Do you know Inkscape?

Inkscape has free-hand and raster tools, you can do masking and such. The GP mentions "in-place text editing" for which PS presumably uses vector methods. I use Inkscape pre- and/or post- GIMP for things like text layers.

I've long thought that a great graphics package could be achieved if Inkscape and The GIMP (or other primarily raster programmes) could draw to [different layers of] the same canvas. Inkscape lets you link in images which is a small step towards this.

"Do you know Inkscape?"

I've been using it on and off since it was Sodiwopi or whatever it was called.

"Inkscape has free-hand and raster tools"

Yes, and Gimp has 'vector tools', so what? GP says "If you count inkscape as a 'photoshop replacement', it does many of the things photoshop/illustrator does" which makes no sense on all levels except the most abstract, like saying a pair of Nikes is like a Mercedes because you can use both to go from point A to point B.

The way the post was phrased with the quotes made it clear that antome felt it was a shaky equivalence. I'd guess they were hooked in with the talk of in-place text editing as being a top differentiator for a _raster_ package (if PS does text manipulation using raster techniques I'll be shocked).

Just consider it to have an implicit "for me" and I'll bet you'll find it hard to find a genuine objection that's worth making.

[PS: SodiPodi, me too]

You mean combining vector and raster layers in one image? Krita does that -- has been doing that since 2006. It's not perfect, but it's there...

Photoshop and Fireworks didn't. That was their strength.

By that I mean they handled both, reasonably well.