Adobe Photoshop vs. Adobe Fireworks

I’ve been using both for quite a while, and just bought CS4. I use Fireworks for almost everything, and I very rarely use Photoshop. However, almost everywhere I go, people are using Photoshop, not Fireworks. To me, Fireworks is alot easier to use, and is set up for web graphics. Unless I need to edit an actual photo, I find it just to be easier in Fireworks. That being said, I don’t know a single person that uses Fireworks. EVERYONE I have come across personally, as well as in articles online, uses Photoshop.

My question is Why? I’m not saying one is better than the other (although for me fireworks SEEMS to be better for web graphics)
I’d just like to know what people are doing, and why they are using Photoshop to do it.

For me, it’s history and comfort. I did the technical edit on Random House’s The Official Guide to Adobe Photoshop 2.5. (Yes. 2-point-5. Not a typo.)

I have used PS since version 1. It came on a floppy and my mac+ didn’t even have a hard drive...and it was black and white. That screen must have been like 8 inches wide.

I used FireWorks during a brief period where it sported editable text but photoshop still didn’t. It had a number of advantages like vector graphics that were way ahead of photoshop. But like ryan I too use it from a stand point of history. I am not a designer and will most likely not upgrade PS that often. I am using CS2.

In a way it is like word, where you need it since you will receive files i that format from time to time.

My background is littered with Photoshop and when I took a Dreamweaver class (required for my major, but a waste of my time and money) they wanted me to use Fireworks. I found it very limited, confusing, and painful to work with to the point I just quit and used Photoshop.

True Fireworks is the application targeted for web, but I find that PS works just fine for web work and now that they are both the same company I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of those products merging to the point one might vanish...

I think in the long run it’s more personal preference very similar to asking do you use Dreamweaver or Notepad...

AMDbuilder

When it comes to creating Web graphics, I always pick Fireworks. The entire program is geared toward the Web. I can work quicker in Fireworks, and it’s a better fit for DreamWeaver. I also like the vector tools better in Fireworks.

To me, the Web has always seemed like an add-on to Photoshop. That said, you can do the same things in both programs. On a limited budget, I’d pick Photoshop over Fireworks.

To manipulate photos and raster graphics Photoshop is # 1