wally, I use the Nik plug ins and absolutely love them. I like the U-point technology that is in all of their plug-ins. They are fairly easy to use and the interfacing is very pleasing. As far as compatibility, if you bought the complete ultimate edition,... that is compatible with Photoshop, Lightroom, and Aperture. If you bought the complete edition, that is compatible with Lightroom and aperture. The Lightroom application is definitely a great alternative to buying Photoshop CS5. link below...Todd


http://www.niksoftware.com/completecollection/usa/entry.php?tab=0