GIMP Version: 2.8.14
Operating System: Windows
GIMP Experience: New User

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I have had Photoshop for many years but due to some computer problems I lost it and now I'm trying GIMP.

I have work to do and I need to do it fast so I need some advice here.

First of all, why is it impossible to have two pictures open side by side at the "workdesk" or what to call it?

I opened an original picture and then made a duplicate since I don't want to destroy the original picture while working on it. But Photoshop can name the copy a copy, like xxxx.png and xxxx.png copy1 or so.

Here I'm stuck with two identical pictures and I have no clue which is the original and which is the copy which increases the risk of ruining something without being able to restore it, not to mention that the only way to switch between them is those silly small pictures at the left corner on the "workdesk". Is there no better way?

I also read this on a website which compared GIMP and Photoshop:
"Thanks to Adobe’s dominance, their proprietary PSD file type, has become widely used. It’s often used for commercial purposes much like other proprietary formats like PDFs and DOCs are. GIMP can open PSD files but will occasionally fail to render things correctly. This creates a real problem if you’re working with someone else; the file you look at with GIMP won’t be the same as the one they created in Photoshop."

If that's true, thenm I have a problem. How do I solve this?

1)
2.8.14 is quite an old version. 2.10.6 is the latest version. Or if you prefer to use the previous series there is 2.8.22

2)
To open windows side by side: Go to (Windows > Single-Window Mode) and uncheck that. You then get several windows that you can arrange as you like.

3)
Photoshop has some features that Gimp does not have (and vice versa). So opening a PSD file in Gimp is not as good as opening a PSD in Photoshop. In particular, text get rendered as bitmaps.

4)
Gimp is not Photoshop clone. If you keep thinking PS you are going to get frustrated. You need to learn the Gimp way.

…
5) and the names of original image and duplicated are not the same if you look properly at the top
here two snapshots of an image opened then duplicated


the duplicated one has the name "untitled"

6) use Photoshop... if you can afford it (or is PS Elements still available?)

7) Unless you overwrite your original file it wont be destroyed. Just make sure you export the one you are working on with a number or letter after the file name or use a different name.

Lost between the original and clone.
If you happen to edit the original by accident, what do you do?
You drag the clone over to the other side...and call it original.