail stacks in Adobe Bridge, Image Stacks in Photoshop CS3 Extended refers to a new level of automated processing that can be applied to a series of images contained in the layers of a Photoshop Document.

After two years, this version of Photoshop is not the biggest upgrade in the history of Photoshop, but there are enough features, that make it a very welcome upgrade. Some of my favorite features are the new interface, the much improved Camera Raw image processing. I like the Smart Objects, but would like the ability to link a Mask to a Smart Object. I also like the upgrades to the Curves adjustments, Layer Alignments, and the Zoomify Export is really cool to work with. Since I also play with 3D, I like that as well in the extended version.

In my opinion, the new features make it very much worth the upgrade; especially if you are using CS1 or earlier. Should you get Standard or Extended? That really depends on the usefulness of the added features and your ability to spend an additional $350.00 USD for a new version, or $150.00 more for an upgrade.