What program do you prefer and why?

ATM I am only using Inkscape and how do you say this, I'm a complete n00b?!

I'm wanting to create icons and very detailed web graphics. I heard it's all about vectors..

^v^

Personally I use:
Photoshop / GIMP for my raster (bitmap) graphics, vexel graphics, and photo editing
Illustrator / Inkscape for my vector (not much)
Bryce 6 / 3Ds Max / Google Sketchup for most of my 3d work
Premiere Pro & After Effects for my film work
Dreamweaver / Notepad++ for my web design
IcoFX for Icon conversion & extraction
AniFX for Cursor conversion & extraction

Inkscape is definitely a good tool and I prefer it over illustrator for some things, though vector isn't really my thing to be honest.

I use Illustrator for vectors, but mostly Painter and Photoshop for digital art. Cinema4D for 3D graphics. And that's pretty much all I can afford right now.

+1 Inkscape.
+1 Gimp
I use Notetab to write webs.
As I am mainly a writer, I use a lead pencil and paper or OpenOffice for the majority of the rest.

Painter and Artrage, photoshop for matte painting, efficiency and simplicity, in that order, no point having simplicity if you dnt have efficiency

Corel Painter X for "traditional art" like digital paintings, etc.
Photoshop CS4 for photomanips, photo editing stuff
Illustrator CS3/CS4 for vector work. I use this in tandem with Photoshop a lot
Dreamweaver CS4 and Flash CS4 for web design

I haven't heard of Inkscape. Sounds interesting, though. I'll check that out.

I use Photoshop CS4 for graphics work, though I've been working on learning Illustrator as well. I code in Dreamweaver, though I've been taking a serious look at free alternatives for it lately given how little I use its more WYSIWYG elements.

I'll also admit to not having heard of or used Inkscape before either, though given my inexperience with vector graphics I'll probably stick with the program I know.

Pixelmator (Mac thing) for 2d stuff (much cheaper than Photoshop, looks similar, same/similar kb shortcuts, much prettier, does some things better but most importantly does what I need).
Lightwave3D for 3d (works with my brain).
Aptana Sudio for webmonkeying (go automagic bracketing and indenting, syntax highlights and optional autofills)

I work exclusively with Adobe. My primary programs are Phototshop, Illustrator and InDesign. I also use Dreamweaver, though I haven't figured out the new CS4 version (I was using the Studio MX version)

I'm going to get the new, shiny CS4 soon.

But for now, I have it all... free (for the most part).
GIMP for my Bitmap editing. It get really annoying, because I have to save every 10 minutes so that GIMP won't crash on my pieces. Sometimes when I forget to save, it'll crash and I'll lose all of my progress.
I used to have InkScape, but it kept on crashing too (it must be GTK, because both GIMP and InkScape use GTK for their GUIs), and I didn't really need a Vector editing program at the time anyways, so, I uninstalled it (with great relief, because it took up a ton of space).
Blender for 3D. I'm still learning the ropes on 3D modeling (as in, switching back and forth between Sketch Up and Blender), so whenever I open Blender up, all I do is play around with the controls for 10 minutes then close it.
Power Director 6 Basic, one of the few things on my computer that had cost money. The bad thing is that there is now a Power Director 8, so I'm pretty outdated. But my version still works well, and I use it for all of my video editing needs.

As I've spoken about in a few other topics, I mainly use Adobe programs. Especially Photoshop CS2 and Illustrator CS2, both great programs. I'll usually vector or draw something up in Illustrator and then mess around with it in Photoshop. Or, I'll work on something in Photoshop and then just keep messing around with it, that's how I figure those sorts of things out. Either way, Adobe's programs are just great, user-friendly and they have great interfaces.

Right now on my main computer I use all Adobe products. (Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, After Effects, Premier) On my other systems: Gimp, Inkscape, Jashaka, Audacity. On both systems I also have Microsoft's Expression Studio. My main reasoning for a preference in Adobe is the community, power and resources. This makes it very easy to learn when your in a rut, and provides the power in effects that the competition just cannot match. I used the open-source software b/c it was well free and is useful for personal projects on my other computers. Microsoft Expression Studio is also free for me (legally) so I have been keeping my eye on that since its release, I think it has potential but just does not have the community behind it for me to switch.

I use Daz Studio 3 Advance, Photoshop CS2, and Manga Studio EX4, for arting

I use Illustrator and do pretty much nothing but vector art, so it works great for me. I hear corel painter X is good for alot of different styles also.

For my digital airbrushing it was CS3, I really didnt like CS4 until i discovered the new dodge/burn 'Protect Tones' feature which, now i've gotten my head around gives me more options so now i'm CS4.

anthing that requires vector or geometrical curves and shapes i use AutoCAD (im a civil engineering tech by day so its my tool of the trade) and then import the .dxf into Corel Draw X4, apply any filters/effects and then import that into PS CS4

Or I have done 3D work in AutoCAD, then done a really high res render in AutoCAD and then edited the render bmp in CS4.

Hhaha, well. I use Sketch Book Pro 2009 exclusively. Most of all my work from the pencils to the color phases are done in SBP. I love the program and how simple and clean it is is to use. It has a cool feature were you can save out your work in PSD format; so you can save your file as a PSD, go into Photoshop and do whatever and re-open the file again in SBP and keep working, sweeeeet!! SBP dosent have all those bells and whistles like Painter, and Photoshop, and all that. Its a simple straightforward program that gives wonderful results in competent hands.

I also like the "marking menu" setup were you can select your tools simply by flicking the stylus in a certain direction. Anyone familiar with Maya will know exactly what Im talking about as Maya uses the same method of selection. And thats not surprising considering Alias made SBP, hahaa, (to bad they got bought out by Autodesk).

The customizable brushes are cool, you can actually create your own brush icons and use them for your tools. The layer options are sweet to. You can draw or write on the layer windows, so instead of just boring text you can have a image to define your layers, SWEEEET!!! It also has a page flip feature which is way cool. Lets say you have something cool like and iPad and you open up SBP. Well you can scroll through you images as if you had a real sketchbook in your hands, how freakn SWEET is that guys!!! The resize brush tool is awesome and its right next to you. Just place what ever tool you got in the resizer, slide your stylus left or right and VIOLA!!!!!, you have resized your brush that easily. Hahaha!!!

I love SBP, the learning curve is small and its an affordable program which will pay for its self in one job. Like I stated before in competent hands you can fool people into thinking you did it in one of these more "popular" programs that use sliders and channels to create mind blowing images. It makes you really work for what you want to achieve. If you want the image to look like water color, then you have to have the skill to do that. Want to make it look like a oil painting, well no filter of sliders to do that for you, no set-made brushes that simulate oil, its all you! Granted SBP may not have all those fancy tools, but its a good, solid program that anyone can pick up and create some great work in.

Now I will say this, hahah. I have a rival who worships ArtRage, haha. I wont get into that war, hahah, but I will say I do envy Artrage users and I think Corel, for having the record and play back features. Now that sweet to be able to see your work from start to finish. I have to give that to you guys, lol.

Much love to all of you, my fellow creators. I have seen some stellar work here which inspires and challenges me t do better. may all of you continue to grow and prosper in you journeys of creativity! We are humans becoming, help us to become!

Love and Light!

I've tried quite a few, but my favorites are Photoshop CS4 and Corel Painter 11.

I use Photoshop for editing image and tweaking details, and I use Corel because it has more of a canvas feel to it if that makes sense? I'm not much of a painter, but I like to mess around with it on Corel.