> Is anyone here using The GIMP? If so, do you find it awkward that it
> doesn't feature a root window as in PhotoShop, PhotoPaint, PSP,
> Painter and virtually every single graphics app out there?
> 
> I do. I hate accidentally clicking outside the image area and have a
> background application pop up. Also, I hate it when I have to alt-tab
> through a dozen GIMP windows, all with the same icon, to find the
> right one.

At first, I thought it to be very annoying, too. And I still think it's 
annoying when I try to use Gimp with my mouse only. But when you use 
your keyboard a lot, it really gets better (Although it's a shame that 
there is no shortcut for the tool's option dialog).

But I have to admit that dockable windows in a root window would be a 
better way to go (if you can't afford 2 monitors, *seigh*). The problem 
with this solution is that the screen can be too crowded. I've seen this 
for example in QtDesigner (which is a pain, although I think Qt has some 
great potential). There you got the "Tools" window and the "object 
property" window and so on. All of them are designed rather big (the KDE 
theme I'm using might add some size, too), and so there's not much left 
to design dialogs in. OTOH, you need almost all of those windows the 
most time. Again, the PhotoShop way is a good way IMHO. Press some keys 
(I think it's tab) and the tool windows etc. disappear. Press the key 
again and they're back. Wonderful :)

And if we are talking about annoying Gimp features - does anyone think 
that the text tool is something one can really work with? Either I'm 
doing something completely wrong, or the developper of that tool should 
be sent to *some bad and evil spot full of bad interfaces". Hm. Perhaps 
he should be forced to use all the programs described in the "Interface 
Hall of Shame" (http://tinyurl.com/nc3q always worth a visit to see how 
you should *not* do it).

Just my 2 cents,
Florian

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