Well, because I read so many book authors and web masters sang so many
good songs about Lightroom, and I can't get CS3 beta installed on my system
etc.. and because the educational price is cheap enough so I gave it a try,
and I have some mix feeling about LightRoom

- It does have some good points, but can't be able to disable some setting
and save as default setting.  I got tired of sliding them off manually every
single image, so I used it less and less

- I don't like the preview which doesn't seem right, and little too slow for
my state.  Me, because I like to work on detail so I often have my eyes
glued to the image to see little changing, but for some reason the slider
and displaying don't communicate with each other as smooth as I want.  or
because I can't get the ARC off my mind (??)

- And because it doesn't work well with Photoshop (extra keys to launch
Photoshop) and all important images have to go through Photoshop.  So to me,
LightRoom isn't for me (it would be great tool for others who don't use
Photoshop or launch Photoshop from Lightroom).

    ... and I have finally have CS3 installed on my system (2 days ago) after
months of reading about error reports, and installing problem I had with the
CS3 beta.  But CS3 went pretty well with only few small bubble on
installing.  But because I just have my medicine increased so I don't feel
very good to start exploding the new CS3 yet (even after months of waiting
to get my hand on) <bg>

thanks for the replies thus far.  i'm basically looking for something to
reign in my hundreds and hundreds of photos scattered all over my hard
drive;  need to get a little more organized.  it seems as though this
program will help with that.  i'm just wondering if the features are worth
the cost.

i never realized that being a digital photographer would make me such a PACK
RAT.  can't.  erase.  anything!

    Lightroom isn't a bad aps (especially it cost my only $100), and if I
don't have to work on detail and combination with Photoshop then I may be
happy as dog.

    But because the way it works with Photoshop isn't as sweet as ARC, and the
displaying doesn't seem right, and few small annoying thing.  I find myself
using Lightroom less and less, and happy to get back to ARC and CS3 again (I
haven't had much chance to play with CS3 yet because of some health
problem).

    Yes, Lightroom does have few neat options that I want to see on ARC, and
it seems to work little different than ARC as well as some slow react to the
slider can drive me banana.  I did try about 40-60 images (not important but
local parish event), and if I used ARC or Photoshop then I should have 2-3
hundreds done (well, I didn't spend all enegry because it was in learning
process and longer break because of few small frustration <bg>).

    Or may be because I am little so used to ARC, and I may need more time to
get to know Lightroom a little more?