Help - Not photoshop & not Gimp

Hi Fellow Geekers -:wave

Please advise on some software which is similar in functionality but has the following constraints.

1) Interface relatively intuitive / simple - Cant be like Photoshop or Gimp but have a similar functionality.

2) Is free to download, licence and use on my works P.C's, its an educational facility, not just for personal use. This part might be the kicker its paramount to be a fully legit and a free / free licenced program with no hint of copyright or other untoward infringements...

3) Isn't overly complicated i.e no bachelor of gobledegook required or any 350 page manuals.

4) Is stable enough so that I.T isnt called out every five minuites to look at some seemingly random bsod.

Thanks in advance world for your response's, I'm really looking forward to help on this one. It could proove quite challenging to meet the criteria.

 

This one: http://www.getpaint.net/ Also a tip: go to YouTube and search for tutorials. The place is loaded with how-to videos.

 

Thanks Cordialis,

Had come across this one, but my boss shot it down, not sure on what grounds tho.:cry I quite like the look of this one myself, nice headsup on the Youtube info..hadn't considered that..usually my day is partially spent trying to keep the trainee's off it and other social networking sites.

Cheers

 

Well! Most freeware are for personal use only. Your boss will have to pay if he wants commercial use the legit way. :-D

 

Check Gizmo's listings. You can download most of the programs from Majorgeeks. Gizmo: http://www.techsupportalert.com/

 

More here on this blog: http://www.lifeclever.com/10-free-web-based-alternatives-to-photoshop/

 

PhotoFiltre: http://www.photofiltre.com/
OpenOffice Draw: http://www.openoffice.org/product/draw.html

 

Kool, thanks very much Cordailis:cool.

I will take a peek at the link in a few ticks, got some admin stuff to do at the minute. And I know what you saying re the free thing...there's a task, and thats why I also put it maybe the hardest part to get a fully open licence or equivalent.. for a private training establishment.

Although did come across one from NCH software that has the right type of open licence, what they give you is a stripped down variant, in the hopes that you will purchase the full..not stripped down version to get the additional and usually quite necessary or handy and paid for functionality... Its a hard road finding the perfect piece of imaging software which is free for a training establishment..rolleyes

 

That's quite alright.

 

Picasa is my best suggestion. It's what I have my parents using.
http://picasa.google.com/

I use FastStone Image Viewer for simple cropping and contrast/etc manipulation.
http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm

You could also look at XnView I suppose.
http://www.xnview.com/

But Picasa is the winner.

 

Picasa is my best suggestion. It's what I have my parents using.
http://picasa.google.com/
"We're more than happy to allow businesses or organizations to use Picasa on multiple computers. However, when using Picasa your business or organization may not engage in any of the following activities: Redistribute the software for profit, Profit directly from the use of Picasa, Claim authorship of the software or any of its components, Reverse engineer the software for any reason"

I use FastStone Image Viewer for simple cropping and contrast/etc manipulation.
http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm
"Free for personal and educational (including non-profit organization) use. In these cases, you are granted the right to use and to make an unlimited number of copies of this software."

You could also look at XnView I suppose.
http://www.xnview.com/en/xnview.html
"Provided as Freeware for private non-commercial, educational use and non-profit organization."

But Picasa is the winner.

(system wouldn't let me edit my post to add in the license information, so I'm sorry for the double post)

 

Here is another suggestion. Not sure if it's been mentioned yet.:-o
Artweaver
http://www.artweaver.de/index.php?en_version

 

No one recommended Paint.NET yet? :confused

 

PapaDuke, that was the first one mentioned.

 

Thanks very much for all the input people, much appreciated.

The boss eventually settled on a range of free apps from NCH software, these are like trimmed down versions of the retail suite but still quite functional and no licence issue..YaY!

Rather ironically our typing arm of the business already uses some of the free typing transcription software which they offer.

So to anyone else looking around have a look at the site via google, I think they are .au Australian based company..thanks to them for the freebies.

Think there is a link to the free software on the home page quite a lot of various apps several for photo's and image editing and other handy freebies...excellent.

I probably wont add any more to this post other than again a big thanks to you for those that responded to my plea for assistance.:wave

 

You're always welcome here on Majorgeeks. Take care out there and happy surfing! :-D

 

Hi Guys,

A bit of an after thought didnt mean to lead you on about free software and not offer an address...how rude :-o...check out this address below...somewhere on the site maybe from the home page is a link for the free apps NCH offer, :cool including the imaging type apps.

http://www.nchsoftware.com/download/index.html

Good hunting.