Re: A better open source raster/bitmap editor - preferably portable

[Lee Fisher <blibbet -at- gmail -dot- com>]

>> [...] I like GIMP, and would be willing to put up with its
>> UI idiosyncrasies if its export quality wasn't so horrible.

Excellent, you already like GIMP. You're ahead of most people in this 
regard. :-)

But seriously, GIMP is the main open source tool of this kind, with the 
most plugins and support. You should think twice about leaving it.

>> Even at
>> the highest quality setting, GIMP saves images that are more blurry.
>> Photoshop generates crisper images.

As the previous poster mentioned, this sounds like a user error, not a 
bug in GIMP -vs- Photoshop. Perhaps you should try to investigate this 
issue.
http://www.gimp.org/mail_lists.html

>> The key requirements are that it should not need to be installed, nor
>> should it access the system layer. I prefer programs that I can save
>> on a USB key. Java-based applications are okay. I link to a Java
>> library on my key to run Freemind.

Not access the system layer? That's not a normal requirement for media 
apps, which use the integrated data requirements that OS vendors want. 
Perhaps you should look into a privacy-based Linux distro, and run that 
from a thumbdrive. Or use an artist-based distro (like Ubuntu Studio, 
etc.) in a VM. Or use a script to copy your data.


If you have to switch from GIMP, then I'd first try one of the projects 
that attend Libre Graphics:
http://libre-graphics-meeting.org/2011/projects/

Then look at the alternative sites:
http://www.osalt.com/gimp
http://alternativeto.net/software/gimp/

I know some GIMP/Photoshop artists that also sometimes use Paint.NET and 
MyPaint. Paint.NET is freeware, not open source; Pinta is like MyPaint 
but open source and portable.
http://pinta-project.com/
http://www.getpaint.net/
http://mypaint.intilinux.com/

HTH

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