Xara X1 vs. Xara Xtreme

**MetzLyov** · 09 December 2005, 04:56 PM

What is the difference between Xara X1 and Xara Xtreme. I ordered a Xara Graphic Studio that suppose to contain 3 different software packages, including Xara Xtreme and I received Xara X1... Are these packages the same?

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

**Daniel** · 09 December 2005, 11:59 PM

That's good, I asked earlier if X1 was still available but got no response. X1 is more stable and supports more printing output and Pantone colours (features removed from Xtreme). Xtreme still needs a few patches but has a PDF export and can apply some Photoshop-like filters to vector shapes.

Xtreme has a quicker redraw than X1 but achieves the higher performance with bitmap cached copies of objects which isn't always a good thing. Xtreme has a newer version of the Xara Picture Editor spinoff/plugin app but both versions have an Autobalance which is all I really used. I personally prefer X1 over Xtreme, some others do too (http://talkgraphics.com/showthread.php?t=19128) but it really depends what you want to do.

**John Rayner** · 10 December 2005, 12:58 AM

I am with Daniel on this. It all depends on what you intend on using the product for. If you want to do professional graphics for printing at the local printshop then X1 is better in some aspects. If you are more of a hobbyist who might print at the local printshop maybe once a year then xtreme is the better bet. Can both live side by side on the same machine? Yes! Can you run x1 and xtreme at the same time? yes! Can they swap files... mostly.

Xtreme has a larger feature set than x1. AS long as you keep within x1 features, the files swap just fine.

Is the cost to have both prohibitive? Ummm... I have spent more eating lunch at Mcdonalds (feeding teenagers that is) than the cost of the upgrade... so go for it!

**Christine Farrelly** · 10 December 2005, 03:30 AM

If you were told that you would get Xreme then you will almost certainly find you are entitled to a free upgrade to Xtreme. Contact Xara via the web site.

Christine

**Xhris** · 10 December 2005, 10:56 AM

Originally Posted by Daniel

X1 is more stable...

I'm not sure I agree with that. To help me understand your point, in what way is Xtreme less stable? I myself have identified and reported over 100 bugs in X1 during the last couple of months - a number of which were critical ones that crashed X1 but now not Xtreme. In general, the only way Xtreme could be less stable is if there were crash bugs introduced from the new features (namely the LE tool), and some other reworked features like shadows etc. Having used it extensively, I can say it has not crashed on me in a while now since its inception release. As far as I have observed, Xtreme is considerably more stable than X1.

**Daniel** · 10 December 2005, 03:16 PM

Xhris, going on my own experience with my own work I don't think that X1 has crashed on me in over a year. After I switched to Xtreme I got one or more crashes most days. I played with Live Effects a couple of times to see what they were but have little/no use for them in day to day work so the files I was working on in Xtreme were either LE-less Xtreme files or old X1 files.

Nothing on my PC crashes, I have very little software on it because it's how I earn my living, it's otherwise rock solid. I lost confidence in using Xtreme and didn't feel able to recommend it to others because it crashed so many times. I kept Xtreme installed but used X1 day-to-day but after having loaded Xtreme without realising for some real work soon after the first December release of Xtreme, I uninstalled it: it crashed while working on an old X1 file that I have used dozens of times (merely editing text on a file I use for a DVD template inlay card - nothing fancy about it at all!) and have uninstalled it now.

I think that my confidence in Xtreme would be hard to win back, especially with there being so little new that I'd use. I realise some things are different rather than worse, I don't like for example Xtreme's feathering control but know it's personal preference. Don't get me wrong - I am a diehard Xara user - cut my index/mouse finger open and it'll say XARA through the bone like Blackpool Rock but Xtreme does nothing for me. The delays over the CD and manual make it worse - I'd rather have an email from the Moirs to tell me that the manual would be with me by the end of May 2006 than just be left to wonder or read Anthony's messages on this forum to say that it hasn't even gone to print yet.

Xtreme is great for people who want a play with their pictures but I don't think it suits me. It's a shame but I realise that for Xara there is more money in people playing with pictures who want shiny new buttons than people like me who want small refinements like an autosave, userdefined defaults for the number of contour steps, keyboard shortcut to the colour eyedropper etc.

**Hein** · 12 December 2005, 08:14 AM

I've gone back to X1, Xtreme is a little too whacky in it's behaviour. Toolbars appear and disappear, very sloppy transparencies that would have been acceptable in the mid 80's but not now, plus nearly every export needs postwork to remove Xtreme added extras. Don't expect the CD version to be much better than the 2.0e, so it's very unlikely it will make it all the way from the mailbox to the office.

**Dennis Cox** · 12 December 2005, 03:37 PM

Weird, I've had none of the problems you mentioned with Xtreme...

**AntonyF** · 12 December 2005, 09:23 PM

Originally Posted by MetzLyov

What is the difference between Xara X1 and Xara Xtreme. I ordered a Xara Graphic Studio that suppose to contain 3 different software packages, including Xara Xtreme and I received Xara X1... Are these packages the same?

Any help will be greatly appreciated!

I believe you should have got a note within your Xara Studio saying that you'll get Xtreme later, but we've given you X1 for now. I can double check if you want me to, but look in your package for a piece of paper.

**Xhris** · 13 December 2005, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by Daniel

Xhris, going on my own experience with my own work I don't think that X1 has crashed on me in over a year.

X1 crashed on me a lot (for now known and fixed reasons). The early released beta versions of Xtreme crashed, but that was expected by definition. The latest version of Xtreme doesn't crash anymore (in any way I know of). Maybe you could continue to use it again, and note if it does crash (even if you can't identify the exact cause), if not for yourself, then for the benefit of others. For the most part, I would now recommend Xtreme over X1, unless people need the features that were removed.

Xhris