Which do you prefer and why? Thanks for you thoughts.

i've not experienced 6 or 7. i have 5 and it does everything that i've needed it to do. very happy with it.

I wonder what the main differences are?

Oh 7 absolutely. 6 was great, but the limited activations are reason enough to avoid it... fixed in version 7. 7 has some wonderful new features that are definitely worth it! Two of my favorite new features are the color picker and the ability to frame blocks.

I would avoid 6 because of the limited activation key issue, but if this is the first time you ever used drawing software, you might want to go with a used 5 to see if you actually like it. 7 has some nice bells and whistles, but it is expensive if you ultimately decide not to use it. If you already have 5 I think you can still get the upgrade version to 7 cheaper.

You can call EQ and they will explain the difference and help you to decide which is a better fit for your needs. They are very friendly and helpful :D:D:D