Dying to try the Content Aware Fill feature in the Adobe CS5, but missing the $180 entry fee? There is hope! A nifty little program called Inpaint provides similar functionality, for about $140 less in software license fees and without the steep hardware requirements. For extending the functionality of iPhoto (or as a great extension to the Mac-only photoshop alternative Pixelmator), Inpaint provides a great improvement on more labor-intensive healing brush techniques.

Photoshop Elements is a really incredible package. You get a lot of the tools found in its big brother—including healing brushes and the new Quick Select tool—along with several of the filters. In fact, unless you’re doing high-end professional photo editing, PSE9 likely has every tool you’re going to need to correct and crop your photos. For $100, you’re getting the full version of Photoshop from a few years ago, and that ain’t bad.

As you’ve no doubt heard by now, Adobe earlier today announced Photoshop Elements 8. Normally, when you see the word Photoshop followed by something, it means a dumbed down version. Obviously, Photoshop Elements is aimed at the professional Photoshop crowd, but I had the opportunity to see a press conference on Photoshop Elements 8 on Monday, and trust me…there’s nothing dumb about it.