From: Daniel Lawson [mailto:daniel@meta.net.nz]
I know that one of the largest complaints from Photoshop users about The Gimp is the retraining time needed. Without going into the fact that you can get The Gimp in win32 anyway, or without discussing relative merits of the two applications, if you are doing a course on graphic design, and The Gimp will do everything you need, then why not use it?
Well first I have to say I agree with your basic point here but I really think this is a bad example. Gimp may have the same basic functionality as Photoshop but it's nowhere near as usable. Dropping a newbie in Gimp would put them off the Graphic Design industry for life. Besides, most books on the subject refer to Photoshop's implementation. I agree this is not ideal but until Gimp improves and other factors (like books, etc) are addressed I don't think anything will change. That said Gimp can be very handy at times and certainly isn't lacking functionality.
Just using 1c here. Never know when I might need the other 1c.
Matt Browne
While I agree that the Gimp hardly has the greatest interface in the world, I don't think Photoshop's is the archetype of graphics manipulation interfaces either. Despite having had access to it for several years, I still don't know how to use it properly. About the only graphics program that I'm could sit down and use were some of the older versions of Paint Shop Pro.
I think this is indicative more of the larger tool set in these sort of programs. It's like reading the man pages for something like bash or cdrecord - simple tools, with a lot of options.
(Bearing in mind that I'm not a graphics artist, and really need only the more basic functions these packages provide.)
Personally, I agree with the concepts, not products ideal. However, given the way there seems to be an all out attempt to dumb computers down to the level of a toaster, we're going to be fighting this one for a while. My take is that Linux (or anything that's not Windows) is a good thing, because it forces the student to learn that there's not a single way. The thinking being taught with specific types of products leads to the abject stupidity of having to retrain people between Windows 2000 and XP.
Edward
On Mon, 2003-08-25 at 10:04, Matthew Browne (DSL HN) wrote:
Well first I have to say I agree with your basic point here but I really think this is a bad example. Gimp may have the same basic functionality as Photoshop but it's nowhere near as usable. Dropping a newbie in Gimp would put them off the Graphic Design industry for life. Besides, most books on the subject refer to Photoshop's implementation. I agree this is not ideal but until Gimp improves and other factors (like books, etc) are addressed I don't think anything will change. That said Gimp can be very handy at times and certainly isn't lacking functionality.
Just using 1c here. Never know when I might need the other 1c.
Matt Browne _______________________________________________ wlug mailing list wlug@list.waikato.ac.nz http://list.waikato.ac.nz/mailman/listinfo/wlug
On Mon, 25 Aug 2003, Edward Murrell wrote:
(Bearing in mind that I'm not a graphics artist, and really need only the more basic functions these packages provide.)
Depending on your version of "basic", have you looked at ImageMagick? I find it useful for batch-processing photos from SWMBO's digital camera to create thumbnails for any CDs of pics I send to family and friends (with autoloading index.html stuff on Duhs).
Personally, I agree with the concepts, not products ideal. However, given the way there seems to be an all out attempt to dumb computers down to the level of a toaster, we're going to be fighting this one for a while. My take is that Linux (or anything that's not Windows) is a good thing, because it forces the student to learn that there's not a single way. The thinking being taught with specific types of products leads to the abject stupidity of having to retrain people between Windows 2000 and XP.
<boggle>
Please tell me you're joking. I started a new job this year, and saw Windows for the first time since NT4. While it's got a whole lot uglier since NT4, it's still just the same as it always was.
I can't imagine the amoeba that would require retraining for that change, and in my time I've had to deal with the likes of salescritters and marketdroids.
Still boggled,
Richard
On Mon, 2003-08-25 at 11:18, Richard Stevenson wrote:
On Mon, 25 Aug 2003, Edward Murrell wrote:
(Bearing in mind that I'm not a graphics artist, and really need only the more basic functions these packages provide.)
Depending on your version of "basic", have you looked at ImageMagick? I find it useful for batch-processing photos from SWMBO's digital camera to create thumbnails for any CDs of pics I send to family and friends (with autoloading index.html stuff on Duhs).
Thakns. I'll check it out though - sounds like the sort of thing my parents would use. My problem is that 99% of the time, I need very little functionality - and that other 1% of the time, I'll be hunting through the menus trying to find it. :/
/me apt-gets.
Personally, I agree with the concepts, not products ideal. However, given the way there seems to be an all out attempt to dumb computers down to the level of a toaster, we're going to be fighting this one for a while. My take is that Linux (or anything that's not Windows) is a good thing, because it forces the student to learn that there's not a single way. The thinking being taught with specific types of products leads to the abject stupidity of having to retrain people between Windows 2000 and XP.
<boggle>
Please tell me you're joking. I started a new job this year, and saw Windows for the first time since NT4. While it's got a whole lot uglier since NT4, it's still just the same as it always was.
I can't imagine the amoeba that would require retraining for that change, and in my time I've had to deal with the likes of salescritters and marketdroids.
Still boggled,
Richard
Be boggled. Unfortunately, I've been there. If you don't do the training, it tends to result in a lot of tech support calls. Of course, if you do, you still get the tech support calls, just not quite as many... I digress. For some people, the difference between Start and Launch is confusing - despite them being in the same place. Things like 'We're using Outlook instead of Outlook Express, and you can log in from anywhere,' can cause no end of confusion to some of the downright retards I've had to deal with.
Edward
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1
I know that one of the largest complaints from Photoshop users about The Gimp is the retraining time needed. Without going into the fact that you can get The Gimp in win32 anyway, or without discussing relative merits of the two applications, if you are doing a course on graphic design, and The Gimp will do everything you need, then why not use it?
Well first I have to say I agree with your basic point here but I really think this is a bad example. Gimp may have the same basic functionality as Photoshop but it's nowhere near as usable. Dropping a newbie in Gimp would put them off the Graphic Design industry for life. Besides, most books on the subject refer to Photoshop's implementation. I agree this is not ideal but until Gimp improves and other factors (like books, etc) are addressed I don't think anything will change. That said Gimp can be very handy at times and certainly isn't lacking functionality.
Just using 1c here. Never know when I might need the other 1c.
Recent version of The Gimp have changed the useability a lot, for instance by making the "right click" menu permanently dock'd into the top of the image window by default, which tends to avoid the "what on earth do I do now?" problem.
- -- You will lose an important disk file.
participants (4)
-
Edward Murrell -
Matthew Browne (DSL HN) -
Perry Lorier -
Richard Stevenson