Xara Web Designer Premium 365 - Is it worth renewing??

Hi Guys,

I have been using Xara Web Designer Premium 365 for more than 2+ years and my subscription is coming to an end. Is it worth renewing my subscription?

1. There have been no new templates for the past 2 years - https://www.xara.com/eu/web-designer/templates/
2. The updates are not regular
3. They are not a lot in terms of new features

I recently tried https://mobirise.com/ and I noticed I am getting loads of new templates, new features etc. Yes, I pay a lot more than Xara Web Designer Premium and I get updates but not getting it from Web Designer Premium

Thank you

Welcome to TalkGraphics Mr Builder.

I can't advise you whether it's worth you upgrading as I don't know how you use the software. For example are you using it purely for creating drawings (vector graphics) or are you using it for publications (DTP) or web design or animation etc?

I, like many TG members, started using Xara software for the single purpose of creating vector graphics. Many have continued using the software just for this reason. Unfortunately Xara has abondoned their vector graphics origins, making it a back-water with no meaningful advances, in favour of web design and rastor/bitmap manipulation.

Added to this is the much despised subscription model.

Xara no longer has the speed advantage that it had years ago over other vector graphics programs (Illustrator / Coral Draw). I still believe Xara's user interface is superior. Affinity Designer is, considering it's price, far better value.

I believe many Talk Graphics members are like myself, we are comfortable (but disillusioned) with the current state of the software. It's something I know & use for several hours per day, but that's more due now to the long familiarity with the software than it being anyway cutting edge or even mediocre software.

But as I said at the start it's dependent on how you want to use/expect of the software. Remember you can always download the latest version and trial it for free for a month.

Look at the identical Thread for the Xara "Mommy" application.

https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...annual-licence

Acorn

Mobirise looks cool, easy to add blocks. It's similar to XBuilder. It is a pity that XARA can't do it that way, including videos.

After a 10-year lapse, I am trying to come back to using my Web Designer 10 Premium and I'm having problems with it. I'm trying to revise an old website that I constructed and things are not working as I remember them. Is it not possible to use my software because of its age? I really can't justify upgrading for only one fairly simple website. Do I understand that you are required to operate it on the web now? I spent big bucks (at least big to me) to upgrade each time a new version came out. Can anyone explain if my 10 should still work as it did once, or am I out of luck???

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Originally Posted by oldtbone

After a 10-year lapse, I am trying to come back to using my Web Designer 10 Premium and I'm having problems with it. I'm trying to revise an old website that I constructed and things are not working as I remember them. Is it not possible to use my software because of its age? I really can't justify upgrading for only one fairly simple website. Do I understand that you are required to operate it on the web now? I spent big bucks (at least big to me) to upgrade each time a new version came out. Can anyone explain if my 10 should still work as it did once, or am I out of luck???

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Version 10 still works for me, even on Windows 10.

Try running it once as Administrator to shoogle up the link libraries.

Acorn

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Originally Posted by oldtbone

I'm trying to revise an old website that I constructed and things are not working as I remember them.

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Welcome back.

If you could be more specific then perhaps we can help you. What specifically isn't working?

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Originally Posted by Acorn

shoogle up the link libraries.

Acorn

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I had to Google shoogle. I now know shoogle made me shoogle until I Googled.

I was trying to copy a lengthy amount of text, but with the Text tool, it wouldn't let me highlight the text, for one thing. I was trying to copy and paste to another application. I was able to "preview it" by sending the page to a browser, then I was able to highlight and copy from there. I have contracted Macular Degeneration in the past two years, and perhaps it's my vision that's the problem. But, I do recall being able to highlight large amounts of text before with the text tool.

If you want to select all the text in a text box:
Select the text tool, click anywhere in the text box, press CTRL+A to select all, CTRL+C to copy

If you want to sect a block of text:
Select the text tool, click at the beginning of the block you want, hold SHIFT and click at the end of the block you want, CTRL+C to copy

Tried that, wouldn't work, until I sent it to the browser.

Are you working on the same layer as the text?

As in. Is the text on Mouseoff, but you're working on a different layer in the Page and Layer Gallery.

Attachment 126191

Can you advise if you have Run as Administrator?

Acorn

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Originally Posted by Chris M

I had to Google shoogle. I now know shoogle made me shoogle until I Googled.

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shoogle as in Shooglenifty if you ever get the chance to hear themm play

Thank you all. I have decided NOT to renew my subscription to for Xara Web Designer Premium 365. Here is why?

(1) There are no new updates and I don' think I will ever see an update.
(2) Having started this thread/discussion a week and half ago, on the other side where I use Mobirise, there has been 4 new templates and already using them. https://mobirise.com/extensions/kit/

I know Xara and Mobirise are different in their respective ways but I think I would really invest where I can get some real updates and my money worths. With Xara (and no offense) I feel like I am throwing my money out the window and getting very little or nothing back.

Also the templates https://www.xara.com/eu/web-designer/templates/ looks old and outdated.This reminds me of Serif WebPlus X8 which I used a lot and extensive until they shutdown and stop supporting Serif WebPlus.

What suprises me is that they can really make an awesome selling website https://www.magix.com/gb/sem/web-designer-premium/ which looks cool and you are tempted to buy/upgrade but that's it. I only wish they could create templates like that.

I am not against Xara, I would still use Xara only if there was more investement/progress.

