Questions regarding: 1) Photoshop and Illustrator softwares 2) .eps file formats.

Question

I'm using a DELL PC running Win7. I have Adobe Photoshop CS (i.e. the first CS version from 2003).
I do not yet have Adobe Illustrator.
I'm creating images for a science publication. It includes graphs, chemical structures, color photos of lab
equipment. I use ChemBioDraw (Cambridgesoft, http://scistore.cambridgesoft.com) to draw chemical
structures and schematics. I've been using MS Powerpoint to draw graphs, make composites of photos, label
panels, and add annotation.
1) The publishing company wants line drawings to be in .eps format. I can copy and paste ChemBioDraw
and Powerpoint figures into Photoshop and then save them in .eps format. They look identical to me when in
.eps format. Will this be suitable for publication?
2) The ChemBioDraw figure file size increases more than tenfold when converted to .eps format. Is this
expected?
3) I have used Photoshop a lot in the past but not for my recent work. My coauthor uses Adobe Illustrator on
a PowerMac G5-9.1. He creates .eps files for line drawings. Are the drawing tools in Illustrator much
better than those in Photoshop? If I get Illustrator will I be able to manipulate photo images (create
composites, add annotation etc.) as I have with Photoshop in the past?
4) My coauthor has sent me some .eps line drawings. When I open them with Photoshop there is a gray and
white checkerboard pattern in the background. I believe this is because the background layer has been
eliminated (the image is in layer 1). Can such a file be opened in a way that the background is solid white?
5) Is there a Windows-compatible software for viewing .eps files that is simpler than Photoshop or Illustrator  (i.e. no editing
function)?
Thanks,
Thomas C.

Answer 1

1) No. Photoshop does not create true vector files. Anyone asking for an EPS more than likely wants a true vector EPS file.
2) No way of telling without seeing the results. But it could be perfectly normal. Increased file size in an EPS does not automatically mean there is a problem.
3) Illustrator is a drawing tool. The tools in Illustrator are designed for object-oriented vector drawing. In many respects they are better than Photoshop's tools for those type of projects. And No, you can not edit photographs easily with Illustrator. While you can include photos or raster items within an Illustrator file, Illustrator is not inherently designed to edit iamges at a pixel level.
4) Just add a new layer and fill it with white (or whatever color). Vector EPS files have no background.
5) If you have Photoshop or Illustrator you have Bridge. You can view files in Bridge. I wouldn't know of any other Windows software. It may exist, I simply wouldn't know.