Quote Originally Posted by Steel General View Post
Not exactly sure, but I would guess the Elements doesn't have some of the functionality that a full-blown version of PS would have.

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along shortly to better answer your question.
The difference, apart from the layer masks, is the absence of the CYMK color correction module - which is what makes Photoshop a 1st class professional product for the printing and graphics industry.

Adobe has finally figured out that no one else on the planet needs/wants that feature unless you work in printing/graphics industry.

In other words, stripped down versions of Photoshop are just fine for 99.9% of the public and will never even know what features are missing from the main professional product.