Amazing as it might seem, Xara is 25 years old. How long have you been using our products?
Click here for a full history of what we've done over the years.
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Amazing as it might seem, Xara is 25 years old. How long have you been using our products?
Click here for a full history of what we've done over the years.
Congratulations to Xara Ltd.!!!
CorelXARA was my first Xara software. It was the best solution to create stunning images for the Web. And more than 10 years later, Xara Xtreme is still my drawing program of the choice!
Regards,
Remi
btw: I've never recognized, that Xara was the developer of "Fast Basic" on the Atari ST (perhaps, because my preferred programming language was "GFA Basic" at that time...). The good old days... ;)
sadly, i only started using it in Dec. 2005...
wish i had sooner!!!
About 10 years I think. My first was 3D3 as I recall. I have Xtreme, X1, Webstyle and 3D6 now. Trouble is I've moved to the Mac platform so I can't use them at present.
Ho Hum.
I'd been using CorelDraw commercially for many years when I decided to find out what this odd little program, 'CorelXara 1.0' was... at first I was impressed by the speed. Simply awesome! I couldn't believe vector graphics could be so FAST! But it took some time and a couple of web projects before I realised what an incredible powerhouse was hidden beneath this deceptively simple program.
Xara has since become one of the loves of my life. Thank you and CONGRATULATIONS!!!
David Higgins
http://home.iprimus.com.au/davidhigg.../ART/index.htm
When I saw Xara Web Style and started using it, my web pages changed completely... I now own all of Xara's products in the most recent versions, because they are simply the best....
Congratulations Xara for hanging in for 25 years!!!!
Garry Nelson
I started using Xara (Computer Concepts) products in 1982 when I bought a site license for Interword for Scotch College Adelaide.
My RISCOS computer is still used daily to run my computer consulting business in British Columbia Canada and Impression Publisher is still my daily tool for word processing and desktop publishing.
Xara Extreme is now used to handle my graphics needs.
Xara is a quality company for products and service and deserves more recognition for its contribution to technology over the past 25 years.
Congratulations
OK, Here's some anecdotes..
First, our first Xara product - wordwise on the Beeb. I absolutely loved my BBC B (even though it arrived with a damaged keyboard that I had to solder to get it to work properly).
Wordwise was my wifes first introduction to word processing. The BBC showed 40 characters per line and it took a lot of education to stop my wife putting in a linefeed after 40 characters (wordwise wasn't wysiwyg).
The most interesting thing was how she used it. She used to print out her documents (mostly college essays) then get a scissors and literally cust and past the output using tractor roll paper (remember that?) and a stapler. Then, with everything re-arranged, she would use wordwise to change the original to match her creation...
When her final thesis had to be submitted we needed good quality output - our dot matrix was pretty poor (epson RX80F/T)- no match for a real typewriter.
I arranged with a college friend of mine to borrow a high-quality printer (I forget the name for them - they used golfballs with the letters on) over a weekend. The Thesis had to be handed in on Monday Afternoon and the printer had to be returned Monday AM too.
The printer was collected Friday afternoon from the college (about 30 miles away). We were all set, my wife had some editing to do and we needed some diagrams, but it would be no problem (she said).
Friday evening I realised I had the printer but no handbook or instructions. The internet hadn't been invented and there was no chance of getting any help. The big problem I faced was underlining things. Just how would I get this printer to underline?
Saturday morning I was writing assembly code to patch into the print routine for the computer. Wordwise had special characters that said when to start underlining and when to stop. I knew what wordwise was doing, so I alstered the print routine so that once we started underlining I would print the character, backspace the carriage, then print an underscore, for every character until the underlining stopped.
It worked a drem, though it sounded like a mchine gun when underlining. I worked all weekend (well into the night) on the printouts and revisions and printing diagrams. We finished at 11AM on Monday morning - I had a 60 mile drive to return the printer and arrive very late for work..
