I've always thought that free tools like Paint.NET are incredible pieces of software because they drastically simplify the image editing process for most users while still offering a lot of the advanced options for the power users out there. The downside to Paint.NET is that it's only available on Windows, but a free app called Pinta tries to bring a similar set of features to all platforms.

Personally I've never needed to compress a large number of images before, but if I did I'd definitely be using Caesium. The interface is easy to understand, and the dual-pane previews along the right side make it easy to see the before/after comparison so that you can get the right compression ratio.

Digital picture frames are a great way to showcase your photo library, but some people think that they need enormous memory cards so that they don't have to constantly swap out images. The photos taken with a digital camera are often very high resolution, and can therefore limit how much you can fit onto a card.

I resize images quite a bit on a variety of different computers, including ones running both Windows and Mac OS X. On Windows I typically use an Explorer add-on like this one, but I had never taken the time to find something to use on my Mac. During some browsing around the web I recently stumbled upon a free utility, called ThumbsUp, that handles the job quite nicely though.

The free and portable Radical Image Optimization Tool (RIOT) has been an app I've recommended for a few years now (I think I've been using it since about 2008). As the name suggests it focuses on doing one thing, and doing it well: optimizing images. It can compress, resize, adjust, and convert your images in a way that leaves you in control of the end result.

There are plenty of image editors out there these days, but there aren't too many that offer some of the advanced functionality that you find in Photoshop. Some of those apps, such as GIMP or Paint.NET, are great alternatives that a lot of users have come to rely on, and I'd have to put StylePix in that same category.

Coming across a good free screenshot application is a rarity these days. I used to be a big fan of FastStone Capture, but once they went from free to paid it felt like my money would be better spent on SnagIt (in the event I decided to purchase an app).

I'm sure many of you remember the "Power Toys" from the Windows XP days, and you probably have at least one of them installed if you're still running XP. My favorite was always the ability to quickly resize images with a simple right-click on the photo(s) from within Windows Explorer. It was fast, simple, and did exactly what you wanted it to.