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For Macintosh
There are plenty of choices for Macintosh users, too.

CorelDRAW 8 Limited Edition is a free, stripped-down version of the popular commercial image manipulation software. Actually, the package includes both CorelDraw LE and Corel Photo-Paint LE. Despite its "limited" moniker, this program is more than powerful enough for those of us who don't spend all day working with graphics. Download the program from Corel's Web site.

The popular shareware program GraphicConverter is a must-have tool. Its batch functions can quickly tweak a folder full of images, for instance, by applying a sharpen filter, then converting them from TIFF to JPG format. The program is great for converting graphics you already have, but doesn't offer tools for creating new images. GraphicConverter is $30, with versions available for PowerPC and older 68K Macs, and in several languages. Get it here.

You might think of Color-It! as Photoshop's little brother. It's rather powerful, but much easier to use. This $50 program will import images from your scanner or digital camera, then let you quickly crop, adjust, and finesse them to perfection. It offers filters, works with Photoshop plug-ins, and runs with as little as 3MB of free RAM.

If you use a digital camera, give Cameraid a try. This program imports images from your digital camera to your Mac, working in place of the software that came bundled with the camera. It claims to be up to twice as fast at downloading images, and lets you quickly rotate, name, and enhance your digital photos. The program, which works with several different brands of cameras, is $15 shareware. If you have a Sony Mavica digital camera, try Mavicadabra, a $24.95 shareware gem just for you.

Is the software that came with your scanner driving you crazy? Then check out ScanTastic. Compatible with many Epson, Apple, and Hewlett-Packard scanners, ScanTastic works as a standalone program or as a plug-in with other graphics applications. It costs $69, and you can download a free demonstration version.

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Kevin Savetz is a freelance computer technology writer specializing in the Internet. Send him email at savetz@northcoast.com.