Yes I could talk about the many routes online that exist for downloading software (and all true techie or geek will know at least 2 of those) but those ways involve crossing legal areas and run an extreme risk of not only downloading the software that your looking for but also malware, viruses, logging software (so that someone else can record every single thing you do and type on your pc), and many other possibilities, so I choose to refer my family, friends, and clients to a different option.

     In the software community if someone has come up with a major product (Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Nero Burning Rom, etc) then in 99.9% of the cases someone else has come up with a free or very low cost alternative. 

    Today I have one of those alternatives that I’m recommending.  This one is called “Paint.net”.  For anyone who has every needed to touch up, or crop, or edit a picture, you could use Adobe’s Photoshop but that will run you a lot of money for either the professional version ($699 US Dollars) or the elements version ($99 US Dollars which is still a lot in our current economy for some).  An alternative to having to send that money is called “Paint.net. 

“Paint.NET is free image and photo editing software for computers that run Windows. It features an intuitive and innovative user interface with support for layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools. An active and growing online community provides friendly help, tutorials, and plug-in’s.”

Paint.net started development as an undergraduate college senior design project mentored by Microsoft, and is currently being maintained by some of the alumni that originally worked on it. Originally intended as a free replacement for the Microsoft Paint software that comes with Windows, it has grown into a powerful yet simple image and photo editor tool. It has been compared to other digital photo editing software packages such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Paint Shop Pro, Microsoft Photo Editor, and The GIMP.

The requirements for Paint.net-

Minimum System

• Windows 7 (recommended),
     or Windows XP SP2,
     or Windows Vista,
     or Windows Server (2003 SP1 or newer)
• .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 (free download from Microsoft)
• 512 MB of RAM
• 1024 x 768 screen resolution
• 200+ MB hard drive space
• 64-bit mode requires a 64-bit CPU and a 64-bit edition of Windows

To download Paint.net just click on the icon below

For Additional information and support for Paint.net click on one the icons below

Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries.
Adobe and Photoshop are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.
Corel and Paint Shop Pro are trademarks or registered trademarks of Corel Corporation and/or its subsidiaries in Canada, the United States, and/or other countries.