Anna Belle Leiserson (Faith and Web) took me very, very seriously when I suggested using The GIMP, a free and open-source image manipulation program as an alternative to Photoshop. Hard-card Photoshop users bloggers rehearse the limitations of the GIMP, but for most people I imagine it’s a reasonable, even robust alternative. But it’s most at home in Linux and installing it on a Windows or Mac machine is harrowing experience. But she wrestled with it on three non-Linux machines and lives to tell the tale. Read her post for the full effect.
Here’s my comment in reply, with suggestions:
I’m impressed you got it to work in a Mac OS at all. It can be done, but there seems to be a hierarchy of development for free and open-source software: Linux first, Windows second, then Mac OS.
I use the GIMP more because it comes pre-installed with most (all?) modern, non-niche Linux desktops than its cost. I’ve never used Photoshop for more than wheel-kicking and its not available for Linux. QED.
There’s a realistic use for non-Linux, Photoshop users: Portable GIMP, which lives on a USB drive/thumb drive. Might be handy when you don’t have access to your own computer but can use someone else’s (hotel business center?) Windows PC.
Or, for those dabbling in Linux, boot up into a hearty Linux distro using a Live CD, which doesn’t touch the operating system on your hard drive. If you use Ubuntu Linux (ubuntu.com) the GIMP will be there to try, too.
Both of these might be helpful to budget-strapped church in-house web developers, too.
She challenges me to blog about it. I have (and here) and shall. But probably not this week. But soon.
Thanks so much, Scott. If it hadn’t been for you — plus a second from Lance — I doubt I would have tried it, and I’d have missed out.