New Xtreme trial available (December 1)

[netsi]

Again I feel stupid... Please someone tell me - step by step - HOW DO I UPGRADE MY CD VERSION OF XARA EXTREME?
When I follow the link above to xara, and download x-no of megabytes, run the file I get this message:

http://www.netsi.dk/temp/upgrade.gif

Where do I find that "CD patch"?
Is that all I need to do?
Why can't I just upgrade from the build-in "upgrade option" (under HELP) in Extreme?

Please Xara, this is an issue which leaves some impression of a not finished professionel product... A somehow larger company named Microsoft really has made upgrading an easy task... I would love to have the same feeling when upgrading my Extreme favorite!

[GroWeb]

Netsi;

I don't know if this will answer your concern; but it might answer the immediate problem of upgrading. I would suggest that you uninstall your CD version of Xtreme first (saving your favourite settings as a template and moving it to a folder outside the Xara install directory), then do a clean install from the latest download version (then open your template and save it as the default template).

By the way, how have you managed to get a CD version of Xtreme in the first place, since the CDs haven't been distributed yet -- in fact, may not even have been produced yet? Were you a beta tester? If so, it doesn't really surprise me that the commercial version will not install over the beta.

I hope this is helpful,
Glen

[John Rayner]

I think his first install glitched on him and set a bit in the registry. So an old beta is claiming to be the CD...

[netsi]

Groweb - I have a review version on a CD.

Actually I am not aware of the status - if you can buy a CD version or you can buy it online. I would think that it should not make such a difference in the way that an upgrade procedure (minor bug-fixes and such) should work.

My point of views was concerning how such upgrade procedures should "feel like", for a CD-version owner or any other ower of Xara Extreme.

What really matters is how the usuablilty of this Extreme good product is. Like when you buy (should I say IF? ) a Bang & Olufson TV set, you will get a "soft usuability feeling": Products should make you smile, not worrie!

Normally Xara products make me smile!!!! Just this little tiny bit makes me

[John Rayner]

I have installed 16+ versions Xtreme. These are easy installs compared to others. You have to remember that technically, xtreme is still in Beta testing. At least Charles and crew are busting tail tweaking it until the end product is worthy of the xara name.

[rubem]

With every new build the same question arises... What are the changes? Couldn't Xara just keep a simple changelog somewhere?

[Bob Hahn]

We all know the changes made between Xtreme and X¹ - or at least X¹ users do. The "changes" in every Xtreme build is just a more stable version of Xtreme. Users come across various bugs in the software, Xara fixes them - getting ready for the final release.

I imagine most users don't really care what has been fixed as long as it's working the way it should. A lot of the fixes may be bugs they weren't even aware of. Personally, I don't see the need for a change log - unless you're a programmer and knowing what was fixed is somehow useful?

-Bob.

[rubem]

Hello Bob,

We all know the changes made between Xtreme and X¹ - or at least X¹ users do.

Of course these are not the changes I refer to, I mean the minor changes between different builds.

The "changes" in every Xtreme build is just a more stable version of Xtreme. Users come across various bugs in the software, Xara fixes them - getting ready for the final release.

This is a very recent move from Xara. Their past record concerning bugs and fixes is very bad. The good news is that Xara seems to have now a different -- and much more positive -- attitude.

I imagine most users don't really care what has been fixed as long as it's working the way it should. A lot of the fixes may be bugs they weren't even aware of.

This may be true, but those who faithfully support Xara since the old days may want to see if their most wanted features were incorporated in the new build. I admit I expect to see one of those in every new release!

Personally, I don't see the need for a change log - unless you're a programmer and knowing what was fixed is somehow useful?

Yes, I am a programmer as well . I agree a changelog is not the most important thing to do, but I know it is also very simple to publish one...

Thanks for your answer,

[FLySOLO]

the changelog would help users to see whats been fixed or worked on so they can test it. without this info you can test the whole app just to see the points you noticed haven´t been touched.

i´d be off for some mindless online shooting instead :b

bb,

FLy

[MerryOtter]

Once you encounter a bug, you stop trying to do whatever "thing" that was causing the problem. A changelog would let you know that you can now successfully do whatever it is you had stopped trying to do. The alternative is to try to try that "thing" again with each new release to see if it is fixed yet.

For example, I keep trying to blend along a path with a bitmap fill with each new download version to check if they fixed that yet. (It still doesn't work.)

What if you took your car into the shop every couple months? They change the oil, replace filters, tuneup, that kind of thing. They hand it back to you and say, "it's better now." But you don't get a list of what they did to your car. You probably wouldn't like that.

And if they happened to fix that problem with the cassette recorder where it doesn't auto-reverse at the end of tapes, you wouldn't know for a long time. (Because you stopped using tapes, because of that problem.)

Changelogs are a very good thing. I'm surprised they don't include one (it could be a simple text file in the program directory). Most VSS (bug tracking) systems will output one automagically, so it's not like it's an onerous administrative task.

Merry