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  1. #31
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    I'm quite happy with Xara X as it now is and am not really sweating the lack of an update.

    Xara hasn't crashed on me in months. I find it a dependable old friend and a joy to spend time with. I must admit I predominantly use the older features and find them extremely flexible. Of the 'new' features I really like the profiles, drop shadows, contours, and bevels; but, I never use the names gallery and I rarely use brushes. (That means I still have functionalities to explore and learn to use effectively).

    I've been a Xara user since version one of CorelXara. In that time I've never needed to contact their technical support. I suspect that relative to software manufactures, Xara gets very few requests for technical assistance relating to Xara X. If the phone was ringing off the hook (costing them $$$) with bug-related issues they would likely have a higher priority to fix those they know about.

    I suspect Xara X isn't a high priority at the Xara mansion. If you think it should be - put yourself in their shoes. Think of any new development work on Xara X as a serious financial investment - they must pay programmers for work which will bring in no new revenue for a year or two. How good an investment is it? Clearly they have to anticipate significant returns on that investment for it to be worth their while. Would a update that takes them two person years of development time provide adequate return on investment? I don't know.

    If we really want to see them invest in making the product better, let's help them expand their sales. Tell people about Xara. Show them what you can do with it. (Xara encourages this with their generous XaraClub commissions). Maybe we should all be posting personal galleries at all those sites that willingly host them. That would greatly expand the numbers of people seeing what Xara can do. Perhaps some of them will discover Xara too. Such efforts on our part can only help keep Xara under development.

    Regards, Ross

    <a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    UK
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    7

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    thanks Ross!
    I have to admit we at Xara are focusing our efforts on the products that are selling in volume
    Obviously the more you Guys+Gals spread the word the more resources we allocate..
    My particular goal is to make Xara products available everywhere so hopefully you will start to see things moving as our coverage and profile improve. I'd love to say that you'll see a new version next week but cannot yet
    However given we have released 2 new versions and a new title SO FAR this year I hope you'll all ignore those posts saying we're dead..
    Regards
    Carl Vaz
    Xara Ltd

    <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Ross Macintosh:
    I'm quite happy with Xara X as it now is and am not really sweating the lack of an update.

    Xara hasn't crashed on me in months. I find it a dependable old friend and a joy to spend time with. I must admit I predominantly use the older features and find them extremely flexible. Of the 'new' features I really like the profiles, drop shadows, contours, and bevels; but, I never use the names gallery and I rarely use brushes. (That means I still have functionalities to explore and learn to use effectively).

    I've been a Xara user since version one of CorelXara. In that time I've never needed to contact their technical support. I suspect that relative to software manufactures, Xara gets very few requests for technical assistance relating to Xara X. If the phone was ringing off the hook (costing them $$$) with bug-related issues they would likely have a higher priority to fix those they know about.

    I suspect Xara X isn't a high priority at the Xara mansion. If you think it should be - put yourself in their shoes. Think of any new development work on Xara X as a serious financial investment - they must pay programmers for work which will bring in no new revenue for a year or two. How good an investment is it? Clearly they have to anticipate significant returns on that investment for it to be worth their while. Would a update that takes them two person years of development time provide adequate return on investment? I don't know.

    If we really want to see them invest in making the product better, let's help them expand their sales. Tell people about Xara. Show them what you can do with it. (Xara encourages this with their generous XaraClub commissions). Maybe we should all be posting personal galleries at all those sites that willingly host them. That would greatly expand the numbers of people seeing what Xara can do. Perhaps some of them will discover Xara too. Such efforts on our part can only help keep Xara under development.

    Regards, Ross

    <a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

    Regards

    Carl Vaz
    Regards

    Carl Vaz

  3. #33
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    I think what people have been expressing here is that "the silence is deafening". Also significant is people clearly see the software they use as long-term investments. Considerable amounts of time are spent in learning software - which are investments greatly exceeding the "cost" of the software. Nobody wants to invest in a dead duck.

    It is good to have someone from Xara acknowledge that threads like this are even getting read at the mansion. You've got to know that it is in Xara's interest to have Xara Ltd. more active participation in these forums. It is important for users but perhaps even more so for Xara Ltd. to start communicating with users. We can help each other. It can't be one sided.

    I'd suggest at least one employee a day be asked (or told if necessary) to eat their lunch at their desk whilst reviewing forum postings and participating. It could be a different person every day. If you have to, provide a free sandwich with a pickle on the side for the folks who do it ! In sort order you'll find the Xara employees actually enjoying their participation (and maybe you won't have to buy them the free lunch anymore). It is a great bunch of folks who participate here and we all know Xara employees are likely swell folks too.

    Regards, Ross

    <a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

  4. #34
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    RWC, CA, USA
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    <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>However given we have released 2 new versions and a new title SO FAR this year I hope you'll all ignore those posts saying we're dead.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

    What you are saying there is that there have been two new releases of XaraX? Which I have to disagree on. When the patch came out was over a year ago and the initial release of XaraX was over 2 years ago now!!

    It's nice to hear SOMETHING from Xara Ltd. but by the same token there ARE bugs that need attending too and adding a FEW features that will give XaraX back the cutting edge that many of the other vector based software companies are impressing new and old users alike with. Yes, there are quite a few requests on the "features list" but mostly it's adding more import/export functionality and fix the instability of some of the current features along with, if I remember correctly, something to do with color and print as well!

