Thank you and good bye! I'm no longer Xara's target audience.

[MerryOtter]

Wow... I popped in to see what people were doing with Xtreme 5 (and saying about it) and I was really surprised to see this post at the top of the threads.

I just want to say I'm really enthusiastic about version 5. It has a ton of stuff that I've been looking for, and it's a "no-brainer" upgrade. I can't tell you how many people I've gotten to spend the $89 to get Xtreme, and they love it.

If any of you remember me, I used to complain a bit about Xtreme relative to Illustrator... I've used Illustrator since the very first version in 1987. But I found I got accustomed to Xtreme and find myself much more productive with it than Illustrator, despite my 15-year head start.

One of the reasons I haven't visited TalkGraphics so much is that I'm not having the problems I used to have with the software. I've adapted to it, and it has adapted to me. I don't know how I could get along without "combine shapes." And the speed, oh the speed.

My day-to-day work tends to be designing business-related materials, which really end up being web pages or promotional emails. So the enhancements in V5 mean a lot to me, including the different page sizes, ability to link/repeat objects across pages, HTML code placeholders, etc.

For these purposes, Xara is simply unmatched, and I can out-produce just about any Illustrator user out there, no question. I also find it perfect for user interface production, which is why I was scratching my head over the claim the OP made with his UI mockup not being practical with Xara. If there was something in that design that Xara was unsuitable for, I didn't see it.

It's a huge relief to be able to import Illustrator files more reliably; I tried a few that had given me problems and I was very happy with the results. The new object gallery is a huge improvement. Soft groups spanning layers, the ability to lock individual objects, linking graphic elements with to points in text, spell checking, text syncing, different layers on different pages... these are all absolutely welcomed. I love the new ability to just drag the edge of a page down in V5.

I still have my little grievances with Xara, but I have a lot more with Illustrator at this point. (My main one is they got me to purchase Web Designer a while ago when it turned out I didn't need it, with all the new features in Xtreme! My second one is no Mac version.)

I do agree that Xara is not necesarilly moving in a direction that will please professional illustrators, people who do "fine art." But I think Illustrator is just as inappropriate for that because it's anything but fluid and uncluttered. I forget whether it's left-brained or right brained, but whichever side my artistic side lives in, Illustrator is definitely on the other side and has been for a few years now. In my opinion the only really excellent vector program for that was Expression 3, and Microsoft really screwed that software up when they bought it. (Still keep E3 on my drive for when I'm in a creative mood, and thank goodness the free download is still available for those who seek it.)

And I agree Xara is not precise enough at times. I still miss the node editing tools. Nothing beats Adobe in that regard, though their brand of precision comes as a price of complexity and tedium.

Nevertheless, the direction Xtreme moved in with V5 has made me very happy and will increase my productivity andf simplify my workflow considerably. I find it to be one of the best values in commercial software. Bravo, Xara... keep up the good work.

[steve.ledger]

Excellent post!

Thanks for stopping by and adding your voice MerryOtter.

[remi]

Hmm, promotional emails...

For these purposes, Xara is simply unmatched, and I can out-produce just about any Illustrator user out there, no question.

It's obvious, that you don't work with CMYK very much. For such purposes, Xara lacks a real CMYK mode - since years without change. Instead, they are coding a new "red eye removal tool" with each and every new version.

eobet was talking about that Xara is lagging behind the competition. He mentioned the lack of mesh fills, live trace, live colors. Others are asking since years for new vector tools (like Inkscape is offering for free in the meantime).

I can understand, if a new user is using Xara Xtreme the first time and he/she is loving it. But after a short time the new users are starting to ask "why is this tool/function not available" and "when do we get it" and then the usual workarounds are being "recommended" - since years without a change.

The result is a great dissatisfaction among the users - no matter if the developers have to work hard for trying to change this general tendency or not.

"Life is what happens (to you) while you are busy making (other) plans." (John Lennon)

Remi

[steve.ledger]

It's really terrific when members pop in after many months absence to say hi and with such a positive post as MerryOtter's.

But it's really sad how some people just have to be cynical, negative and crap on someone else and a product for no good reason

Also what's the idea of suggesting a member must be on drugs?

