Shift_it, just an FYI concerning Lightroom vs. Photoshop CS3. If you soot RAW, the initial few steps for processing your images are literally identical between LR and PS. The Adobe Camera RAW converter (ACR) that's included with Photoshop CS3 has the exact same set of controls as what's found in Lightroom. The on-screen layout is a tiny bit different between the two, but for all intents and purposes they are the same. Note that this only applies to the initial steps that are associated with RAW file conversion. Once you step beyond that into "editing" your images, then the differences between LR and PS become readily apparent.

I'll also add my name to the list that recommends getting Lightroom. I'll also chime in with my usual mention that yes, Photoshop has a steep learning curve. But it's a matter of the amount of information, not how difficult the software actually is to use. FWIW, I use both programs. I use LR as my image organizer and RAW converter. I then export to Photoshop .psd format and do all of my "editing" tasks in PS.