    It's not asking allot and considering so many folks are releasing products right now it may just take the lead away from XaraX. Marketing is a very good thing to getting the product out there but marketing a newer version will bring in more interest, not a version that is over 2 years old!!

    Just my 2¢

    Richard [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

    ---Wolff On The Prowl---
    Richard

    ---Wolff On The Prowl---

  5. #35
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    Richard - The two plus one relate not to Xara X but to their other products. Maybe with those products dealt with we'll get a little attention back on Xara X.

    Regards, Ross

    <a href=http://www.designstop.com/>DesignStop.Com</a>

  6. #36
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    RWC, CA, USA
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    [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

    Have a nice day, off to work now. I just love the holidays!! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

    Richard [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

    ---Wolff On The Prowl---
    Richard

    ---Wolff On The Prowl---

  7. #37
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    Mar 2002
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    France (38)
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    Nice to see that someone at Xara mansion read the forum ;-) Sad to see that the message is still not understood.

    I never said Xara LTD was dead... just that Xara X is frozen. I talk about it to friends, but i always get the same answers : "what ? This old software left on the border of the road by Corel ? Well, it's too old, i prefer to use a hacked version of illustrator, THIS is a standard and with much more features !"
    And i answer that XX is far more useable, eat less memory, and so on... but they say that it's not translated in french...

    Hacked illustrator ? Hmmm... pros will buy it, even if they use only 10% of it and with headhaches. "Amateurs" will crack it, or buy something like ZONER DRAW, 69$ and translated in french.

    I'm not talking about the quality of XARA X, wich is known (but only by few of us) to be unbeatable. I'm talking about marketing, user and consideration.

    No magazine will talk about it unless something new happen. So you want US to sell YOUR product ? But i paid for it ! I was not paid by xara. Sincerely, i love XX, and i promote it as hard as i can, but it's a lost war here, in France ! And certainly in most parts of the world. How could one promote a software that is totaly frozen ? The import/export is a pity. Peoples don't look at the fundamental qualities of a product, they think at the way they'll use it with their other softs, they look at the suport, and they pay attntion at the bells and whistles other are promising with each yearly updates. It's sad, but it's the truth.

    So stay in your ivory tower, and let your part of the vector drawing market disapear. It's up to you.

    How could i tell this another time to be clear (writing in english is difficult for me)... maybe like this : the ford Model T is a legendary Car, it was a revolution. But what would Ford be if they never made other cars, saying "This one is good, it have wheels, you can drive it, it's cheaper and easyer than others, let's focus on selling after shaves now..." Would they still sell any car in 2002 ?

    [This message was edited by Renaud on November 29, 2002 at 10:08.]

  8. #38
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    ... points, Renaud. Especially, the one about staying current and getting the "press" to bring attention to updates, new features and inadvertently the product itself.

    Dumping Xara X would be a sign of weakness... Without Xara X they are just like any other Mom and Pop on-line specialty app developer.

    Seeing the outpour of frustration here - they better start talking. Soon! This is not a crowd they would want to alienate. They would be REALLY stupid if they did that...

    Risto

    risto@ristoklint.com

    Visit my web site!


  9. #39
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    Well spoken and I echo you and Risto with they would be stupid to sit up there in that ivory tower and let all this hard work go to waste.

    One thing I have noticed is that over the past 6 months I think there have been about once a month that everybody gets nervous and asking for updates, asking for improvements, asking, asking and more asking and never getting a definetive answer from the "ivory tower" about what is going on....if it's frozen, if it's finished and if not when to expect SOMETHING in way of a patch or bug fix??? It is NOT unreasonable to ask for these things and it is only in Xara Ltd.'s best interest, and ours, to have the program updated.

    I repeat: If Xara Ltd. is really interested in getting the product out there on the shelves why not then invest in improving and fixing the product instead of releasing a, admitedly, good product but buggy and a bit outdated in a few areas?? Doesn't make any sense to me what so ever?? [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img] [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_confused.gif[/img]

    They want us, the user base, to NOT go away! They give us a forum to chat in and show off and commune and share ideas and learn from one another, but they are not present. Gary or Ross or any other moderator, that WE, the user base, are aware of is NOT intimately in touch with "the ivory tower" and are just as much in the dark about most things and that makes no sense to me either!?! We, the user base (including the moderators) SHOULD have contact, be heard and have answers to our inquiries from the "ivory tower". To keep the castle with it's subjects happy, the king must address issues and speak with the subjects. It's a similar sitution. Keep us happy by giving us some sort of contact and answer our inquiries instead of leaving us in the dark and wondering. All that acomplishes is users looking elsewhere and not promoting XaraX, which needs positive, not negative feedback!!!

    Just another 2¢

    Richard [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

    ---Wolff On The Prowl---
    Richard

    ---Wolff On The Prowl---

  10. #40
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    Feb 2001
    Location
    Portland, Oregon
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    317

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    Have you all upgraded to Office XP yet?



    +++Computers let you make more mistakes faster than any other invention in human history, with the possible exception of handguns and tequila+++
    "If you can do good, you should."
    W.K. Clark

 

 

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