Until you need to use that PSD for production. There are a couple things in PS which make it terrible in day-to-day usage:
- no way to quickly export a layer or group on it's own with a transparent background (FW: click object, cmd+c, cmd+n, cmd+v, export)
- can't copy layers with transparency to other applications
- no 8-bit PNG export
- auto-select sucks
- takes minutes to load a 100mb file in an up-to-date computer with loads of RAM and scratch disk space. hangs when you move/resize too many layers at the same time - font rendering doesn't match system type at all
Not to mention that 99% of the time layers are not cut to size (have extra transparent padding) so you can't even get it's dimensions without a pixel ruler. That is, after you finally figure out which magic layer contains the actual objects. Please, make it stop :(
I'm using Photoshop CS6 and I haven't had any of the problems you describe. "Save for Web" supports 8-bit PNGs. Exporting layers with a sequence of 4 commands isn't a burden. My Mac Mini loads up 100MB+ files all the time with no problem. I enjoy working with each pixel so I can make it pixel-perfect.
Sorry, I meant 8-bit with alpha channels. The four commands are for Fireworks, I have no idea how to do the same in photoshop. PS is miles better for pixel-pushing, but that doesn't make of suitable for a web design workflow.
- no way to quickly export a layer or group on it's own with a transparent background (FW: click object, cmd+c, cmd+n, cmd+v, export) - can't copy layers with transparency to other applications - no 8-bit PNG export - auto-select sucks - takes minutes to load a 100mb file in an up-to-date computer with loads of RAM and scratch disk space. hangs when you move/resize too many layers at the same time - font rendering doesn't match system type at all
Not to mention that 99% of the time layers are not cut to size (have extra transparent padding) so you can't even get it's dimensions without a pixel ruler. That is, after you finally figure out which magic layer contains the actual objects. Please, make it stop :(