Xara Designer Pro X10 Released

**slavelle** · 29 July 2014, 02:03 AM

When there are more than one user that require the updates, it makes the decision even a little harder. We have two people as primary users, so we have to get two upgrades - so now we've gone from $99 to $198 for the same upgraded features. Definitely makes you have to think about it that much more.

I just have to keep in mind that the Adobe option (for complete, which would cover Photoshop and Illustrator + some) would be $50/month/user. I'd exhaust my $198 before the end of Summer. Granted, I'd get other programs (that I probably wouldn't use) and more features (that I don't know HOW to use), but it makes the money a bit more tolerable.

Whose side am I on anyway?

**David O'Neil** · 29 July 2014, 06:16 AM

The fact that this board's announcement of program upgrades in previous years always went pages deep on the first day with many happy customers, and this announcement stayed at a page or two for almost a week, to get a lot of griping after that, speaks loads.

I really hope Kate's statement that vector tools will be worked on in the coming year is followed through. With a 64 bit engine, and the memory space that goes with it, they are now in a position to really progress in that area if they chose to do so.

David

**Petar_MK** · 29 July 2014, 07:36 AM

For a real professional use Xara has to have a CMYK support. But, it is still missing for some reasons (don't want or don't know how to do it). There is a new software on the market (from Serif) called Affinity Desingner, but for Apple OS https://affinity.serif.com/. It is CMYK application from the ground. I don't know what is Xara waiting for? They are going to be a REALLY serious competitor to Adobe products (Affinity Photo, Affinity Publisher), not Xara.

**handrawn** · 29 July 2014, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by BONES

You can skip a version and the hit is only $40 but those of us who loyally support the company year after year are slugged $99 every time.

you sure? currently I'm quoted 79 GBP for a 9 to 10 upgrade, and 119 GBP for an 8 to 10 upgrade - ok the 9 upgrade is special offer, but I don't see it being more than the 8 upgrade and maybe 99 GBP normal price

Very few graphic designers don't work with photos and their are some significant new features for that stuff, things Photoshop doesn't do as well

where are these - I can't find them, the new features that do better than photoshop that is

Originally Posted by Petar_MK

For a real professional use Xara has to have a CMYK support. But, it is still missing for some reasons (don't want or don't know how to do it). There is a new software on the market (from Serif) called Affinity Desingner, but for Apple OS https://affinity.serif.com/. It is CMYK application from the ground. I don't know what is Xara waiting for? They are going to be a REALLY serious competitor to Adobe products (Affinity Photo, Affinity Publisher), not Xara.

that's an impressive looking launch site makes me sorta wish I had a mac to try out the beta - guess it's drawplus reinvented for the mac ... so that's that side of the market shut off like as not; not that xara were intending a mac version anyway...

**feklee** · 29 July 2014, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by Petar_MK

Affinity Desingner

Looks really nice, and seems that they know how to keep customers happy, fixing an SVG export bug the same day it is reported.

Compare that to Xara. After two and a half years, there is still no fix for a showstopper SVG export bug.

That the importance of SVG is not understood by Xara is puzzling to me. It is one of the technologies in place of dying Flash. SVG, while very powerful, isn't widely used yet. The reason is not browser support, which is excellent. The reason is lack of easy-to-use and affordable tools.

On the other hand, Xara is investing in tools for offline creation of static web pages. In the age of Facebook, Tumblr, or Wix, that's a dying technology, and rightly so. If you have content in a CMS, it can be automatically adapted to changing browser technology. Already for years, when people ask me to help with their web site, I point them to online tools. In fact in 2010 I offered courses for creating simple functional web sites with Google Sites. My background: I'm a full stack web developer.

**Big Frank** · 29 July 2014, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by feklee

That the importance of SVG is not understood by Xara is puzzling to me. It is one of the technologies in place of dying Flash. SVG, while very powerful, isn't widely used yet. The reason is not browser support, which is excellent. The reason is lack of easy-to-use and affordable tools.

you've answered your own question
xara /magix are not driving market forces, they are driven by market forces

**humblenations** · 29 July 2014, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by David O'Neil

Adding proper OpenType support would affect far more than 5% of your user base.

Adding a gradient mesh would affect far more than 5% of your user base.

I know you didn't mean to, but replies like that come very close to being dismissive of your users.

Best wishes,
David

Someone that wants proper Open Type Support. It's really necessary in this day and age! People that don't think so don't understand how fonts have changed over the last 10 years.

And yes it effects every one. Especially 'fi' or even 'ti' ... man I hate having to do the edits myself and having to break shapes, just because Xara can't understand what Open Type is.

**Big Frank** · 29 July 2014, 10:50 AM

for those who dont get open type subs, this is a good article
http://ilovetypography.com/OpenType/...-features.html

xdp should really support open type if it claims to be a design and dtp app
but once again it comes down to market forces

**feklee** · 29 July 2014, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by Big Frank

you've answered your own question
xara /magix are not driving market forces, they are driven by market forces

My point is: They're at least a decade behind. Demand is shifting quickly. SVG is on the rise, but if Xara doesn't have that on the roadmap, I don't think we're going to see good support until 2017: Judging from outside, a major update of the SVG engine is needed, and that could easily take a year or longer.

The explanation for Xara's priorities is probably the takeover by Magix, a company whose business model is selling boxed products in Media Markt.

**jamesd** · 29 July 2014, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by handrawn

you sure? currently I'm quoted 79 GBP for a 9 to 10 upgrade, and 119 GBP for an 8 to 10 upgrade - ok the 9 upgrade is special offer, but I don't see it being more than the 8 upgrade and maybe 99 GBP normal price

I think he maybe talking about when Xara had a special offer last autum/winter to bring people from v7 or less up to v9. I'm not sure if it was as low as $40 but it was lower than the usual $99.