Re: GIMP against the rest(was Re: GUIs: Motif or ...? (was Re: tlug: Fw: Could Linux Kill NT?))

[Jonathan Byrne - 3Web <jq@example.com>]

On Fri, 26 Jun 1998, urs roesch wrote:

>Paintshop started as a plain vanilla image converter a few years ago.
>You only could convert images. Then they patched it trying to add
>editing capability. If you find Paintshop v1.0 on the net, download it
>and have a look. I used it years ago.

Reality check time.  Comparing today's PSP to 1.0 is like comparing
today's Linux kernel to the first source code that Linus released.

>> What can Photoshop do that PSP can't do?
>
>See above....

PSP can even use Adobe filters, and it's quality is very good.  You're
going to have to back up that argument a lot more if you want to make it
work. Just how many years has it been since you've used PSP, anyway?

>I know what you mean by making ugly, some Bu-cho doesn't like the color
>and you have to change it. 

No, I mean some customer who wass paying for it (maybe it was a bu-cho
:-)   )  *}did* like it, and
wanted more of it.  But it's worse.  The graphics they already have are
a
nightmare of pixelation and just a general balls-up.  And the HTML is
just as bad, or worse.  But if they want more of it, they get it :-) 
The only
HTML they have that passes W3C 4.0 is the stuff I wrote. Well, at least
it did when it left my hands.  I make no guarantees about now :-)

>I heard there is a Windoze version (not 100% sure here) and we will see
>how popular it will become. The fact that is free will draw some
>attention. The problem is more the documentation. There are tons of
>books for Photoshop, probably some for PSP but none for Gimp (that I
>know of). But assume there is a windoze version, Gimp already scored one
>point in cross platform compatibility. PSP will probably never run
>everywhere else but on the windoze platform. 

If it's cross-platform, that's good. If it's cross-platform but nobody
uses it, it doesn't matter.  Some people will try it because it's free,
and if the work out the major deficiencies, it may actually attract a
following.  If anything is going to be playing catch up to the superior
products that exist on other platforms, it's GIMP, though.  Do you know
if they plan to give it the ability to use Adobe filters?  If not, it's
going to have even tougher going.  As you say, the lack of documentation
is a problem, one that will likely continue.

>Painter has the quirkiest interface I've ever seen. The learning curve
>is extremely steep because of that. MetaCreation just steam rolls the
>windoze interface in such a way that joe user is totally lost. Since you
>are concerned about consistency in interface design that is the last
>program I recommend.

Thanks for the info on that.  I'll make sure I try it on somebody else's
system first if I'm ever seriously thinking about getting it.

>Getting back to Linux after all, I read on another ML that you can use
>pen and tablet in X11 (not 100% sure). If I stumble over the link or the
>message I let you know. 

That would be great.  Do GIMP or the other grahpics programs you
mentioned support pens and tablets for drawing, or is that still on the
drawing board, so to speak :-)

Cheers,

Jonathan Byrne
Media and Content Section
3Web - Your Internet Solution! <URL:http://www.threeweb.ad.jp/index.en.html>

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