Pixelmator

I read this article about Pixelmator 1.4 (the package has been around for a couple of years already... how did I miss it?) and gave it a try before going out and buying it (less than 50 euros). Why that then? For a PS user since version 2.5 why bother? I don't know. Primarily because it's using the Core Image technology from Apple (which makes it GPU driven) and it's fun to use its filters made with Quartz Composer (free from Apple, again). Also, it's interface and look and feel is fun to use. For someone with PS experience learning this package is a piece of cake. The tools and commands are so Photoshop like that it won't take anyone more than 15 minutes to find one's way around this. Once you start using it you discover some better performance, quality, and ways of doing things than PS itself! Amazing. I applied a whole set of filters on a portrait of my spouse that I put on Flickr. Enjoy the slideshow shown here that is driven by the Flickr engines.