Hi Rose Marie - I started with QDW and I think it's worth it! It's much simpler than EQ but very similar in lots of ways. Once you get to grips with QDW (and my 7 year old designs on it now!), it makes the learning curve on EQ a little less steep. For those not sure about investing the bucks in EQ, I'd say start with QDW and see how you go. :-D