Creative Suite Entry Level?

I am currently using Photoshop Elements and consider it to be decent for my needs at this point, but I am thinking of upgrading to one of the better CS versions in the near future. I am looking at buying a Macbook Pro in a few months, so I will need a new version of photoshop anyway. I was wondering if I should start out with say CS2 and then learn that, or if it is really worth it to go all out and get CS4?

CS2 is no longer sold. CS4 is the current offering from Adobe. You may want to check on the Adobe website or academicsuperstore.com to see if you can qualify to buy CS4 at student price. Is it worth it to "go all out"? Only you can answer that. Maybe Lightroom is more suitable for your needs than Photoshop.

BTW... You CAN install your PS Elements on your laptop. The licensing allows for that. Essentially, 2 installs, as long as the machines are not used at the same time.