Early in February, I sent an email to Consumers Union.
Consumer Reports consistently ignores free software (http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html). When reporting on operating systems for PCs, you do discuss Apple's Max OSX, which is good. However there is plenty of excellent free software.
When responding to Dennis McCray's query on how to crop a photo for email (CR March 2010 page 5), you referred him to Apple's iPhoto (http://www.apple.com/ilife/iphoto/). It is bundled in a package that Apple prices at $79. I doubt it is available for Windows.
Adobe Photoshop Elements (http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopelwin/) is available unbundled from Adobe for $79 for Windows and Mac OSX. There is also a trial version.
The GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program, http://www.gimp.org) is available for Mac OSX (via MacPorts or download from the web site), Windows, Linux and most versions of Unix. It is completely free. It is licensed under the General Public License, so you can legally give copies to friends. It will meet Mr. McCray's requirements, and do a lot more.
Windows users will find the GIMP and other excellent free programs on the OpenDisc (http://www.theopendisc.com/). You may download an ISO image, burn it to a DVD, and start using the software immediately.
There is plenty of excellent free software out there on the Internet. I've been using it for more than 20 years, for personal and professional applications. The next time you review or suggest software, please include free software in your deliberations.
Thank you.
I got back an anodyne "thank you for your interest" email, with no indication that an actual human being had read my comments at all. Since then, nothing.