Slashdot Mirror
GIMP Dropped From Ubuntu 10.04
kai_hiwatari writes "It looks like the Ubuntu developers consider GIMP to be too powerful for a normal desktop user. They are removing it from the upcoming Ubuntu 10.04. Among the reasons cited are that the UI is too complex, it takes up room on the disc, and 'desktop users just want to edit photos and they can do that in F-Spot.''"
Not really a problem, right?
People who like to play with graphics already know the Gimp... Just click and install.
No need to waste space on the default install when so few of people use it
The Gimp was orgiginally envisioned to demonstrate the power and flexibility of free, desktop systems. The creators wanted to show Linux and free software "stone soup" development was capable of producing and supporting software that rivaled what was available as commercial offerings.
Well, as the old saying goes, "Close, but no cigar." But hey, way to play to the crowd!
Back when I knew practically nothing about Photoshop, I would sometimes fall into the trap of thinking GIMP was just as good... Now that I know a few things about Photoshop, I believe it really is in another class in terms of its overall capabilities... But to me the significance of the GIMP is that it's one of the early examples of a free image editor offering that level of power. These days there are numerous other examples, of course. This would have happened even if GIMP had never existed - some other project would have cropped up. But GIMP was a part of that. Any time the bar is raised in terms of what computer users can accomplish without a massive investment in software - that's a good thing IMO.
Bow-ties are cool.