Upgrde?

I presently have Designer Pro X 12.4.1.47518 DL x64 Nov 17 2016 and when I open it, it has an offer of $99 to upgrade to DESIGNER PRO X 18.

When I click on the link, it takes me to a Magix page that has shows DESIGNER PRO X - but does not show WHICH PRO X it is.

When I go to Xara site it shows A SUBSCRIPTION FOR DESIGNER+ 21.3 but not the $99 - with discount, over $200.

So what gives - If I upgrade to the $99 PRO X, what is the difference?

If I upgrade to the 21.3 and then do not renew next year, does it quit working or can I continue to use it but it does not update any more?

Tks - jb

Others will go into the pros and cons in detail, but in a nutshell:

Magix is up to v18 and can be used if you do not renew. You lose online content unless you manually download within your subscription.
Xata is up to v21 and ceases to work altogether if you do not renew.

There are big advantages to the Xara offering, but as I don't use it, I'll leave the details to someone who does.

Tks, Chris - no other replies here and it has been two days since I sent an email to Xara and no reply.

Over what I presently have in my 12.4, the only thing I would really like would be the ability to better improve clarity of photos.

Is there much difference between the Magix 18 and the Xara 21.4? Would think that there should be a major difference to justify more than double in price.

Also, you mention the ability to download the whole program from magix and continue using it going forward?

Again, tks for the reply - jb

version 18 you can keep [apart from the online catalog etc if you have not downloaded it] magix support this, xara do not, the updates are few and far between; magix support is....difficult

version 21 is technically xara pro+ [as opposed to just pro] it is the only program xara now support - you get frequent updates, but you lose it if you stop paying - the two channels, magix and xara run side by side

no-one has yet said what will happen when the magix version reaches version 21, and as is par for the course with xara, there will be yet more totally unneccessary confusion over version names

but that aside, you can get a discount on pro+ which brings it down approx 50%

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Originally Posted by handrawn

version 18 you can keep [apart from the online catalog etc if you have not downloaded it] magix support this, xara do not, the updates are few and far between; magix support is....difficult

version 21 is technically xara pro+ [as opposed to just pro] it is the only program xara now support - you get frequent updates, but you lose it if you stop paying - the two channels, magix and xara run side by side

no-one has yet said what will happen when the magix version reaches version 21, and as is par for the course with xara, there will be yet more totally unneccessary confusion over version names

but that aside, you can get a discount on pro+ which brings it down approx 50%

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Tks, Hand - I started using Xara's 3-D program back when it was only 1 of 3 programs they offered, I think. I bought the very first Designer program and have used them for years now. I hadn't even opened Xara until a few weeks ago but back when I bought and used version 12 the service from Xara had gone down markedly.

I am moving my web site from Startlogic and one of the questions I need answered is my present Xara web site PHP 7.4 or above. I have sent an email to Xara but no answer.

Again, tks for the reply - take care - jb

jeb, it's all been covered in TG already:

https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...s-Designer-Pro
https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...and-Xara-Cloud
https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...Xara-Pro-Combo
and shedloads more...

Acorn

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Originally Posted by Acorn

jeb, it's all been covered in TG already:

https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...s-Designer-Pro
https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...and-Xara-Cloud
https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...Xara-Pro-Combo
and shedloads more...

Acorn

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Tks, Acorn - after going through your links I am now really confused. :) If I understand it, I can keep my 12.4 at zero cost and use it forever. I can upgrade to Magix 18 for $99 AND continue using it with no additional cost OR I can pay a bunch of money for 21 which I have to continue paying forever or I lose everything Xara. And then there is the Cloud.

Since I have no idea what I might use that is in Xara 18 from my 12.4 and also have no idea of what is in Xara 21 that is different - and it seems no way of finding out - I think I will just keep what I have. Over the years, Xara has seemed to be a company that was really interested in its customers but it now appears they are only interested in $$$$.

Tks for the time you and all the others here on TalkGraphics have done for the community over the years. - jb

Edit - if there were some better photo editing tools in 18 AND if I am right that I can use 18 forever without any additional -fees I would update to it.

in a nutshell:

magix and xara have 'forked'

xara has reinvented itself as a new company Xara GmbH based in Berlin, and is not the xara we knew - sure there are still lots of the old xara employees, but xara itself is now a company producing a product that is targeted at businesses that want office branding, office documents and office websites using pro+/cloud; as such the programs need to update regularly and so far they have, at least once a month, but the cost of this is met by a subscription model ie you have to keep paying to keep them; by and large business is far more willing to accept this overhead than are individuals

the 'legacy' old style programs that you buy a permanent license for are still coded by xara but xara have handed all marketing and support of these to magix; there is little or no mention of these products on xara's own website which is all about pro+/cloud; what mention there is directs you to magix

the way to find out if ver 18 has something to offer is to install the trial

but to be honest if your focus is photos I'd stick with what you have and look at affinity photo - be a learning curve, but currently there is 50% off the price until the end of the month [15 hours from now as I type according to their site] and affinity photo is serious about photo editing across the board, not just what suits a specific sector of the market which appears to xara's position

in the five years I have had affinity photo it has been updated regularly and every single update was free; the program is currenty 48.99 GBP, 23.99 GBP with discount https://affinity.serif.com/en-gb/photo/

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Originally Posted by handrawn

magix and xara have 'forked'

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Yes and no. Yes, Xara seems to do more 'its own thing' but, no, it still contractually services the XDAs for Magix and, perhaps more tellingly, Bellevue Investments GmbH & Co. KGaA is Xara's majority owner and holds a minority stake in Magix.

Jeb,

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I have no idea what I might use that is in Xara 18 from my 12.4 and also have no idea of what is in Xara 21 that is different - and it seems no way of finding out - I think I will just keep what I have

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You can compare the functionality between all releases here: https://www.xara.com/uk/designer-pro/whats-new/. You can go back in time https://www.xara.com/uk/designer-pro/whats-new/older/ and you can look at the Pro X v18 release notes: http://releasenotes.xara.hosting/designer-pro-x18/.

You can compare Pro X v18 with Pro + by toggling between the two tabs. Personally, I use Pro X v18.0 and I have Affinity Photo, but most of the time Xara works for photos (Fx the live effects tool can be useful too).

WRT to Bellevue Investments GmbH (majority ownership of Xara/ minority holding in Magix); they actually use Xara for their for own website: https://bellevue.eu/index.htm#xl_Ventures.

Gary