Dear All,
There are quite a few applications on this site, some of them are free.
I need to be able to create icons and other images (bitmaps, PNGs) etc for the splash screens, user manuals etc.
Which application is best for me - I would like to have an 'all-in-one' application.
If you only want to paint images for web use and such, then RW Paint.COM is free and has all the necessary features. If you want to create .ico files (or .icns for Mac), RW Icon Editor has advanced imgave->.ico convertors and integrates a simple 3D editor for realistic lighting and shapes like for example in this icon set of mine. The icon editor is paid.
There will eventually be an all-in-one application (called RealWorld Designer) available publicly, but it will take some time.
Find out how Vista icons differ from XP icons.
See how RealWorld Icon Editor handles Vista icons.