New Versions of Xara Designer Pro X(15)

[csehz]

Really trying to be positive, but oops that is nothing again.

Some online content all the time, while the price went up in the summer

[handrawn]

first time [seriously] I won't even bother to try it out - totally fed up with jesuitical and weasely words from the company... for us nowt, with a capital NO

[Fred C]

first time [seriously] I won't even bother to try it out - totally fed up with jesuitical and weasely words from the company... for us nowt, with a capital NO

Who cares?

[handrawn]

Who cares?

well xara certainly won't care whilst the money rolls in

[it is rolling in, isn't it?]

[gwpriester]

It's a free update for current DPX12 owners.

Thought that said, there is not a whole lot of there there.

[maksimon]

Next upgrade to wait for spring now? "Happy New Year" from Xara(.
Months of waiting ... The current update(so the same as previous) is just upset me(.
I bought Affinity Designer before, but did refund. Now I bought again and finally! Now I work on older XDP365, but I think it's not for long ... maybe for a long time, but without updates, because I'm not willing to pay for such updates(. Where is new tools? Where corner tool, where new features of fill tool, where new animation for web, where "out" animation and trigers for it, where new web-site tool such as video-background and autofit for video and foto to browser window in vertial and horisontal. This is necessary things which are expected (. In the end - where roadmap? Not many people will pay for wrappers from online catalog.

[cmpan1]

Have to say that I'm a bit underwhelmed with the "new version". This is what a 'year' in development brought?

No, I'm not crazy upset or p_ssed off or lashing out at Xara etc. It still is a great program as is, just no real movement or strides taken with it since the 365 release. Feeling a tad taken
advantage of with my recent 365 payment to Xara. Just can't justify the payment amount in ratio to what released and get the feeling that is was just not worth the price.

Maybe I just have to do some more digging to find the "new version" features and advancements aside from 'new' text panels, new 'Social Media' stuff, other little thing'ys here and there...
and 'new' templates - more new templates?!?! This stuff is what is called a... "new version"? Yes I see the new page 'resize' thing... nice, but doesn't excite me. I suppose I'll make use of it
somewhere, sometime. Maybe I'm wrong... I guess 'technically it is a "new version".

You have to admit that most of these things (at least to me) feel like, what would be normal incremental feature 'upgrades' rather than being called a "new version" A bit strange... no? yes?

Is it me? Because so far nobody else is saying much about this "new version". Not much excitement. Or is everyone just to damn tired to rehash things? Not that I want to mind you... just wondering
if I'm in a minority or something.

Oh well, it tis' what it tis'... c'est la vie. I'm afraid that I'm back to anticipation mode of what Serif might come up with for a web design app before the 'next' year "new version" of XDP... shame.

Cliff

[browj2]

well xara certainly won't care whilst the money rolls in

[it is rolling in, isn't it?]

@handrawn,

But, you wanted to be able to try out the new features without upgrading. So Xara listened and you have your wish, a version that installs separately from the previous one.

Like Gary says, it's a free update for those on the 365 program. If you aren't on the program, then wait until there is something or enough new features to justify jumping back in.

For someone considering purchasing, I would say that right after an update/grade would be the time in order to lock in those features. This may or may not be the right time, depending on your needs.

@All,

Don't forget, you have to go under Help, and download the content installer and Pan Studio. Also, the Design Gallery is empty of content, so you have to download everything if you want it off-line. Alternatively, you may be able to copy the content that you had before. Now, where is all of that again?

@Egg,

I now have Xara (365) installed 4 times, twice on each computer, with no activation problems. All 4 work. I checked my account under Magix and the most recent version is registered to each computer, activation date as today. I think that the system understands the name of the device, so if 365 is installed once as version 12.8.1.50861, and once as version 15.0.0.52427 on the same device, it accepts this. The license is by device.

[handrawn]

@handrawn,

But, you wanted to be able to try out the new features without upgrading. So Xara listened and you have your wish, a version that installs separately from the previous one.

oh come on...

I asked, in a thread in Dear Xara that incidently Xara never replied to, how this would be possible ... am I to suppose that they were not intending to and then changed their mind just for me?

No, I reckon they just didn't want to set any sort of precedent in case they had to change their scheduling in a hurry... one of the signs of a failing Company btw...

And because I have my answer now does not mean that I will take up that option if what I see in the shop window does not look attractive [to me] - what I wanted was to know there would be an option, and it will always remain just an option as you yourself have said in so many words



Licencing by device is my understanding of the system up to ver 11 - it would make sense for it to be continuing that way


@hakoo 'porcine pinna' about sums it up

[gwpriester]

As Designer Pro X is the "flagship" product I was hoping for a few more unique features, updates, etc. instead of the same additions made to Web Designer.

The newest feature, Auto Fit to Page is the most unique feature with the addition of new page sizes for various social media (see my screen shot).

While this is kind of cool, I wonder how many people will actually use this feature? I spend way too much time on Facebook and Twitter, and I have a folder full of memes I have created to respond to posts and comments, but the size has never been an issue.

I have said this before and I think it is worth saying again. Instead of adding new features that are soon forgotten, (when was the last time you used Content Aware Photo Resize for example), why not spend some time updating features such as Bitmap Tracer. The support for Glyphs and Style Sets cries out for a more intuitive interface. For that matter the entire text tool infobar needs a rethink. It has grown unweildy.

I am not trying to turn this into a features request. I am just trying to point out that new features get added, and then are quickly forgotten while the search for the next shiny object commences. This update is not worthy of a jump from 12 to 15. It is more like 12.0.5