I'm not quite sure about what Aperture actually would compare to. I'm familiar (but not really competent) with Adobe PhotoShop and Photo Element, but how does Aperture compare with these 2. I can get an educator's discount and it would be a heck of a lot cheaper than PhotoShop, but I'm not sure about the features of Aperture and I've looked at the demo's. I'll be upgrading to a Mac Pro, from a G4, soon and I'm looking to upgrade my software and Aperture is now universal, which is a plus.
Any help you can give this inquiring mind, I would definitely appreciate.