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First Preview of GIMP 2.0 Ready for Testing

Posted by michael on from the my-precious dept.

molnarcs writes "The first preview of GIMP-2.0 is available. It can be installed side-by-side with GIMP 1.2 - so there is no need to uninstall 1.2 to test it. According to this README, some parts (gimp-perl and GAP) were removed from the main package, and will be released as separate modules. Use the mirrors listed on the homepage to download the source code. (Also available for FreeBSD via ports)." Apparently the GIMP is finally adding CYMK support, for those of you working in the print world.

10 of 563 comments (clear)

  1. Difficult to use or? by tindur · · Score: 5, Interesting
    A lot of people say Gimp is difficult to use. Is it difficult for people who are used to Photoshop or is it difficult for everybody?

    I haven't used image manipulation programs and would like to learn the basics. There are courses for Photoshop. Would it help me to take one of them?

    1. Re:Difficult to use or? by Mephisto_kur · · Score: 5, Interesting

      As someone who just recently started playing with this stuff, I can say that GIMP is much less intuitive than PS. That is the main problem. Since Photoshop is based on an MDI setup, and the standard menu style of most GUI apps out currently, it is leaps and bounds easier to just jump right into than GIMP.

      GIMP is a powerful program, I'll give it that. With the addition of CMYK you can expect some graphics folks that have been waiting to move to jump ship, but it still needs some serious work on the user interface before I expect it will become as main stream as PS or PSP.

    2. Re:Difficult to use or? by Lispy · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Well, this probably depends on how familiar with PCs you are. I am not an Imagemanipulation-guru myself but I had no trouble getting my work done (some webgraphics, Digicam-Manipulation and so on) with either Adobe Photoshop or Gimp.

      They actually look a bit different but follow the same basic concept. The "tools" you get are mostly the same, their location and symbols may differ and the holy war about wether the windows are "docked" inside a framewindows or free floating is mostly a question of taste.

      Therefore if you are quite at home with a modern dekstop PC you will soon feel comfortably with both systems.

      So, to answer your question I would say that Gimp is easier for newbies and pretty hard for Photoshop-hardliners who have become very used to Photoshop and all its quirks.

      Have you ever seen a Graphicdesigner use Photoshop on a Mac? Honestly its impressive (for me at least). They move thru the menus like a sleepwalker. Of course they would have a hard time to learn something new.

      My hint: If youre a cheap (like me) with a decent knowledge of modern GUIs get TheGimp and see if it suits you. I like it and use it for all my picture edit needs!

      cu,
      Lispy

  2. They fixed the interface (mostly)! by ciaran_o_riordan · · Score: 5, Interesting

    For anyone that hasn't tried it out, the interface is much improved. Great news since this is most peoples biggest gripe.

    toolboxes are now dockable with the main toolbox, so you just have one toolbox window, and a window for the image. Also, the image window has a menu bar now.

    --
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  3. Windows version? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    So, will there be a Windows version anytime soon for us Windows users (over half of ./), or are we stuck with the ancient 1.2.5? I would like to try it out, since the newer versions are said to have a less sucky UI making them actually usable, but the Windows port of the GIMP seems... dead.
    (and no, don't even think about saying "upgrade to linux" or something similar - some of us have to stick with the platform, some of us simply prefer it, and in no way are you going to get people to switch to Linux because it is the only thing that runs the GIMP)

  4. If you don't mind me asking... by vasqzr · · Score: 3, Interesting


    What happens if you try to copy money with Photoshop CS?

    The reason I ask is, we just bought a $25,000 Canon color printer. It might print some fairly realistic -looking- money, but it wouldn't fool anyone if they touched it, even if they had the right paper.

    Our copier salesperson told us a story, that sounded like an urban legend, it went like this:

    "A few years back, we sold 5 color copiers to some Arab guys in the Detroit area. They paid for them in cash, didn't want a service contract, and wanted them delivered to some abandoned warehouse. At first our VP of sales didn't want to do it, but we stood to make so much money on the deal it wasn't funny. So we did it.

    Apparently, they were using them to make counterfeit money! We talked to Canon and they have a anti-counterfeitting chip inside, where if you put a $20 bill on the glass, it will lock the machine up, and notify the local Secret Service office. A half an hour later, the feds are at your door!

    In theory, wouldn't you be able to buy some real printing equipment for the price of a couple high-dollar color lasers?

  5. Re:The problem with gimp... by donscarletti · · Score: 3, Interesting
    I use multihead displays and personally, I have never seen anything as efficient as the gimp interface to use.

    Also, 1.3 and 2.0 have tabbed control boxes making the UI compact, intuitive and flexible, one can even shove all one's little boxes into a single window vertically with the new interface and it will be the same aweful interface that you seem to like with photoshop.

    --
    When Argumentum ad Hominem falls short, try Argumentum ad Matrem
  6. Help Me Out GIMPers by subjectstorm · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've been using photoshop for about, eh . . . 2.5 years now. I'm currently using 6 on a Win 2K box here at work.

    It nice, but it can be an enormous resource hog. it also likes to occasionally lose all of the styles i've loaded or created myself.

    anybody out there using both that can tell me how they differ in terms of performance or ease of use? photoshop can be damned cryptic sometimes.

    also, i can read the specs all day, so if your answer is "RTFS" or "photoshop suXX0rz" then you can just shove it. I'm asking more about perceived differences.

    i've got mandrake at home, so i COULD load it up there and play with it, but i HATE taking my work home. anyone using it on windows? don't flame me, i don't have a choice here :)

    --
    ** Chigusaaa!!! You're the coolest girl in the WORLD!!! **
    1. Re:Help Me Out GIMPers by Tsu+Dho+Nimh · · Score: 4, Interesting
      "anybody out there using both that can tell me how they differ in terms of performance or ease of use"

      I've used them both ... neither is what I would call easy, but power and ease of use don't go together. As for performance, way back when it was GIMP 0.something we ran a test on photoediting. The same digital image was edited with the GIMP and with PhotoShop to crop, remove flaws, and enhance. We couldn't tell which one had been processed by which program, so the compoany switched ot GIMP and saved a bundle.

  7. whats wrong with software? by thogard · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Why can't any modern program be smart enough to figure out you've gone down the maze of menus to select the same option 600 times and then put a button for it some place reasonable or assign an automatic keyboard shortcut?