Image Size - Newbie Questions

[veawoo]

I just bought the Canon Digital Rebel XT (2 days ago). I want to print the pictures I've taken to 4x6" photo paper at 300 dpi. However I don't know which setting to use, here are my choices:
3456 x 2304
2496 x 1664
1728 x 1152
3456 x 2304 (Raw)
I've tried researching this but the more I read the more confused I became. I recall reading that I need to purchase a photo editing software package. I purchase Adobe Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro X.

Please any help or suggestions will be grealy appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[cdifoto]

Shoot at the highest resolution, and downsize. You never know how BIG you might want to go, so it's best to have the bigger file just in case. You can always go smaller...you can't always go bigger.

[coldrain]

Just shoot at highest resolution. Set the size instead of in "dpi" as inches you need. Let the computer just print the full size photo on 4"x6", without worrying about dpi's. dpi's are a rather empty term, anyway. Pixels per inch are more importnt when you enlarge photos, since the pixels can become big square things. The printer will print the same amount of dots per inch anyway, no matter how small or big you print pixels.