speaking of "Industry standards". I don't read anything into a piece that is an "Industry standard" because It simply means they were the lowest bidder. Just like the government. Our soldiers are armed with whatever the lowest bidder could provide.
That said, Photoshop charges wayyyy too much for what you get. Gimp and PaintShop Pro are just as powerful. It not the program, it's the techniques. and those can be taken anywhere.
I use Gimp. It's free, I like the intuitive interface, Things seem to flow easier, and it has an extremely broad technology base.