Yes, it's really disappointing. I began with DIP until I literally wore it out. I like recommending it to new digi-scrappers, because it's so intuitive but pretty powerful. I'd say stick with it until you just can't use it anymore.
If you need to move to something new, and you are very familiar with DIP, you might try PSE, like Silly has. It's not that huge of a transition. You might also consider
ACDSee Photo Editor. It's in beta right now, so you can get it free, till July 15.