If you can obtain photoshop 5.0 or 5.5, which comes with illustrator also, 5.5 is way easier to use than the CS3 stuff....
Generic Artwork: Photoshop 5.5/Illustrator.
Detailed Artwork: Photoshop CS3/Illustrator CS3.
I have all of them, but I can't do anything with the Illustrator CS3. But Photoshop CS3, I can tell a huge difference in detail. But the learning curve is far greater than the older versions.
Photoshop 5.5:

Photoshop CS3:
