Note: This article was based on Paint.NET version 3. Since this article was written, Paint.NET version 5 has been released. Click here to read the newer Paint.NET 5 article.

I have recently been looking for a digital photo editor that is comparable to Adobe Photoshop and can read RAW format photos from my Nikon D40. But it also needs to able be to run on the Intel Atom processor in my Acer Aspire One Netbook. I found all of this and more with Paint.NET.


(Screen capture from Acer Aspire One Netbook: 1024x768 dpi)

Paint.NET was originally intended as a free replacement for Microsoft Paint, the image software that comes with 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 plugins. Here's a quote about the features from their site:

Simple, intuitive, and innovative user interface
Every feature and user interface element was designed to be immediately intuitive and quickly learnable without assistance. In order to handle multiple images easily, Paint.NET uses a tabbed document interface. The tabs display a live thumbnail of the image instead of a text description. This makes navigation very simple and fast.

The interface is also enhanced for Aero Glass if you are using Windows 7 or Vista.

Performance
Extensive work has gone into making Paint.NET the fastest image editor available. Whether you have a netbook with a power-conscious Atom CPU, or a Dual Intel Xeon workstation with 8 blazingly fast processing cores, you can expect Paint.NET to start up quickly and be responsive to every mouse click.

Layers
Usually only found on expensive or complicated professional software, layers form the basis for a rich image composition experience. You may think of them as a stack of transparency slides that, when viewed together at the same time, form one image.

Active Online Community
Paint.NET has an online forum with a friendly, passionate, and ever-expanding community. Be sure to check out the constantly growing list of tutorials and plugins!

Automatically Updated
Updates are free, and contain new features, performance improvements, and bug fixes. Upgrading to the latest version is very simple, requiring only two clicks of the mouse.

Special Effects
Many special effects are included for enhancing and perfecting your images. Everything from blurring, sharpening, red-eye removal, distortion, noise, and embossing are included. Also included is our unique 3D Rotate/Zoom effect that makes it very easy to add perspective and tilting.

Adjustments are also included which help you tweak an image's brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, curves, and levels. You can also convert an image to black and white, or sepia-toned.

Powerful Tools
Paint.NET includes simple tools for drawing shapes, including an easy-to-use curve tool for drawing splines or Bezier curves. The Gradient tool, new for 3.0, has been cited as an innovative improvement over similar tools provided by other software. The facilities for creating and working with selections is powerful, yet still simple enough to be picked up quickly. Other powerful tools include the Magic Wand for selecting regions of similar color, and the Clone Stamp for copying or erasing portions of an image. There is also a simple text editor, a tool for zooming, and a Recolor tool.

Unlimited History
Everybody makes mistakes, and everybody changes their mind. To accommodate this, every action you perform on an image is recorded in the History window and may be undone. Once you've undone an action, you can also redo it. The length of the history is only limited by available disk space.

Free!
Paint.NET doesn't cost a dime.

If you are looking for a digital image editor, I recommend you take a look at Paint.NET. Just click on the link below. I also have included a link to a Photoshop plugin I found useful.

Get Paint.NET!
Paint.NET Photoshop Plugin

Note: The CodePlex website has been retired and is no longer accessible. Microsoft purchased GitHub in 2018 and transferred all CodePlex projects to GitHub repositories.

In this article, I would like to tell you about CodePlex, an Open Source Project Community hosted by Microsoft. Open-source software is computer software that is available in source code form for which the source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are provided under a software license that permits users to study, change, and improve the software.

CodePlex allows developers to create new projects, join projects already in development, to use the applications created and provide feedback. Now, before you start thinking that this site is only for developers, let me tell you it is not (o.k., I will admit that I found this site looking for some C# code). This is a great place to find some really cool applications for the Windows platform. I have written several articles about the applications I have found here and keep finding more every time I stop by.

Here are some of the features of CodePlex:

• Source Code Control
• Project Discussions
• Wiki Pages
• Feature / Issue Tracking
• Release Downloads
• News Feed Aggregation

I encourage you to go over to CodePlex and take a look around. Maybe do a search or two. You might find a really cool app.

In this article, I would like to share a handy application for text editing called TextPad. If you have ever used Notepad, you will love TextPad.

Some of the features I like are spell checking, undo/redo capability, and a great search/replace engine. Here's a quote from their web site:

TextPad® is designed to provide the power and functionality to satisfy the most demanding text editing requirements. It can edit files up to the limits of virtual memory, and it will work with the 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows® 7, Vista, XP, 2000, Server 2003 and 2008.

