Re: £40 too expensive...
No, sorry, I can't buy the assertion "I need Photoshop once in a while, so I pirated it". The truth is you don't need Photoshop at all, and probably don't even know how to use it past basic (and maybe erroneous) techniques - just owning "the powerful software the pro uses" makes you feel "better".
What you need is actually exactly an application like GIMP or Serif's. But that doesn't mean there are not people who really need Photoshop or even more expensive ones - if they deliver features that really save you hassle and time, and let you do the work you need the way you need.
And delivering complex, powerful applications needs skilled, expert developers. Who, usually, like to be paid good money for their work. You can't really expect them to work full time on such applications on a voluntary basis...
Biting the hand that feeds IT