Thank you Charles and Xara - you saved the day. I often wish for a return to those good old days when computers really were fun..
Paul
Impression occasionally on me Dad's RISCpc, and then Xara X, X1, and Xtreme since about 2002, I think. And I'm evangelical about it! Can't wait for the Mac version so I can convert all my American Mac-using friends. They still find it impossible to believe that something British they've never heard of could be better than Illustrator. Oh ye of little faith...
Congratulations to you all. And I'll buy all those programs I didn't think I'd need on the 1st August!
I started using Xara in the early 90's and have encouraged many people who were looking for a graphics app to get it.
Ever since the very first copy of ArtWorks - away back then.
Still use it everyday of my working life.
ArtWorks (and Impression) on my RiscPC, XaraX and now Xtreme.
Why? Because they are all great programs, do what I want when I want it and, most importantly, don't crash.
I have used XaraX in school since it came out, with all my classes - senior and junior, and it has NEVER crashed!!!!
For a PC that must be a record - well done everyone involved.
Late last year I started using WebStyle when a fellow webmaster told me that's how he did some of the nice things I liked in his web site. Not long after that I got Zara MenuMaker. Then Xara sent me an offer for Xtreme and I bought it. I love it.:)
yo he usado Xara por 3 años, es un magnifico programa de diseño, y puedes lograr efectos que dificilmente logras con otros programos, excelente para dibujos de vectores y magnificos efectos de ilumunacion. Puedo usar otros programas pero definitivamente Xara esta entre mis mejores herramientas de trabajo.
I have been using Xara/Computer Concepts products since about day 2 of programs becoming available.
I started with Wordwise for the Beeb, serial number 35 or thereabouts and continued with that until I stared using Impression on the Archimedes.
Had/still got(!) a copy of the ill fated Beebcalc.
Several other CC programs.
Impression plus several updates for the Archimedes/Risc machines.
Artworks, Corel Xara but not Xara Studio and then all the versions up to the present plus the 3D packages.
I am now 100% PC orientated but did not drop allegiance to Acorn until about 6 or 7 years ago. In fact I still have an Acorn RiscPC600 wired up and on the desk in front of me!
As you may appreciate I am a long time fan of Xara.
I voted between 5 to 10 years for the following: the first xara is registered 18 May 2001 which is slightly over 5 years but more important, I remember downloading a trial version of Xara 3d about 10 or 11 years ago, maybe even longer. I didn't buy it but I still got my fingers dirty on it so I guess that counts.
Now I have all three version of Xara installed and running, two on one old computer and two on a second even older computer, plus xara 3d6, so I guess I'm helping to support the company in my own little way....frank
It must be all of twenty five years when I was introduced to Wordwise on the Econet networked BBC B's in the college that I worked in, whow I must be ancient now!!
I remember purchasing the tome that Paul Beverley wrote for users of Wordwise and Wordwise Plus.
When !Artworks arrived, yes it did have a pling(!) in front of the name as all programs did that run under Risc OS, it transformed the creation of graphics on any computer especially the Risc PC. Out of Artworks on Risc OS grew Xara on the PC and I was greatful for that.
I remember Xara arriving and then it seemed to be swallowed and buried by Corel only to be reserected as Xara X, then X1 and currently Xtreme.
My trusty Risc PC still sits under my computer table and if needs be will switch on and perk into life as if it was only switched on yesterday.
I raise my glass to Charles and your team at Gaddesden Place, who have always been helpful, I remember a tech support guy who was always a bit curt' however that was always balance out by John's attitude.
Here is to the next twenty five years.
I used Artworks and Impression on RISCOS all those years ago, before finally converting to Windows, but am about to jump ship to a Mac so great to hear that Xara will be there soon.
All the best x
I started off with Artworks on my Acorn computer when it first came out, so a long time ago if you count that as being the parent program.
I bought Artworks for my RiscPC when it first came out, up to then I had been using a program called Vector.
