GIMP
"Gimp is okay, but it just doesn't get it for real graphic designers. Don't get me wrong. Gimp is good and I use it all the time, but it really is just an image manipulator. In other words, it uses bitmaps. To really do professional graphics you need a vector graphics tool. Inkscape is really good too, but both products fall way behind photoshop and illustrator. It doesn't just take a few more steps to use gimp and inkscape. You may have to find the right pluggins or you might even have to program your own module to do the same things. In addition, adobe has tons of hard core professional detailed guides and tutorials and if you can't find an answer, you can pay a nominal fee to get the answer to what you need to do. No such luck with gimp and inkscape."
As a graphics artist who uses GIMP everyday I have to disagree with your statement that it doesn't "get it" for real graphics designers. I've been using GIMP since the first Beta was released and would never trade it on an overly expensive program like Photoshop. As to tutorials and help... there are just as many if not more resources on the net for GIMP (plug-ins, tuts, support groups, a "Help Desk" staffed by thousands of Users and Programmers, etc.)
While its true that GIMP may take a longer route to the finished products, the results are equal to, if not better than, using PS. Tell Adobe to drop their product costs by at least 60% and maybe some of us "Open Sourcers" will try making the switch to PS or IS.
