IrfanView is a quick and innovative freeware graphic viewer designed for Windows 9x, ME, NT, 2000, XP, 2003, 2008, Vista, and 7. It boasts a small and compact size, making it a convenient choice for non-commercial users.
What's impressive about IrfanView is its simplicity for beginners and power for professionals. It's a refreshing change from other graphic viewers that rely heavily on feature cloning and stealing ideas, whereas IrfanView tries to create new and interesting features in its own way. In fact, XnView has been cloning features and whole dialogs from IrfanView for over 10 years, which speaks volumes about the latter's innovation.
One notable feat IrfanView achieved was being the first Windows graphic viewer with Multiple (animated) GIF support. Furthermore, it was among the first graphic viewers in the world to have Multipage TIF support. But its most groundbreaking accomplishment is being the first graphic viewer worldwide with Multiple ICO support.
Overall, IrfanView is a reliable, innovative, and user-friendly software that deserves a spot on your computer. Whether you're an amateur or professional, you'll find its features and performance impressive. Plus, the fact that it's free makes it a bargain you shouldn't miss.
Version 4.53:
- New capture option: Region capture (Thanks to grebulon)
(as option in Capture dialog or hotkey: CTRL + PrintKey)
- OCR Feature/PlugIn added (Options menu, Hotkey: F9, full image or selection)
PlugIn download: http://rerecognition-download.ch/irfan/kadmos44/KADMOS.htm