Quote Originally Posted by icosahedron View Post
The problem with over-complex and unfamiliar software is that I have to wade through a lot of stuff I don't need, in order to find the stuff I do need, and that takes time I don't have. It's like trying to find the switch for the mapreading light on the pilot's console of a 747. It's much easier and quicker to find the same switch in a Landrover!
Sorry, I don't mean to sound belligerent, but I believe you may be over complicating things.
GIMP vs. MS Paint.jpg

One big difference with GIMP is that there are multiple windows. It took me all of an hour to get totally comfortable with this paradigm(long than the switch from Windows XP to Vista for sure.)

Note that if you compare the toolboxes, almost everything that is in MS Paint has a direct equivalent in GIMP and the few things that are not toolbox items are simple 1-3 step changes that take seconds difference.

I believe GIMP can do everything Paint.Net can, and is just as easy to learn and has more features you CAN use to boot. However, in no way are those features in your way until you learn how to use them. On top of that, there are far more people here who have experience with GIMP than with Paint.net. Of course, I "think" Paint.Net has their own forums if you really want to stay in that direction.