working with Xara and page layout software

[traceyp]

Allison

Nice to know there is another Ventura nut out there. I too use Ventura for just about everything although I'm still on version 8 as I still use Win98SE.

It certainly has an awful lot more power than many of these other so-called page layout packages and there are several features I would certainly miss by moving to another package.

Yes, we use use Pageplus here but there are some features of Ventura that I would miss a great deal if I were to move to PagePlus or Pagemaker or In Design etc. on a permanent basis. One thing that must be remembered though is that the current version of Ventura is 10 which will only work on Win2000Pro or XP. Since I have neither and what I already have has more features than I shall ever want, I'm happy with version 8.

Daniel

How the blazes did you get PagePlus 10 for 49GBP. I had to pay 59.95GBP!

Tracey

[diniel]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>How the blazes did you get PagePlus 10 for 49GBP. I had to pay 59.95GBP! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I bought the Serif DVD authoring software for 5GBP ages ago, and have had emails from them ever since. With a different address, I downloaded something from freeserifsoftware.com - and both addresses had the 49GBP offer. I've not bought with either because they never replied to my licence enquiry about installing it on both my desktop and laptop.

[traceyp]

Daniel

We started using PagePlus many years ago in 1996 (version 4) but since it still lacked several features we already had in DTP software we were currently using we didn't take it any further until version 7 was released. Since then we've kept up to date on it and will probably continue to do so for the forseeable future. Must have a look at freeserifsoftware.com though. Didn't even know that existed.

I can answer your query regarding using PagePlus on two machines. Some time ago I had a call from them (trying to flog us more software we don't want, as they do from time to time) and I mentioned that it's my partner who uses PagePlus in the main and asked how I would stand if I wanted to have it on my PC as well. The response was that it is licenced for up to four machines to use it! So having it on both your PCs should not infringe any licence. Hope this helps. I'm surprised you don't get the same sorts of calls that I get from time to time from them.

Tracey

[diniel]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Must have a look at freeserifsoftware.com though. Didn't even know that existed. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Register with a couple of addresses and download a few programs - you never know what offers they're going to send you for new PagePlus versions. Poor management that they charge you as a loyal customer £59 but offer me £49 having never bought PagePlus before.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>I can answer your query regarding using PagePlus on two machines.... it is licenced for up to four machines to use it! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Excellent, thank you. They didn't send anything but an autoresponder yet.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>I'm surprised you don't get the same sorts of calls that I get from time to time from them. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Email and post I don't mind, but I usually tell telesales people to remove my number from their database becuase I find their calls very disruptive.

[traceyp]

Daniel

As a result of your post, I went to the Serif site a few minutes ago and found that now they have a page about PagePlus 10, they didn't yesterday. Anyway I followed the links to the upgrade price and found that it was as you said, 49.99GBP.

I phoned 'em up and spoke to Customer Service who agreed the price. The extra 10GBP was apparently for an upgrade to DrawPlus7 which, because I use Xara, will never be used. I therefore got them to remove DrawPlus7 from my order and asked for confirmation when the order is actually processed (it won't be for a while as they are awaiting stocks of PP10).

The thing is that at the end of my conversation with them yesterday they said they'd throw in a copy of DrawPlus7 upgrade as though they were doing me a favour, an extra if you like - and I fell for it - until I saw your message and investigated further. So thanks very much for alerting me to this as this has saved me 10GBP.

Perhaps this should also be a caution to anyone else purchasing from Serif. Yes, their software (well some of it anyway) is very good but be careful and make sure you know what you are paying for. Don't get taken in as I was and I have found in the past that Serif appear keen to give the impression they are doing you a favour but they're not - you pay for what you receive.

Tracey

[amoore]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Nice to know there is another Ventura nut out there. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Actually, there are more than a few. http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/smile.gif
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>I too use Ventura for just about everything although I'm still on version 8 as I still use Win98SE. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Nothing wrong with V8. I'm using it at home (on Win2k). Believe it or not, I've heard from a couple of people in the last year who're still using V3 for some projects. http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/eek.gif http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[diniel]

Well, I have ordered PagePlus. Not really used it before so we'll see how it goes. I quite like the idea of the program if it can accept a few Xara images here and there for a customer to fill out the rest of a page design - and s/he can send it off to the Serif printing service himself and save me the trouble.

BTW, I phoned them: PagePlus 10 is ready to ship today, it is the freebie USB hub that doesn't arrive until 24 Sept so if you ask them NOT to give you one of those, they'll dispatch PP10 now rather than waiting. ebuyer.com sells them for 1.79GBP if you really want one http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

[traceyp]

Daniel

Thanks yet again for the info. I told the guy I spoke to that we didn't really need that. I told him my partner had something like 9 USB ports and I've got six so no way did we want a USB hub but he didn't say a word about it being the hub that they were waiting on. In fact I do believe he said it was PP10 they were waiting for. I'll be back in touch with them again later today to find out the hell is going on. Again many thanks for the info.

Allison

Someyears ago I was on the committee of the Corel User Association here in the UK and I was asked if I would provide some tech support for our members which I did. However, I was also asked if I had a DOS copy of VP!

Yes I still have v3 for DOS but I don't think I'd have a clue on how to install it let alone use it. I expect I'd pick it up given time but I'd prefer not to install it in the first place. I never was asked for support on it anyway. No reason why someone shouldn't use v3 (I presume the Windows version) if it does everything they want. It was a bit hard going on some things though that are considerably easier with the later versions.

Tracey

[amoore]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Yes I still have v3 for DOS but I don't think I'd have a clue on how to install it let alone use it...No reason why someone shouldn't use v3 (I presume the Windows version) if it does everything they want. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
One of the guys was running V3 for Windows. His company had major automated workflows that relied on the file pointer structure Ventura was using before V7. Over the last year, he's been converting to V10.

Another guy uses multiple versions of Ventura, plus InDesign and sometimes Quark, I think. He says the DOS/GEM version is so blazingly fast on current hardware that he's not willing to migrate his V3 pubs until he's forced to. He's also technically savvy enough to know how to make V3 run.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>It was a bit hard going on some things though that are considerably easier with the later versions. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yep. A few years ago, I had to help someone who was self-publishing a book in V2. Yikes! Truth is, though, it worked just fine. Personally, I'm lucky that my workflow changed just as Ventura went to the single-file format, and I don't need the "pointer system" in the way I used to.

Now, if I could just work out the PMS palettes between Xara and V10...Fantasies, fantasies. http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/wink.gif

[RAMWolff44]

Hi all,

I think Page Plus and Web Plus are two of Serif's strongest offerings. PhotoPlus 9 ain't bad either (except for the plugins area not supporting many of the high end photoshop plugins) In any case I highly recommend Page Plus.

It seems just a few short months ago I got version 9 and now 10 is almost out of the gate. So I guess they will be seeing more of my money!! PP9 over PP8-PDF is so much better. FAST and very efficient. So I really look forward to this newer version 10.

Still have to update my website, entire reason why I bought WebPlus 9. Now if they had DrawPlus 8 out of the gate and offered that as part of the "deal" then I would say yes Tracey but version 7 is pretty OK but nothing to write home about compared to Xara X1!! I'm a sucker for vector apps and even though Xara X wins hands down it's always nice to wish for a few of DrawPlus's features be implimented into Xara X! I love the templates for one thing. LOTS to choose from with landscape and portrait versions to select from before loading the page up!!

Anyway I think Serif is a good company and they have quality products and pretty good support and prices are good too. So if you want to pay too much then go with what you think will work best for you but if you want quality for your money then go with PagePlus 10. It's worth it, I think!