Just wanted to open a picture, and these 4 apps did it better than Windows Photos

The article argues that Windows Photos has become “heavier” than before, adding features such as OneDrive, AI editing with Copilot, and Clipchamp integration that slow basic image opening. The writer says images that once loaded almost instantly now sometimes take a few seconds. To avoid that, they searched for alternatives and highlight four apps that prioritize speed and focused viewing. IrfanView is described as fast, lightweight, and able to handle many formats, including DjVu, plus batch conversion and basic editing. Visum Photo Viewer is positioned as clean and keyboard-friendly, supporting common formats with zoom and rotation. The piece begins introducing FastStone Image Viewer as another option.