Photoshop alternative Picture Window Pro is now free!

[jhein]

Free as in free love and free beer!

From the author:
We first released Picture Window and Picture Window Pro roughly 23 years ago in 1993, and it has steadily evolved from that time to the present, transitioning from 16- to 32- to 64-bits and from Windows 3.1 to Windows 95 to Windows 10. During that time, we have enjoyed the support of a dedicated group of users who have helped us improve the product at each stage.

But nothing goes on forever and the time has come for us to shut the program down. Consequently we will no longer be selling Picture Window Pro or issuing any new releases. We will keep our current web site in place until roughly April 2017, including the message board and download areas, but have already removed the ordering page. For those who wish to download the latest version, Kiril and I have prepared a minor update that fixes a few outstanding bugs and removes all copy protection so a serial number will no longer be needed to activate the program. This final version is already available on the web site for download.

I am working on a total rewrite of Picture Window with a more modern interface that may or may not ever see the light of day. If you wish to be informed if and when this new version becomes available to test, please email me directly at jsachs@dl-c.com. The DL-C.COM domain name is reserved for at least three more years, and we expect to transition to a new and simpler web site next year so Picture Window Pro can remain available for download as freeware.

I want to personally thank everyone who has used Picture Window and our other products in the past -- especially those who have helped improve the program over the years by reporting bugs or making feature suggestions. I hope to remain in touch with as many of you as possible going forward.

Jonathan Sachs
President, Digital Light & Color

[Rhossydd]

A nice gesture and probably still a usable program, but it's now very dated in it's interface and doesn't work well on modern high res screens.

[one iota]

I have been using PWP since I started Digital Photography seriously. It unlike all the others is transparent in its processes and when used with the excellent White Papers that accompany the application inform the photographer about some of the "dark mysteries" surrounding digital processing. Someone said of it that it applied an analogue approach to a digital process...a bit like using a dark room.  While I now use Capture One and DxO as well, PWP still forms part of my workflow particularly when the out put is a print. The Graphic User Interface is Windows 2.11 and the dcraw demosaicing lacks finesse particularly with highlight recovery but it does some things really well. The creator Jonathan Sachs (also of Lotus 1-2-3) is an unsung hero.