If....... (Score 1)

If "The GIMP" was as widely known as, say, Firefox, we wouldn't even be having this discussion :) C'mon guys and gals, The GIMP is open source, runs on Linux, Windows Macs and others, has everything you need. Yes, all photo editing software requires learning but that is becuase of the inherient non-linearity of the subject matter (it is always going to be harder than formatting an email differently because you have millions of pixels each representing millions of colours being manipulated to the satisfacion of something as subjective as "it looks better now") It will never be black and white (unless you want it to be :P )