I know Primavera pretty well. In fact, on the current project I am working on the owner requires us to use it.
Its okay for scheduling, but I think Microsoft Project is a little more user friendly. I don't use it for cost control at all. The duration of most of our projects are too short for it to have any meaningful benefits. If you ahve a 1 or 2 month job the project si finished befoire all the invoices are in.
I can see some benefit if the project is at least a year long or better.

Yeah, we're required by owners of a 8 month project we're starting to utilize this software, but only for the scheduling side of it.
I prefer Micorsoft Project hands down.

I agree, MS Project is the more user friendly tool.

I have only had very limited working knowledge of Primavera. I also use MS Project.

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I'll agree with the pack, MS Project is much easier to jump in and use cold. We bought Primavera in 1997 and only used it for one project, been using MS since.

The one software package we couldn't do without lately is Adobe Photoshop 8 Professional.
More and more specs and plans are being delivered electronically in PDF format. It makes it easier to read the specs and plans and more than 1 person can be working with them at the same time. You can also highlight important sections and search the document for those nasty buzz words that we have been taught to look out for. Plus with the ability for more than 1 person to access it, someone can be working with it in the office while other peole can work with it when they are on the road
We also use it for takeoffs and it interfaces well with CAD. The quantities can be exported into our Excel Estimating Spreadsheet.
It's also good for file management. We are experiencing rapid growth and we struggled with a file management system that everybody could figure out (My partner has serious ADD and dyslexia )
You can also use it to prepare presentations. I am beginning to like it better than Power Point

I love Adobe and JASC Paint SHop Pro

I higly recommend, that if you don't have it, purchase Adobe Professional. I utilize it for contracts/prequals what have you, and it has made things so much easier.