OT: free graphics software / Windows 7 rant

I've just had to replace my PC due the old one grinding to a halt after about 8 years. Am not too concerned about having had to do that - it's had a good innings - but what's really pissing me off is the knock-on effect of the enforced upgrade from Windows XP to 7. Half my software and hardware, which was perfectly serviceable and fulfilled my needs on the old machine, is now rendered obsolete and apparently I have to spend ££ on buying replacements.

- webcam (Logitech Quickcam 3000)

- scanner (Canon N656U) and software (Paperport 9)

- graphics software (Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0; originally bundled with a camera IIRC)

- TV card software ... and probably more I haven't yet tried to reinstall.

At least the old Laserjet printer's still OK...

Anyway - main reason for posting is to ask if anyone can reccommend a suitable public-domain Photoshop-type clone (along the lines of OpenOffice. maybe?) I don't use it that much, but when I do it's for tinkering with photos and a bit of rudimentary graphics stuff. Adobe want about £70 for an updated version which is out of the question.

Any suggestions much appreciated David (PS don't bother with non-Windows stuff - it's a family-shared PC and it ain't going to happen!)

Reply to
Lobster
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believe there's a skin for it to make it look like Photoshop (dunno much about Photoshop and I like the GIMP UI, anyway.)

Switch to Linux and tell Billy-boy to shove it;

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Reply to
Huge

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'm a Mac user so the above is the best I can do.

Reply to
whisky-dave

It may help, but I too, changed to Win 7 recently and checked with the Compatability Site only to find, like you, that it seemed most of my old (and I do mean old!) software wouldn't work, Including Word 2000, Works

4.5, Photoshop Elements (not sure what version, but old), Silent Hunter 4, my old Epson 2400 scanner, and a few more.

However, I found an update for the scanner on the web and just installed all the above software, one program at a time, and so far, they're all working fine.

Hope you're as lucky,

Syke

Reply to
Syke

Doesn't Win7 have an XP compatibility mode? If not it certainly has a built in Virtual machine that you can install XP in. May not be the optimum solution but it should enable you to run the old software. And, although a VM runs slower than a native machine if it was running happily on the old machine you shouldn't notice. Failing that even there is always VirtualBox which is free.

Reply to
Andrew May

That'll be:-

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don't use photoshop, so I don't know how close it is to the real thing. Works on Windows, Mac and Linux (With some assembly required for Linux).

It's free, so it costs nowt to try.

Reply to
John Williamson

Re the last sentence: You can install Linux as a separate boot on the same PC, then just restart and boot into your Linux System instead of the Windows one. When you're done, reboot into Windows (the one that casts money, note) for the rest of the family to play with. Or buy a cheap, old PC and install Linux on it. I have a Dell with a Pentiu= m 3, which originally had Windows Millenium on it, and it runs Win XP and Ubuntu 8.04 just fine. Freecycle may have what you need. And you can't beat the (non) price of Linux software. GIMP is your friend.=20

--=20 Davey.

Reply to
Davey

only on the Win7 Pro version.

Reply to
charles

I have a thermal transfer printer the software for which requires a dongle in the parallel printer port. It would cost silly money to buy new software, so I keep a very old computer just to run that.

Colin Bignell

Reply to
Nightjar

The fact that I've just had EXACTLY the same problem has caused me to de-lurk to offer advice and join in the rant. My old XP machine is coming up to ten years old and is just about still going, but a shiny new Win 7 jobby has now been in service for two weeks and is still in the changeover process. Even though some research told me they wouldn't, I've successfully installed Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 which works perfectly, and MS office 2000 (well Excel and Word anyway, I don't use the rest). Can't get Juice Podcast Receiver to work, only in XP mode using VMware. (I've got Win7 Home Premium) If you can't get PSE 3.0 to work, I'd recommend Artweaver, which is free, has a lot of basic Photoshop functions and looks and feels very much like my version of PSE.

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'm not at all happy with Windows Live Mail, no sign of being able to view or edit the HTML while composing, I'll persevere for a while before ditching it. There's no DELETE button in Windows Explorer, why would they remove that? That's enough for now, I'm going back into Lurk mode...

Bernard

Reply to
Bernard42

3, which originally had Windows Millenium on

Or run Linux in a VM. Or run Wubi (Ubuntu under Windows).

Reply to
Huge

The Gimp

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Any suggestions much appreciated

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

Nobody has yet asked if you have checked to confirm if XP will run on your latest hardware. The cost of installing XP (assuming your old system was OEM and you can't move the licence) may be less than replacing all your software and hardware.

You can always dual boot betwen W7 and XP - Windows handles that O.K.

Reply to
David WE Roberts

The *nearest* free "Photoshop type clone" would be Gimp.

Reply to
Tim Watts

Buy XP and load that on a separate partition?

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Ahh, I'm running W7Pro so hadn't realised that. Thanks.

Reply to
Andrew May

I use Photoshop Elements 2 on Win 7 with no problems whatsoever. What problems are you having with v3?

I have minor problems with CorelDraw 12; nothing that matters. The top right cross for closing the file is half obscured, that's about all. Oh, and there's a pause of three secs the first time I use text each session.

Word 2007 is OK except that it won't save a document above approx

900,000 characters (or about 125,000 words) which doesn't matter because it's better to split such a big file anyway to make the sections easier and quicker to access.

Scanner and both printers are fine. Nokia phone software fine. Dropbox fine. That's all I use.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Wright

Is there a skin available for it that makes it look like something that makes sense? ;)

Reply to
Jules Richardson

v7 was nice - reasonably powerful, but not overly complex for anyone who wasn't a graphic designer (and just wanted something to edit images with). Later releases tried to be too 'Photoshoppy' and it all went down the pan.

(I've got win2k in a VM on this 'ere Linux machine, purely for the occasional need to use Paintshop Pro - but in all honesty it's been well over a year since I've actually needed it)

cheers

Jules

Reply to
Jules Richardson

Only if your distro hasnt got the latest and greatests.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

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