When I started using PCs at work (for a long time I used an Acorn A4 laptop, which I still have) I wanted to use Xara for diagramming my networks at work, but policy was to use Visio, which I found excruciatingly slow for anything more than very simple drawings, so I bought a personal copy of CorelXara, demonstrated to my boss how it was lightyears faster, and after that, Bob's your uncle as they say. (Wow, that's all one sentence!)
I have been using Xara at work and home ever since.
Xara3D I bought purely for home entertainment when Xara3D 5 came out, and I have been hooked on it ever since.
Mike
Most of the replies posted here mirrors my useage of Xara type products. It really started when I bought Acorn and got the school that I was working in to do the same. With the intro of Impressions we found our school leading other schools in Scotland in many area of cirricular development. Using this programme along with Art Works opened many doors for me in my job developement and in Technical Education many small publications and drawings that I did are still used today. I was even asked to do produce examination papers for two subjects for about four years but this always lead to problems which still in small case happens today when the work goes to the printers. Those days most printers used Mac's and transfering work from Acorns to Mac's had problems.
To be positive in the early to mid nineties it was I was producing work in Impressions that no PC could could do, but like everybody else, and before Acorn went bust, I had to transfer to the PC and use Corel Draw and Publisher. I did not like using CD so when Xara came out I quickly bought a whole school licence. Since my work was excepted I retired from teaching to do work for many schools in scotland teaching and lecturing to teachers on how to do graphics and as many of these schools used diffeerent programmes I had to learn how to use Illy which honestly to me two years to master. This learning curve was the opposite of Xara which was so easy to pick up.
To round off I am extremely happy to use Xara X1 and Xtreme but would like to see it much friendlier with printers.
Seems like forever!
I was using CorelXara until ...
21 May 1998 purchased Xara Webster.
08 June 1998 purchased Xara3D 1 Unlock code.
I only used Webster for animated gifs and it was when Xara X was launched that I began some serious illustration.
Prior to that I had been using P'shp ... now I rarely use it. It seems so cumbersome in comparison.
And I never did have the patience to get my head around Illustrator.
This is one of the first animations I made in Webster:
http://www.intbel.com/loco.gif
Today I'd make a far better job of it - both the drawing and the animation.
Being a Yank, I wasn't fortunate to be introduced to Xara in it's previous incarnations. I found Xara3D3 doing a Google search in October of 2000. I downloaded a copy of the trial version from Two Cows and fell in love immediately. I went to Xara.com and saw the first public beta for Xara X; again instantly fell in love with the product. I've upgraded Xara3D and Xara X as each new release has become available.
.Quote:
Originally Posted by -=Drifter=-
I have using Xara Online sins may 2006
CorelXara was offered to me at the old Egghead software store and I was instantly hooked. I have used just about every vector application out there and there is still nothing to this day that matches its power, speed, and level of functionality. It is also quickly replacing the bitmap based programs I have. Hundreds of websites, countless logos, and an unmeasurable amount of hours driving Xara have earned my company over a million dollars (no kidding) in business..... If my wife wasn't so darn pretty, I might marry Xara! Rock on Xara, Rock on!!! Oh, and THANKS! Please do not ever sell the company...
I've been using Xara since version 1. (Back then it was called Xara Studio) It's been an awesome tool ever since. I only wish they would allow you to use transparant pages (without having to export to png first)
Ashley.
I Just started not Long ago....I got Xara3D first then Got Extreme....I LOVE THEM!
I started using Corel Xara years and years ago, I saw it at a Computer Trade show and was instantly amazed. Now I use XaraX and am amazed how little the basics have changed and how much easier it is to make quality work.
The only niggle I've got is with it's import/export tools. I tried to import an Allustrator file the other day only to be told there was an error in it. It was a bit dissapointing as I'd just been singing Xara's praises. It's Flash Exporter could be better too.
I use Xara for ALL of my graphics. I have only ever needed it to do more than it can once and then it would have crossed into the realms of 3D modelling package.. which it isn't.
