This week's topic happens to be one for the most well-known open source image editing programs: The GIMP. Surprisingly, the software's name (an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program, by the way) doesn't garner nearly as much negative attention as GIMP's constant comparison, or contrast rather, to one of the leading commercial image editing programs Adobe Photoshop. A quick overview of these comparisons will give you phrases that range from GIMP's being "just as good as" to "nearly as good as" to "a poor man's" Photoshop.
Obviously, a person's opinion is just that. My opinion would probably sit me in the "just as good as" field and possibly a teetering position on the fence of the rarely seen "even better than Photoshop" field. I personally enjoy the lighter feel and less resource-grabbing GIMP does when running in comparison to my past Photoshop experiences. I cannot, however, speak for the average user. Coming off of Photoshop, I actually had no problem switching to the interface of GIMP. I thought it was pretty easy to grasp. However, some people find previous Photoshop experience not helpful at all. Of course, there's that extra camp that finds the whole versus debate just plain silly.
The general consensus is that GIMP isn't the most user-friendly program. I'd probably agree with that. GIMP itself agrees with that: it has previously stated that it intends to serve experienced users.
Cosmetic features aside, GIMP's functions are rather extensive. I have, again personally, never come across a task that I couldn't do in GIMP that I could do in Photoshop. A great grasp of just exactly what GIMP's capabilities are can be found in both its Introduction and Feature Overview pages. For the novice GIMP-ite, you can even read plenty of tutorials housed on the official GIMP page.
For those up for customization, you can get a wide-range of free plug-ins for the program. The program also comes with a built-in scripting feature known as "Script Fu." Of course, for novice users most concerned with the ease of the program, Script Fu is not something you want to mess with. I tried building my own from scratch, but I ended up using someone else's script as a skeleton to model mine on. (Credit was of course given.) The vast availability and creation of plug-ins and scripts solidifies GIMP as a useful open source program: communities of users use access to the program's source and coding to make constant improvements and tools for other users.
For those wishing to view more vivid examples of what a user can do with GIMP and how to do them, various tutorial videos may be found on YouTube with simple searches. The below, which discusses basic functions, is one of the more popular examples:
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Firefox: Add-ons Galore
Anyone who's been prompted to switch to some open-source program has probably had to endure plugs, prompts, and pokes to get Mozilla's Firefox. To avoid contributing to any annoying ad-nauseum that might turn you off from Firefox, I'll just assume for the sake of this post you've got it. Hey, you're probably viewing this post on Firefox right now! Good for you!
As mentioned in earlier posts, the benefits of open source software include the ability of communities of users to improve the programs in various ways. Mozilla's popular web browser Firefox is no exception. To view the list of all of the possible tweaks and tools you can stick on your copy of the software, you can check out the full catalogue at Mozilla's site. A quick scroll down the "Categories" list shows the diverse types of ways you can personalize your web-browsing experience. Some are purely cosmetic and just touch-up your interface, as in the "Appearance" section. Others are true utilities for "Privacy & Security" and "Download Management" -- the latter of which includes an add-on I use and personally recommend.
DownThemAll! does exactly what its name implies: lets you download "all." In this case, "all" refers to images on the current page in your web browser, as well as links/targets the page points to. (DownThemAll! is actually something I read about on a couple different software recommendation lists.)
Another favorite add-on of mine is FireFTP. An FTP program allows users to transfer files (FTP = file transfer protocol) from their computers to a website's directories. FTP programs are essential for webbuilding. This may not be something handy for the average user, but for neophyte webmasters and webmistresses. FireFTP is easy to use with a simple interface. I've used several FTP programs over the years, and FireFTP is my favorite free one out there.
In the same vein of webbuilding aids, I'll also recommend Web Developer. For the fledgling coder, a quick sprint around the internet can quickly become intimidating when he/she stumbles upon all the spectacular layouts out there. Sometimes, you just want to see how the webmaster's done some neat little trick or how they've managed to get pesky HTML tables under control. While viewing the page's source is an option ("View Source" in IE, "View>Page Source" or Ctrl+U in Firefox), anyone new to coding can get lost in the bundles of HTML tags and scripts and what they do. With CSS Viewer, you can see different scripts and tags highlight the areas they control. This gives you a better idea of what does what.
