IrfanView - created by Irfan Skiljan, a bosnian programmer with a big heart, is known as a compact and easy to use image viewer. But it goes more than being an image viewer. You can also edit images using its effects library.

Speaking of tools, this one makes real great difference among other free tools I have come across the internet. IrfanView in fact supports about 60 image formats and about 13 video/audio file formats.

Imagine that. In terms of plug-ins, right now, it has the capability to read BodyPaint 3D files, read Canon CRW files, send images as emails, can use Filter Factory 8BF files (Photoshop filters), can read Flash/Shockwave formats, and even PS, EPS, PDF files, among many others.

It would be very lengthy to discuss here.
To remark, I would highly recommend IrfanView to the internet users, they be home and personal or corporate users.

This tool is very user-freindly and easy to run. I think this is one of the reasons why the interface design was kept simple.

I have been using IrfanView for almost 4 years now and it has always been a great experience.