LR Raw conversion is based on ACR, so they are essentially the same. My advice to any newby is to keep it simple. Learn first the basics, in your case ACR, and then move on to the next step. Stay with one or two programs (e.g,, ACR and CS3) and learn them well, rather then chasing a never-ending stream of new this and new that. Unless you already have thousands and thousands of digital photographs. and continue adding them every month in the range of thousands, my guess is you will hardly miss additional features of LR.