And Steve Vaughn elaborates on this, mentioning this memorable little paragraph:
“GIMP? It’s good, and it’s getting better, but unless Adobe takes a wrong step, I don’t see it playing a major role on professional desktops.
Some would argue, of course, that since GIMP is free software, it will eventually play a larger role. I still don’t see it.
As Rizzo said, and I’ve seen and heard now, Photoshop really is a platform, not just an application. When you’re buying into an entire system, as the graphics business clearly has, the upfront cost of a single application doesn’t amount to a hill of beans in the buying decision.”
So here’s what I say to that:
Photoshop is a platform, not just your run-of-the-mill POCS. In fact, *anything* from Adobe/Macromedia is a frickin’ platform.
The reason why Adobe is stuffing its ears full of cotton, acting like its in its own little world when walking on Linux territory, is because GIMP/any-only-for-Linux-apps are only made for Linux users, and won’t be allowed any breathing room for serious development and usage as a result. Meanwhile, almost everything that is made by Adobe and Macromedia will be natively ported to Windows and Mac OS X (with a trifling few bits thrown to Linux like scraps from a table).
So why can’t you all, the GIMP developers, simply allow for the porting of GIMP to Mac OS X and Windows? Not only will it pose an FOSS challenge to the dominance of Photoshop, but it will also allow for a far wider range of users to participate in the improvement of the GIMP platform, just like any other cross-platform venture such as Mozilla, Limewire, Azureus, etc. This will benefit Linux users in the long run with a more accepted, higher-powered platform that will be *better* than Photoshop.
Of course, such may be seen as giving a further advantage to the “enemy/ies”, but open source is all about building a serious, non-proprietary platform for any piece of software.
Plus, I’m certain that more folks will hear about Linux via GIMP as a result.
MAJOR EDIT: Just Googled the website. They actually DO have ports to Mac and Windows!
So, um…why isn’t the GIMP platform popular on Windows and Mac?!
I think the big distinction is that GIMP was made by nerds. Adobe’s stuff was made with the artist in mind. I found GIMP incredible difficult to use, but Adobe’s stuff was easy to learn (Albeit intimidating at first).
I simply don’t see GIMP ever gaining ground against PS just because PS is better for artists and designers, currently. And often times you simply get what you pay for. In additon, does GIMP have vector support? That’s a big one in the field of design, and if GIMP can’t do it, it’s never breaking any groundwork for companies.
What really bothers me is the price of PS. I really wish they wouldn’t charge an arm and a leg for non-corporate types. But, another blow to GIMP is the ever popular PSP software that’s only like $100. Most artists can afford it, and it’s fairly easy to use, and almost at the same level as Photoshop plus ImageReady.
It just seems to be living up to it’s acronym it seems (Which doesn’t help it’s case either).
“I think the big distinction is that GIMP was made by nerds.”
Both “by” and “for”. The fact of the matter is that Linux (for which GIMP was originally made, of course) does not possess a base of artists and designers, so naturally, while it may do for the developer and Linux webpage designer, it certainly can’t gain a foothold in the artist/designer arena, most of which is concentrated squarely on/in Windows (and Mac).
I simply don’t see GIMP ever gaining ground against PS just because PS is better for artists and designers, currently. And often times you simply get what you pay for. In additon, does GIMP have vector support? That’s a big one in the field of design, and if GIMP can’t do it, it’s never breaking any groundwork for companies.
That said, maybe a Windows-native forking of GIMP into a more artist/designer-oriented platform could bring an effective FOSS alternative to PS. There are alot of flaws with the current state of GIMP, as you’ve mentioned, flaws with which the primarily Windows/Mac-based artist/designer crowd can’t reconcile themselves, thus preventing usage for serious artwork and web design. So, maybe that is the same crowd which could help make a better Free/open-source image manipulation platform, is it not?
Oh, and GIMP does have vector graphics support, btw (according to the Wikipedia page).
Plus, there’s GIMPshop, which is meant to make GIMP look/feel more like Photoshop, if you care to try it.
I was gonna say..
I’ve had gimp for windows since windows 98 was still pretty new XD