X4 'Panacea' Or 'Pan Of Something Else' Poll?

[remi]

We should try to overcome the "Hobbyist" vs. "Pro" discussion. There are already two Xara Xtreme versions available and it's really no problem, if some users have greater expectations/higher demands on the "Pro" version.

I've voted for the "Some nice minor improvements" option, but I'm also not happy that new vector tools are so far down on the priority list.

Remi

[zaphodeist]

I referred to myself as a hobbyist because of this on the other thread:

"No New Vector Tools And Some Slight Alterations And Some Crap To Keep The Hobbists Happy!!!!" [post # 111]

I have no problem with being a hobbyist (using XXPro4), nothing against "pros" and no problem whatever with people who have higher expectations and express that (though calling it "crap" is going a bit too far imho ), indeed I wouldn't want Xara to turn into a build-your-own-photo-album application, but I just wanted to express my opinion that I think Charles & Co have got the balance right re introducing new/improved features. I also enjoy reading these kind of debates because they are informative usualy, as with the majority of stuff on TG.

Long may it continue

[Tao jones]

I love the new X4...people can still use Xtreme if they just want pure vector. Business is business xara has to survive and needs to keep up with the other pro 'vector' programs. I like it, less and less do I need to get out of Xara..tj

[ss-kalm]

I like the new upgrades, but as a user for fun (hobbyist), I have no idea what professional users need, and draw too infrequently to have formed firm ideas on anything else I want.

I agree with sledger too. The results of a poll can be skewed by the way the questions are asked. Excellent, good, fair, disappointing and poor would have been better than the way the "answers" were worded.

[steve.ledger]

I am not a spokesperson for Xara/Magix, but I do run a small business.
You have to appreciate the need for wider appeal for a company to survive and to continue selling their product, thereby increasing their customer base. Xara/Magix won't be profiting much at all by selling upgrades to a percentage of existing customers, as we have seen, some people are happy to stay with X1 for their drawing needs, the company needs new customers to buy full versions - this is what growth is.
Also, when there are mergers/aquisitions, certain policies and directives must surely change, that much is inevitable. The software must now appeal to a wider audience - and more people understand photo editing than they do vector illustration.

As has been said, you loose nothing by the new features, yet many will gain from them. If your work won't benefit from any of these, then there's no need to upgrade is there? It's a choice for everyone to make.

In-so-far-as suggesting using other software to complete raster / 3D or other non-vector tasks I can say this with absolute certainty, in the sign industry as I know it, where designs for vinyl plotters as well as wide-format digital printers are involved, where all manner of file types are submitted by clients, application hopping to first 'open' the darn file (type) and then to recreate or create from a new a design which encorporates both vector and raster elements is most definately NOT appreciated. Every single person I have spoken to regarding the software they must use on a daily basis are screamng out for an application that does it all! They waste time everyday having to hop from one application to another in order to arrive at the finish. The frustration they endure trying to learn how the other software works, new naming new shortcut keys, not to mention the expense to buy. Busy sign shops employ people to produce signs, not sit around for hours getting annoyed with multiple learning curves. It's not efficient, it's costly and it's time wasting. Also bear in mind that sign shops do not always have the latest and greatest PC hardware to work with..

If Xtreme could drive a vinyl cutter (or router/engraver) and had better import/export filters then it would be a no brainer for many many more users.
In my opinion the direction Xtreme is taking is a logical, organic & ergonomic one.

[raynerj1]

I use Xpro for both Hobby and Profession. I think there has been tools added/worked on that will help both the Pro and the hobbiest.

More and more I use Xara and the other tools less and less. Mainly just as proofing tools to make sure the next guy in line gets a good product.

[samrc]

I am a hobbyist. Use XXP for our business which needs the PDF export.

I still use external editors to handle my bitmap and animation editing. Habit and extra tools that are not available in XXP pull me back to them. Having more bitmap editing within XXP may make it easier and faster in the long run if I don't have to jump back and forth between apps.

If the new tools do not pertain to you, then ignor them.
Skip an upgrade.
I skipped the last update as it did not add enough for ME to justify the purchase for both home and work machines (company pays for one, I pay for the other). In my opinion, this upgrade has enough (combined with the last one) to justify the price.

If the addition of some of these non-vector elements is disturbing to pro users because it waters down a pure product, consider it the price to pay to be sure your vector product will continue to be supported and developed. To many good tools drop out because the purists don't keep upgrading and there's no money coming in....

[juergen]

Besides UltraEdit, Xara 4 was pretty much my fastest upgrade ever. I installed, decided I like the new features and bought it.
For me too, of course, some changes are more of interest than others. As I usually use PagePlus when it comes to using text, my decision was not based on the new repel function for example. My favorite for daily work is 3D extrusion which works quick and easy.
As I enhance my photographs with the Canon Software, I did not even look at the changes there yet. But who knows....
The live font display is something I appreciate.
Summed up, although some of the new functions I do not use (yet), all changes were positive for me so far.

Juergen

[BobInce]

That this [bitmap integration] appeals to hobbyists more than professionals, is perhaps not surprising, but that is where it is going.

I don't agree with this at all. Whilst there are hobbyist-focused features in Xara, having non-destructive bitmap handling built-in is not one of them. Being able to work with bitmaps and live effects inside Xara saves everyone time, professionals included.

Sure, we've got Photoshop* and we could easily export-process-import between the two every time we change something, but that's hardly efficient or fun. For me even something as simple as the new bicubic zoom-out in VHQ mode is a big advantage: finally I can use Xara for rendering without having to do a manual supersample-and-resize. (Although, an automatic supersample option would still be greatly appreciated.)

(* - or other appropriate bitmap editing. Personally I can't stand Photoshop, but then since I don't much like any of the other major bitmap packages either, complaining about it isn't very useful.)

[salaam]

I would never have thought of the 3D extrusion idea within XX. Pure genius.

X4 has gone very bitmap but at the end of the day it is still a great vector application and still a young promising product.

All in all, X4 has inspired my creativity, which means more earnings.

I think Charles is way ahead of everyone.