What is the difference between Photoshop and Photoshop elements?

is there even a difference? Because i cant notice a thing that is different between these two photoshop apps. i have photoshop v. 7.0 and photoshop elements v.6.0 and i don't see what the difference is between them. Maybe you know of something that one program has that the other one doesn't. What is the difference between Photoshop and Photoshop elements?
basically photoshop elements is a watered down version of the regular photoshop, the key differences are:


pse doesn't have colour balance tools


the interface is different


photoshop is more for the professional


while pse is for photographers and that alone


and last


there aren't as many graphic effect tools as as in photoshopWhat is the difference between Photoshop and Photoshop elements?
There may not be a huge amount of difference between Photoshop 7 and Photoshop Elements 6. Photoshop 7 is I think more than 6 years old, Elements 6 is only a year or so old. There have been a lot of changes since Photoshop 7 was released. If you compared Photoshop CS3 or the newest, just released CS4 to either Photoshop 7 or Photoshop Elements 6 you would see a lot of differences. There are new tools, new panels/palettes, added features, improvements on old features.





The current Photoshop has the pen tool, which I don't believe is available in Elements. I also believe you can't do masking in Elements, at least not directly on Layers, although there are work arounds. So these are just a few of the differences.
Photoshop Elements is a tool that's really intended to be of most use to people making basic image edits, like a home user might do to family or personal photographs.





The full blown versions of Photoshop, even back to version 7, has alot more functions for people that are getting into graphics creation, and professional image editing. For example, you have several tools and functions that are a necessity for say a graphic designer that Elements just does not have. Layer masking, vector paths, etc. are all features that you'll only find in the full Photoshop versions.
Photoshop elements is a basic version on any of the full versions like using an advanced image editor that includes adjustments of:





-hue/saturation


-contrast/brightness


-Cropping


-Selection tools


-red eye removal


-etc.





Photoshop Cs3 or a like version includes all of that but also has:





-Automate (Auto-panorama-maker)


-Filters (such as blurring, sharpening, lightening, darkening)


-Layers and layer syles with opacity


-Custom brushes


-Custom patterns


-Magic wand


-Liquify tool


-Quick mask


-also alot of these features can be added as layers which means they can change the image without the change being permenant.
Elements is a very basic, dumbed down version on 7.0 and other CS versions. Personally, its so basic it drives me nuts. Don't use it if you have higher, more up to date versions, unless your introducing photoshop to a new user or something of the like.