The export / save thing and the varied but unwieldy brush options have become rather hard to get used to. But the increased resource usage is the real deal breaker for me.

Most of the graphics work I do is amateur cartooning, and my style is more about line art than coloring. I really don't need any of those amazing new features that GIMP 2.8 brings.

Given the way towards which GIMP is heading, I'm going to either stick with 2.6 forever or switch to another graphics editor that better suits my needs.

Given all that's been said/written in this thread, I will keep using 2.6.11 as my main Gimp.
What's been mentioned about 2.8's performance or lack thereof, is very apparent to me when I attempt to use my portable 2.8.
I'll wait until such time that 2.6.11 becomes obsolete or unusable, then I'll make a complete switch-over.
I've also experienced many of the same issues with 2.8 that the devoted 2.6 users have, (I'm also a devoted 2.6 user) and this alone keeps me from making a complete switch to the new version.
I don't find myself in any real need for the new features 2.8 has available. Even so, I must admit that the new brush dynamics is a pretty sweet features.

A 'Brush Dynamics' plug-in for 2.6 anyone?

Just from one 2.6 user to another, I found out that 2.8.4 partha portable is the version that convinced me to keep trying the .8 branch.

Yes I hear you and I feel the same way. That still won't have me giving up on my 2.6 version.

"You're gonna need a bigger boat" - Martin Brody

Three words for me: Single window mode. I waited for that for years. Having to mess with three windows drove me crazy. So now everybody knows what happened to me.

I can't see me getting rid of my portable gimp 2.6 anytime in the current state of 2.8 on windows, the fact 2.6 has absolutely no image tearing when zomming and moving around large textures (and i work a lot with textures) is all that matters to me, as even if Gimp 2.8.4 is faster (at least the "official" version) than any of the other 2.8.x i used (i was pleasantly surprised by the improvement over past 2.8.x), the image tearing is still -very- annoying.

That's actually the only problem i have with 2.8.4 , the export instead of save i don't care at all, i got used to it quickly, but the tearing is so annoying when working with large texture on which you need to zoom and pan very often is that if there was a way to backport to 2.6 the new brushes settings (the dynamics and the rotation i mean) i wouldn't even touch 2.8 anymore.

The only glimmer of hope i have regarding GIMP 2.8.x on my window OS is there :
https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=674051
As if i understand well the later part of the comments, it seems that image tearing problem affecting window OS found a fix finally, but the build with the fix will not be available for a while apparently, but at least that's something positive to know it got fixed.

besides window mode I'd be perfectly happy with 2.6, but the download I was given didn't work for me.

I use the Partha built McGimp 2.8.4 and I love it. I also liked his first McGimp, but the new one lets me use the newest scripts. I really am not a heavy user, so I have not found any problems.

Interesting read, Brogun. It looks like that is a Windows bug that's not so easily remedied. Perhaps they now have a fix for the fix. I guess you guys are in a holding pattern until the issue is resolved in the next release (or Partha's next compile from the updated source).

This...

...is exactly where it become a real annoyance for some people while some don't realize it. When you're working on details and must heavily rely on zooming and panning this tearing turns out to be really a pain.

I'll offer my personal reason.

I've approached it from a cost/benefit analysis

The potential benefits:
The additional features that 2.8 offers.

The costs:
Having to re-learn the save/export process. Learning to control the new sliders.

The problem comes from the fact that I don't value the new features. Looking at the list there isn't anything that I would have any use for, so I'm just left with costs and that leads to the decision not to upgrade.

Kevin

I agree. There are no new features that I have any use for and 2.8 is much slower than 2.6 on my computer when using my Wacom. I also don't like the new brush engine at all. I find it hinders my artwork rather than helping it.

I compared your screen recording to what I actually see and feel in front of an image, on a A4 size the tearing when panning affects the whole image and occurs every time I pan, while your tearing seems only to be visible in borders and not at every pan, also the tearing on my side is combined with variable length lags.

That being said, there's a real gap between our machines, I'm on dual core when you're on 8 cores, my RAM is 4go when you got 16go and my GPU was already a low end one in 2010.

Even if Gimp is not coded to be multithreaded, all your core are working, making a difference.
So on windows while the bug is still obvious from your video, your powerfull system lessen its impact.

I have "only" 2 cores but on the task monitor i can see them working, obviously not optimally due to Gimp not having multithreading, but still working (i have read that multithreading should be in "in the future").

And maybe i didn't explained it well enough, it's the panning (while zoomed in) that is badly affected , not the zoom function itself.

Hopefully the bug fix from the link will be soon be featured (as it does not seem to be in current code, after trying a "nightly build" from http://nightly.darkrefraction.com/gimp/ , i can still see those tearings).