3. Photoshop Elements 5.0 Plus Premiere Elements 3.0

By: Ed Tittel

Adobe has long been known as a leading source for image editing and creativity software. Its top-of-the-line Production Studio Premium bundle sets the bar for production professionals who want to create and edit video, artwork, images, sound and more - but it also retails for around $2,000. The Photoshop Elements 5.0 and Premiere Elements 3.0 bundle may set the bar somewhat lower - it includes only basic versions of the Photoshop image editing and Premiere video editing toolsets - but it's no less useful to dads and grads who like to work with visual materials, of the moving or still variety (or both).

The Photoshop Elements 5.0 and Premiere 3.0 Elements bundle puts everything together in a single, attractive box

In fact, the Elements versions of Adobe products offer a great and affordable way to get into their software and start learning the basics necessary to put it to work. Anybody who likes to edit or work on photos or video will find this bundle to be interesting, educational, and ultimately a valuable tool in taking raw materials and turning them into a polished final version - be it for family or work-related photos, videos, and more. This latest version even works with Windows Vista, and includes the ability to lay out, create, and burn sophisticated, fully-featured DVDs with top-notch sound and music.

At an MSRP of $150, this combination is a pretty darn great deal - full-blown versions of either product can cost more than five or six times that amount. We found discounted prices on this package as low as $110 at the PC Connection, which means that you can have a very happy grad, or an ecstatic dad, at a pretty tolerable price. For more information on this offering, check out the Adobe product page for this bundle.