Is Xara Ltd not only lost, but also lazy?

[eobet]

Hmm... just after I had written the headline, I'm beginning to rethink it.

Let me explain:

Here's how I motivate lost... to me, Xara Ltd seems lost because instead of updating the now stale "galleries" and adding features to the object editing itself, and bringing the UI into the 21st century, they instead add photo editing capabilities... to a non-pixel based application... and multiple page editing... to a non-dtp application... it is, to me, like trying to grow a third leg and then run after as many customers as possible, in all directions at once.

Now to the lazy part. I'm always amazed by how the Xara community has continually managed to invent work arounds to counter the lack of development in the last, oh, five or so years. Without you, Xara would be absolutely dead in the water, I have no doubt. Just now, I asked about how to reproduce a feature in Xara which Photoshop has had for a number of years, and Illustrator has just gotten a more powerful version of. Xara can't do it, of course, but the work around managed! This makes me think that Xara Ltd believes that they don't really need to update their existing features. I mean, their customers find solutions where they haven't anyway, so why should they bother? The customers seem to put up with it, and on this forum, even be very happy about it (and very defensive in some cases).

So, what does Xara Ltd do?

And here's where I came to rethink the headline...

Xara Ltd chooses to reward their most loyal amateur users (and yes, during the years I've observed this forum, most people here are ametuers, as opposed to a proffessionally employed designer, whether they think so or not), and do this by letting them engage in more amateur hobbyist activities in Xara, instead of forcing them to use other applications, which they come back here and claim are "not as easy and intuitive".

Xara cannot, and will not ever be able to professionally replace Photoshop.

Xara cannot, and will not ever be able to professionally replace Illustrator (or Quark for that matter).

However:

Xara IS about to be replaced by InkScape, if you compare development pacing.

And I was about to say that Xara was doing nothing to prevent it, but that isn't true, because the open sourced LX was a direct response. Though unfortunately, since it wasn't truly open source, it failed before it even took off. Still, I think I can claim that they, themselves, are doing nothing to their own application, in order to bring it up to date with modern UI and usability standards.

If they are, they are as tight lipped as Apple about it, but since they're not in Apple's position, I don't see how they think they can get away with that. Unless, of course (and this will most likely happen), the entire forum will now raise up in support of their actions. And when that happens, if no Xara Ltd employee speaks up against their fans, Xara X will never see more customers outside of their already established fans.

My conclusion is that the current Xara customer base is preventing them from moving onwards.

Thank you for taking time and reading what turned out to be a rather long rant.

EDIT: A consequence of this would be that my message to Xara fans would be that if you want to put pressure on Xara Ltd to grow, please stop posting workarounds, because although you are doing existing users a service, you are doing Xara Ltd a disservice by making them believe that they don't need to update their application!

[ss-kalm]

Xara cannot, and will not ever be able to professionally replace Illustrator............

Not necessarily true, I believe that there are one or two users on this forum who use Xara professionally in place of Illustrator.

[zaphodeist]

So only pros from now on, Xara can sell out to Micro$oftism, no probs Does it have to replace anything? Can't Xara be Xara?

John

[eobet]

Not necessarily true, I believe that there are one or two users on this forum who use Xara professionally in place of Illustrator.

Yes, and I'm one of them.

The key word here, is "one or two"...

[a4hire]

I think there are many ,professional designers or artists here that use Xtreme and do work full time in the industry.
As far as replacing illustrator, PS and Quark , I don't know if that is the goal of Xara.
This is like trying to replace gasoline powered automobiles with new more efficient electric vehicles. It could happen but, there are many things that need to change for that to happen and it wont happen very quickly.

[zaphodeist]

There's a lot of good artists on here, whether they are 'professional' artists or not is irrelevant in this context - it's the quality of their work on here and the help they generously give others from their depth of experience that matters.

John

[Ted D]

<snip>
Xara cannot, and will not ever be able to professionally replace Photoshop.

Xara cannot, and will not ever be able to professionally replace Illustrator (or Quark for that matter).

However:

Xara IS about to be replaced by InkScape, if you compare development pacing.

<snip>

Use the other programs or go work for Xara. They are not forcing you to use it.

[Soquili]

Eobet is only expressing his concern not trying to belittle Xara or anyone that uses the program.

Please respect his right to express his thoughts.

[masque]

Use the other programs or go work for Xara. They are not forcing you to use it.

I don't think it’s a matter of using or not using what is an excellent product, it’s just the feeling that it isn't being pushed forward to keep pace with, or ahead of in some areas, the competition.
I've no quibbles with the DTP functions in xara, in fact they are very valuable to me, though I loath the very existence of the lamentable photo magic which is so well suited to pro photo work it hasn’t even got an eraser function. I thought that the pay off for having to have magic joined at the hip with xara is that there would be development of Xtreme. If that development is occurring a few leaked ideas as to what and when would be a courtesy to the users who have supported xara since the beginning. Serif who are threatening to overtake Xtreme with DrawPlus and who already have Photo, Web Creation and DTP applications are constantly appraising users and reacting to suggestions regarding future updates. A similar approach from Xara would keep people on-side and in anticipation of forthcoming updates.

[Doug]

Translation: Xara doesn't do what you want so now you decided to throw a hissy fit like a spoiled little child.

Nothing personal, just expressing MY opinion.