FREE image editing software (article)

I'm seriously considering NOT purchasing Photoshop. A simple search for "photo editing open source" led to the following article on About.com:

Top 8 Free Photo Editors for Windows

Eight -- count 'em. The first one, GIMP, is apparently
often lauded as the "free photoshop."
I'm gonna try it.

As for Dreamweaver and Fireworks, I think I like them too well not to buy them. Assuming I need to create web pages. Who doesn't? I guess you can get away without doing so, but I'm becoming a professional person, and I have to "market myself" and stuff. Scary.

HTML Kit is great, but the CSS and Javascript features (rollovers and such) on Dreamweaver are pretty appealing... Fireworks I've decided I want, for sure. I could probably get away without Dreamweaver. Any library I work for will likely already have it or something like it. If I do anything on my own, I can get away with HTML Kit and Fireworks. But converting to XHTML, what about that feature of Dreamweaver?

I must confess my tendency is to want to buy everything. I am an American, damnit, and I want it all! Budget be damned! Ha ha. Very funny. Not very professional -- but being professional sure is a good rationalization for spending the money!