02-11-2008, 11:19 AM

I just got a new macbook (my first ever mac) and I'm looking for a good photo editing program. When I had my pc I was a paint shop pro user. I read that adobe elements 4.0 doesn't work with leopard and 6.0 doesn't come out til the first of April. So any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks

02-11-2008, 11:36 AM

I would recommend GIMP - it is better than Photoshop Elements, but not quite as powerful as Photoshop CS3. Happily, it is open source freeware.

To get it, you need to install Apple X11 from your install disks, and then GIMP.

Do this to install Apple X11:

1/ Put in your main install DVD
2/ Double click Optional Installs
3/ Opens a second window showing Optional Installs.mpkg and Xcode Tools
4/ Double Click Optional Installs.mpkg
5/ Runs installer
6/ Agree to everything
7/ Eventually get to "Installation Type" step
8/ You will see a list that starts with Applications
9/ Expand this list
10/ Check X11 (last entry in list)
11/ Go through the installation itself

Now do this to install GIMP:

Go to GIMP Mac web site (www.wilber-loves-apple.org/pages/download.html)
Install X11 patch (see link on the page - follow it and follow instructions)
Restart as required by the X11 patch installer
Download Gimp
Follow the installer.

Done!

Note that GIMP is fairly well documented. You can go to Amazon.com for example and find books on using it just like you can for Photoshop Elements and Photoshop.

By the way, lest the web site name above be perplexing, the GIMP's icon is a (fox?) named Wilbur, hence the "Wilbur-loves-apple" name.

02-11-2008, 12:50 PM

I found something called LiveQuartz. Google that to find their download. I haven't fiddled with it too much, but I think it has lots of Photoshop features. I think it's a free app, too.

02-11-2008, 03:53 PM

You could also consider ChocoFlop, quite a nice free image editor, and very fast.

However, none of the others comes close to the feature set and power of GIMP. GIMP is the open source community's competitor for Photoshop. Given that it envisages itself this way, it sets very high standards for itself, even if it falls short here and there (for example, the current release, 2.4.x is just now introducing color management support).

02-11-2008, 04:39 PM

when i switched to mac a few weeks ago i was just after a simple program like MS paint that could do basic things - For that I found imagewell http://xtralean.com/IWOverview.html It is similar to paint but is quite alot more advance but you wont be in too deep with it

I then wanted something else but more advanced and i found pixelmator. But i think you have to pay for that one.

I now have CS3.

02-11-2008, 07:09 PM

Originally Posted by Lamboo

I then wanted something else but more advanced and i found pixelmator. But i think you have to pay for that one.

In my opinion Pixelmator is not ready for prime time yet, despite charging $59 for the privilege of using it. Its Clone Stamp tool is hopelessly messed up if it is working on a photo with an embedded color profile. Truly a basic, basic issue for a $59 photo editor.

Pixelmator has a lot of promise. I keep watching it and ChocoFlop. Both are very nearly ready for prime time. Soon, very soon...

02-12-2008, 05:00 PM

If Photoshop CS3 is out of the question, I would get GIMP.