TextPad has been implemented according to the Windows XP user interface guidelines, so great attention has been paid to making it easy for both beginners and experienced users. In-context help is available for all commands, and in-context menus pop-up with the right mouse button. The Windows multiple document interface allows multiple files to be edited simultaneously, with up to 2 views on each file. Text can be dragged and dropped between files.

In addition to the usual cut and paste capabilities, you can correct the most common typing errors with commands to change case, and transpose words, characters and lines. Other commands let you indent blocks of text, split or join lines, and insert whole files. Any change can be undone or redone, right back to the first one made. Visible bookmarks can be put on lines, and edit commands can be applied to lines with bookmarks.

Frequently used combinations of commands can be saved as keystroke macros, and the spelling checker has dictionaries for 10 languages.

It also has a customizable tools menu, and integral file compare and search commands, with hypertext jumps from the matched text to the corresponding line in the source file (ideal for integrating compilers).

TextPad is available on a try before you buy basis and is available for download at TextPad.com.

In today's tech-driven world, many users find themselves juggling multiple computers for various tasks, whether for work, gaming, or personal projects. Managing multiple devices can lead to cluttered workspaces and a cumbersome user experience. Enter the KVM switch—an elegant solution that enables you to control multiple computers using a single monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

A KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) switch is a hardware device that allows users to control several computer systems from a single set of peripherals. With a KVM switch, you can seamlessly switch between devices without the need for additional input devices, saving both space and effort. Whether you have a desktop, laptop, or a combination of both, a KVM switch can be configured to suit a variety of setups, from home offices to server management.

First, you can get KVM switches with either VGA, DVI, HDMI, or Display Port video connectors. Sometimes, you have to use an adapter (HDMI to Display Port, DVI to VGA) to get all the different video connections to work with a single type.

Here is your basic 2-port USB KVM Switch. It costs around $20-25. This type of KVM is quite handy when you have a desktop at home, and you use a laptop for work. You can connect the laptop to your full-size monitor, keyboard, and mouse when at home. Also, this unit does not require external power.

Here's a 4-port USB KVM Switch with Audio and Bluetooth. It costs around $40-50. Besides connecting a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, this one also has speaker and microphone jacks. Plus Bluetooth. This unit does not require external power, but it is an option.

Here's an 8-port USB / PS2 KVM with a USB port and On-Screen Display. This KVM is scalable and can control up to 128 computers (with additional switches). Each port can also be configured for the OS of the computer connected to it (Windows, Mac, Sun).

A KVM switch is a powerful tool for anyone looking to optimize their workspace and manage multiple computers efficiently. By consolidating your peripherals into a single, manageable system, you can enhance productivity, reduce clutter, and save costs. With various options available, selecting the right KVM switch tailored to your needs could revolutionize your working setup, making multitasking and system management a breeze. Whether you're a busy professional, a gamer, or someone who simply enjoys having multiple devices, a KVM switch streamlines your experience and elevates your productivity. As technology continues to advance, this simple yet effective solution remains a staple for modern work environments.

This article shows how to use the Eject Pin Hole to manually eject the tray on your computer's CD / DVD drive. There will be times when you need to open the tray on your computers CD / DVD drive when the system is powered off.

• You need to boot your computer using the CD / DVD drive.
• You need to retrieve a disk without starting up the computer.

Caution: Turn off power to the system before manually ejecting a disk.

All CD / DVD drives have an Eject Pin Hole. The only thing we need is a paper clip to use it (I am using a #1 size for this article).

All we have to do is bend it at the first curve 180 degrees (straitening it out). Then take the second curve and bend it 90 degrees. Now we need to locate the Eject Pin Hole.

Desktop CD / DVD drives:
Gently insert the modified paper clip into the Eject Pin Hole until you feel it makes contact with the gear underneath the tray. Firmly pressing inward, you will notice the tray start to move out. Press inward until you have enough room to get your finger under the tray and pull it out the rest of the way. If you can only get a small portion of the tray out, you can use the other end of the paper clip to gently pry open the tray enough to get your finger under it. Once done, gently push back the tray to the closed position. It will close firmly when the system is powered up.

Laptop - Notebook CD / DVD drives:
The trays on laptops/notebooks are spring-loaded, so all that is needed is to release the locking mechanism. You do not have to insert the paper clip as far as with a desktop CD / DVD drive, as you are not connecting to the gearing under the tray. Gently insert the paper clip into the Eject Pin Hole. Once you feel it make contact, gently push in, and the tray will eject immediately. Once done, gently push the tray back inward until it locks back into place.