Remi, just because you can post, doesn't mean you should.
What are you trying to achieve with such trolling and put downs?

It's just so sad.

[remi]

Steve, did you missed the smileys in my post or do you just have a bad day?

[handrawn]

Like the Lennon quote Remi - very apt for some

[MerryOtter]

It's obvious, that you don't work with CMYK very much. For such purposes, Xara lacks a real CMYK mode - since years without change. Instead, they are coding a new "red eye removal tool" with each and every new version.

You're right, I don't. Most of my stuff these days is for on-screen presentation. My point is that while some people may not be happy with the advances in certain areas, this release is making others quite delighted.

I learned long ago, both in my personal life and in business, that it's better to focus on what you're good at instead of trying to be all things to all people. The best competition to have is no competition at all. In my opinion, there's no replacement for Xara Xtreme, it solves key problems for me that aren't addressed by other software.

Do I personally think I'll use the red-eye removal tool? No. But there certainly must have been some users somewhere who have requested it. I also think it's a common mistake of people to say, "Oh, they have feature X but not feature Y" as if all functions were of equal difficulty to implement. It's a little like saying, "Oh, you added the ability to group Web-safe fonts at the top of the menu, but you didn't port to Mac, how dare you!" A Mac port is obviously a lot more work, and if you can add little check-box features like this to increase the appeal of a product, you probably should. I'm sure it was a heckuva lot easier to do a red eye gadget versus proper CMYK support.

One thing I do like about Xara is how it bridges the gap between vector and bitmap editing. It's so much easier to incorporate bitmaps into documents than with Illustrator, so I don't begrudge them adding enhancements like this. Content-aware resizing is an example of this. It's not something I would ever expect to see in Illustrator, ever. And I'm a little surprised to find it in Xara Xtreme. But then I can think back to some occassions where I had stock photos that didn't quite fit the space I needed, and how this would have let me incorporate those images, saving hours of work or redesigning my layout.

Another aspect to consider is that Illustrator has become corporate-ware. There is a real possibility that Xara could spend all their time and effort adding these high-end functions only to discover it was for naught -- generating not a single extra sale -- because companies have "standardized" on Illustrator and will not budge at this point. I certainly have had trouble getting some designers to be open to the idea of using Xara Xtreme, to even have a look at it... firstly because they haven't heard of it before (and often because they are Mac users) but mostly because they have spent the thousands of dollars on the software, education/training, supporting utilities, etc. and then are convinced they are much more employable with "Adobe" on their resume than with "Xara."

I'm sure some people will look down on the kind of graphics design work I do, just as they look down on Xara. But I think it's a real gem, and I applaud what they've done with this version and look forward to what's coming next. If you think it's a great product, want to continue using it, and want more updates the best thing to do is to support the company with your upgrades and feedback.

[MarkMyWords]

Blimey Steve! Take it easy mate. Remi was hardly "trolling" and it seems Merry is not offended as much as you are.

I know this can all be irritating to those who have no or few complaints about Xtreme and those who moderate such discussions, but this thread is petering out, dying a natural death. If it is closed prematurely you, more than anyone, know that another will be started to replace it. Not long now and the whinning will fade for a while, until next time.

[MarkMyWords]

Oops! Double-post, sorry.

[remi]

Hi MerryOtter,

it's not the question if someone is looking down on your design work or not. I don't think a customer is able to recognise the vector editor you used for your work - in the end it's just a tool.

This discussion is more about the progress of Xara Xtreme as a tool and the "feeling" of eobet that _he_ is no longer Xara Ltd.'s target audience. That you're able to find similiar statements from a lot of other members within the last five years is the really sad trend.

My point is, that I can clearly hear and are able to understand these (from fanboys so called "negative") statements from disappointed customers. Like another member has said before: It's nearly the same with Xara like with General Motors - if you're not able to hear the voices of your customers, you will end without customers.

Or with other words: Since when are customers obligated to support a company with a wrong product strategy by purchasing their upgrades?

In my eyes, the best idea would be, if Xara Ltd. would rethink the product strategy.

Remi