Photoshop question....
Yes, go with the free trial from Adobe's website...
Once you've played around (and learned a thing or two) with any version of Adobe Photoshop beyond v 5.5, you'll think that it is the greatest (see "powerful") piece of software ever created.
The Adobe Classroom In A Book series is very good for learning the basics as well as more advanced scenarios. There are also several good sites online for those looking for Photoshop tips/help. Let Google be your friend!