About two years ago I saw a friend working with XaraX and 3D5. I instantly downloaded the trial versions. I had worked a year with Illustrator, but found it always annoying that it is so complex. Of course I had made already some graphics with Illustrator and I tried to remake them in Xara. And it was (as is often said in the tutorials) a breeze! A very fresh breeze indeed! As well, the results were better! I bought XaraXtreme and 3D6 and work with them ever since.
Of course I always try to convince my friends to buy it too, but unfortunatily most people like to stick with the things they're already familiar with and stay suffering...
Congratulations Xara! :D
In the summer of 1995, after trying the free demo CD for only a few hours, I bought a copy of CorelXara. After using it for a day or two I, faxed a "fan mail" to Xara! So I have been a Xaran for 11 years now.
"How long have you been using Xara products?"
I don't remember but I still have the first drawing I made with the program.
Since 2001 - one of the (if not THE) best buy, I have ever done.
Like Mike, I also have my first Xara (any software) "drawing" - some shapes with plasma - a few transparencies - and two Xara clip-art. :) And there was "Food".
It has been downhill ever since. :D
http://www.talkgraphics.com/attachme...9283&stc=1&d=0
Risto
I was using CorelDraw when Xara Studio came out and I'll never forget how incredilby fast Xara was in comparison. I was hooked straight away. I went through the doldrum years when Corel did nothing with CorelXara and then I got Webster when it came out and then to XaraX, and have been a devoted fan of Xara and X3D for years.
Is it really 25 years? It's amazing how many CC/Xara products I have bought over the years. I still have 2 B's, an Archie, an A5000 and RISC PC in mostly working order.
I have bought over the years
1982 Wordwise Word Processor BBC Micro
1982 Dissasembler 6502 programmer utility BBC Micro
1982 Adventure Game BBC Micro
1983 Graphics ROM Graphics utilities BBC Micro
1983 Disc Doctor Disc utility BBC Micro
1984 Wordwise Plus Updated word processor with programming language BBC Micro
1985 Speech System Speech synthesiser BBC Micro
1987 Spellmaster Spell checker BBC Micro
1987 Wordwise Plus Word processor Archimedes
1987 ARM Assembly Language book Archimedes
1988 Impression DTP package Archimedes
1989 DTP at a glance Book BBC Micro
1990 Impression 2 Updated DTP package Archimedes
1990 ShowPage Postscript emulator Archimedes
1990 Scanlight Scanner Archimedes
1990 SpellMaster Spell checker Archimedes
1991 Impression Borders Fancy borders for frames Archimedes
1992 ArtWorks Vector graphics - direct ancestor of Xara Xtreme Archimedes
1992 Colourcard Graphics card Archimedes
1994 Impression Publisher Heavyweight DTP Archimedes
1994 Audioworks Sound editing utility Archimedes
1994 MacFS Mac disc reading utility Archimedes
1994 ClipArt CDs clipart from Artworks contests Archimedes
1994 Graphics Loaders Import / export filters Archimedes
1994 Eagle M2 Video capture board Archimedes
1994 Wacom ArtPads Tablet and driver software Archimedes
1994 Xara Studio Vector graphics Windows
1996 Various Artworks tools (Easox pressure, Arranger, Precision, later Hatch) Archimedes
1996 Text Loaders & Savers RTF & Word Perfect loaders/savers Archimedes
1996 Webster Cut down vector graphics Windows
1997 Xara3D 3D text & animations Windows
1998 Xara Webstyle Template based web graphics Windows
2000 Xara X New CorelXARA under our own brand Windows
2001 Xara Online Online Web Services All
2002 Menu Maker DHTML menus for websites Windows
2003 ScreenMaker 3D screen saver maker Windows
My memory is of going to Acorn shows clutching bundles of dics to upgrade to the latest version.
Bob
Started just a few months ago. New to this whole graphics world.