These are just a handful of what the bounty of Firefox add-ons has to offer. Additionally, these are just a few that I've found useful. Your web browsing experience needs are going to differ from mine and everyone else's. Take a look around what the Firefox community has to offer and see if anything catches your eye. The add-ons section comes with handy download statistics and user reviews to help you make a more informed opinion. Also, quick google searches are going to leave you with plenty of lists of handy Firefox add-ons (or plug-ins), such as this one or even that one. Some lists are even specialized for purposes such as eCommerce. I think I've successfully belabored the point.
Happy Adding-on (or add-on-ing, rather)!
As mentioned in earlier posts, the benefits of open source software include the ability of communities of users to improve the programs in various ways. Mozilla's popular web browser Firefox is no exception. To view the list of all of the possible tweaks and tools you can stick on your copy of the software, you can check out the full catalogue at Mozilla's site. A quick scroll down the "Categories" list shows the diverse types of ways you can personalize your web-browsing experience. Some are purely cosmetic and just touch-up your interface, as in the "Appearance" section. Others are true utilities for "Privacy & Security" and "Download Management" -- the latter of which includes an add-on I use and personally recommend.
DownThemAll! does exactly what its name implies: lets you download "all." In this case, "all" refers to images on the current page in your web browser, as well as links/targets the page points to. (DownThemAll! is actually something I read about on a couple different software recommendation lists.)
Another favorite add-on of mine is FireFTP. An FTP program allows users to transfer files (FTP = file transfer protocol) from their computers to a website's directories. FTP programs are essential for webbuilding. This may not be something handy for the average user, but for neophyte webmasters and webmistresses. FireFTP is easy to use with a simple interface. I've used several FTP programs over the years, and FireFTP is my favorite free one out there.
In the same vein of webbuilding aids, I'll also recommend Web Developer. For the fledgling coder, a quick sprint around the internet can quickly become intimidating when he/she stumbles upon all the spectacular layouts out there. Sometimes, you just want to see how the webmaster's done some neat little trick or how they've managed to get pesky HTML tables under control. While viewing the page's source is an option ("View Source" in IE, "View>Page Source" or Ctrl+U in Firefox), anyone new to coding can get lost in the bundles of HTML tags and scripts and what they do. With CSS Viewer, you can see different scripts and tags highlight the areas they control. This gives you a better idea of what does what.
These are just a handful of what the bounty of Firefox add-ons has to offer. Additionally, these are just a few that I've found useful. Your web browsing experience needs are going to differ from mine and everyone else's. Take a look around what the Firefox community has to offer and see if anything catches your eye. The add-ons section comes with handy download statistics and user reviews to help you make a more informed opinion. Also, quick google searches are going to leave you with plenty of lists of handy Firefox add-ons (or plug-ins), such as this one or even that one. Some lists are even specialized for purposes such as eCommerce. I think I've successfully belabored the point.
Happy Adding-on (or add-on-ing, rather)!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Open Office: Suite Freedom
Disclaimer: When searching for a subtitle for the post, I gave in and took the punny route. I have self-control on most matters, but not puns. So very much not with puns. Sorry.
While many companies and businesses enjoy the luxury of budgets that leave room for software like Microsoft Office Suite, individual consumers and users aren't so lucky in the financial department. Words I've often heard associated with Microsoft Office Suites are "bulky" with "unnecessary features." Grievances also frequently include the need to buy new versions when Microsoft feels like making you do it. I do believe that some things are worth paying for; you can sometimes get your money's worth. In this blogger's opinion, Microsoft Office does not fall in the ever-dwindling category of "Money Well-Spent." The average consumer will never need all those fancy schmancy features that are thrown into the software. Paying for something you don't need, especially these days? Not such a good idea. Fortunately, Microsoft Office has a nice open source counterpart: Open Office.
Some quick facts about OpenOffice:
It's free. That wonderful, magical word: free!
It has the capability to not only open documents and files originally created in Microsoft products, it also has the function that allows you the option of saving something in one of those formats. (Be they .doc, .xls, .ppt., etc.)
It has built in PDF converters in each program. (You usually have to get an uberprofessional - and more expensive - form of Microsoft Office to get this function.)
All your old software utility friends are there! Writing program? Yep. Presentation creator? Oh yes. Spreadsheet buddy? You bet!
Did I mention it's free?
Here's a quick list of the Open Office counterparts for Microsoft Office programs:
OpenOffice Writer -- Microsoft Word
OpenOffice Impress -- Microsoft Powerpoint
OpenOffice Base -- Microsoft Access
OpenOffice Calc -- Microsoft Excel
Those who switch to OpenOffice are in for some extra treats. In addition to the PDF conversion capability mentioned earlier, Open Office has some handy bonus programs bundled in. First there's OpenOffice Math (not to be confused with Calc). OpenOffice explains that you can use the program to "create and edit scientific formulas and equations." I can't say I've ever used or needed it, but hey, it's not like I paid for it.
The other is, in my opinion, a true gem of a program: OpenOffice Draw. Draw is an extremely versatile program that allows you true freedom in terms of the layout for whatever document you wish to create. I found it quite handy when I was working at an internship this past summer. I was asked to make a layout for a pitch -- the pitch document was to include a certain amount of graphics placed in varying places on the page. If you've ever had to insert images in a Word document and deal with the issue of playing with the space bar and enter keys to get the picture where you want it yet ultimately settling for "close enough," you will be gleeful to know that Draw's philosophy is to just let you stick whatever you want - be it text box or graphic, wherever you want. (Draw's very considerate like that.)
Now, I'm not saying that this little open source wonder is in perfect condition. Everything is flawed, and nothing's really been as great as sliced bread since, well, sliced bread. Frequent users of symbols and certain shortcut keys in Microsoft programs may encounter some frustrating instances. Additionally, the layouts of the Open Office programs are close to those of their Microsoft counterparts but not identical. Some tasks require that you reorient yourself to these new programs. Still, there's always help out there. (And by "out there," I mean OpenOffice's website.)
If you're interested in an expert opinion on the software, check out PC Magazine's review.
While many companies and businesses enjoy the luxury of budgets that leave room for software like Microsoft Office Suite, individual consumers and users aren't so lucky in the financial department. Words I've often heard associated with Microsoft Office Suites are "bulky" with "unnecessary features." Grievances also frequently include the need to buy new versions when Microsoft feels like making you do it. I do believe that some things are worth paying for; you can sometimes get your money's worth. In this blogger's opinion, Microsoft Office does not fall in the ever-dwindling category of "Money Well-Spent." The average consumer will never need all those fancy schmancy features that are thrown into the software. Paying for something you don't need, especially these days? Not such a good idea. Fortunately, Microsoft Office has a nice open source counterpart: Open Office.
Some quick facts about OpenOffice:
Here's a quick list of the Open Office counterparts for Microsoft Office programs:
OpenOffice Writer -- Microsoft Word
OpenOffice Impress -- Microsoft Powerpoint
OpenOffice Base -- Microsoft Access
OpenOffice Calc -- Microsoft Excel
Those who switch to OpenOffice are in for some extra treats. In addition to the PDF conversion capability mentioned earlier, Open Office has some handy bonus programs bundled in. First there's OpenOffice Math (not to be confused with Calc). OpenOffice explains that you can use the program to "create and edit scientific formulas and equations." I can't say I've ever used or needed it, but hey, it's not like I paid for it.
The other is, in my opinion, a true gem of a program: OpenOffice Draw. Draw is an extremely versatile program that allows you true freedom in terms of the layout for whatever document you wish to create. I found it quite handy when I was working at an internship this past summer. I was asked to make a layout for a pitch -- the pitch document was to include a certain amount of graphics placed in varying places on the page. If you've ever had to insert images in a Word document and deal with the issue of playing with the space bar and enter keys to get the picture where you want it yet ultimately settling for "close enough," you will be gleeful to know that Draw's philosophy is to just let you stick whatever you want - be it text box or graphic, wherever you want. (Draw's very considerate like that.)
Now, I'm not saying that this little open source wonder is in perfect condition. Everything is flawed, and nothing's really been as great as sliced bread since, well, sliced bread. Frequent users of symbols and certain shortcut keys in Microsoft programs may encounter some frustrating instances. Additionally, the layouts of the Open Office programs are close to those of their Microsoft counterparts but not identical. Some tasks require that you reorient yourself to these new programs. Still, there's always help out there. (And by "out there," I mean OpenOffice's website.)
If you're interested in an expert opinion on the software, check out PC Magazine's review.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)