Thanks

Probably nobody here is against Xara, but we have in our own way all decided that the program has reached the end of the road as far as the vector side of things goes.
The focus seems to be totally web oriented with exception of juvenile 'smart' stuff. Vector tools are no longer improved - just think of the unholy mess that is the
Bitmap Tracer, untouched in terms of improvements for as long as I can remember. In all honesty, one might just as well stick with whatever version one has, and jump
off the merry-go-round now and look elsewhere for new vector programs. For Windows users, there is nothing better unless it is prohibitively expensive (CorelDraw) or a
subscription option like Illustrator. The alternative is probably the option of buying a mac and using Procreate.

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Originally Posted by iamtheblues

The alternative is probably the option of buying a mac and using Procreate.

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You would be bitterly disappointed - procreate isn't a vector program and it wouldn't run on the Mac you just bought!

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Originally Posted by iamtheblues

Probably nobody here is against Xara, but we have in our own way all decided that the program has reached the end of the road as far as the vector side of things goes.

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I agree with iamtheblues. I really like a lot about Xara, but I recognize its shortcomings. Now that they're concentrating on the Cloud, which I don't use at all, at the expense of developing their other technologies, the new features from one year to the next are fluff. I have been renewing my subscription every year, but I realize that the others who post here are right... don't renew until they come up with an improvement that is worth the price. But I will definitely continue to use it.

@ Paul - Thanks for that. A few months ago I actually investigated the idea of buying an iPad for the purpose of using Procreate, and decided against it at the time because of the lack of vector tools, but, having the memory of a goldfish these days, it slipped my mind (what's left of it)!

remind me, what's a goldfish
unless it's called wanda....

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Originally Posted by handrawn

remind me, what's a goldfish
unless it's called wanda....

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A goldfish has a memory of about 5 seconds

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Originally Posted by Gypsyjoe

A goldfish has a memory of about 5 seconds

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Or not, https://thegoldfishtank.com/goldfish...d-memory-myth/.

Acorn

In defence of WD I don’t mind the renewal fees. Much better than an Adobe subscription. For a designer who does not want to use templates and one who develops headers, icons, buttons, and other related graphics Xara is my solution. There are 3 people within our non profit org that all use Xara and we can all work on the same website with numerous everyday changes. 79 thumbnails? No problem with Xara. I’m into photography and I find that the photo options with Xara are a limited, but Xara does what I want to do. I even picked up WD and Graphic Designer with even more options. For my creative purposes this is the package. I may have to move to Mac platform someday but I haven’t found a program that matches Xara.

I think we agree that the Xara Desktop applications are very special.

The Update Service (subscription to access on-line content and some fundamental components) is a Magix imposition that fails to address simple concepts like separate deliveries to correct bugs and to ensure 'future' features removal does not impact prior designs.

The absolute absence of any Xara presence this year and 100 days since an update, especially with the perennial bug list growing, leaves much to be desired.
Yes, this might fit into a 3 or 4 update cycle per year but the effort put into rectification, regression and new features in recent iterations has been embarrassingly weak.

@Xara - the above evidence is indicating all effort is being focused on Xara Cloud and the Desktop applications are not even getting the crumbs from the table. Rotated Objects comes to mind - simple in concept but very complicated in practice; sufficient for it, like most recent innovations, to break workflow cadence, and enough for it to be parked. You may have a vision. It may start off a bit blurry like Gary's stereograms but at least Gary publishes them so we can all have a squint.

Acorn

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Originally Posted by Acorn

@Xara - the above evidence is indicating all effort is being focused on Xara Cloud and the Desktop applications are not even getting the crumbs from the table. Rotated Objects comes to mind - simple in concept but very complicated in practice; sufficient for it, like most recent innovations, to break workflow cadence, and enough for it to be parked. You may have a vision. It may start off a bit blurry like Gary's stereograms but at least Gary publishes them so we can all have a squint.

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If you visit the Xara Cloud section of TalkGraphics, you'll see that it receives only one or two threads per month. Compared to the other forums, that's basically nothing. In other words, Xara Cloud appears not to be so popular (though I could be wrong). So one wonders if the effort they're putting into the Cloud branch is really worth sacrificing the effort they used to, but are no longer, putting into the Designer and Web Designer branches.

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Originally Posted by gcellison

If you visit the Xara Cloud section of TalkGraphics, you'll see that it receives only one or two threads per month. Compared to the other forums, that's basically nothing. In other words, Xara Cloud appears not to be so popular (though I could be wrong). So one wonders if the effort they're putting into the Cloud branch is really worth sacrificing the effort they used to, but are no longer, putting into the Designer and Web Designer branches.

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And if you read into the Threads, I seem to claim poll position in asking questions there as well.

@Xara - the one constant is I am always there for you.

Acorn :salute:

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Originally Posted by Acorn

And if you read into the Threads, I seem to claim poll position in asking questions there as well.

@Xara - the one constant is I am always there for you.

Acorn :salute:

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And we are very grateful =D>

Yes Acorn, we are very grateful. I would be up there at your side, telling it like it is, but I have had a couple of the 3 strikes and you're out, so I have to watch my smart mouth or else. My problem is that I see what magixara are doing as an injustice and to some extent an insult to their customers. The attitude I glean from their 'Business Model' is that 'if you don't like it, you can do the other thing', which is all well and good, but even the most loyal of customers will eventually find this attitude a bit old.
Paying out hard-earned dosh for not very much in return is not what a customer wants and he/she will eventually move on. I have not moved to any newer release for many years, and in fact I am more inclined to use xtreme5 these days because the interface reminds me of happier times.

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Originally Posted by Acorn

I think we agree that the Xara Desktop applications are very special.

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Yes!

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Originally Posted by Acorn

The absolute absence of any Xara presence this year and 100 days since an update, especially with the perennial bug list growing, leaves much to be desired.
Yes, this might fit into a 3 or 4 update cycle per year but the effort put into rectification, regression and new features in recent iterations has been embarrassingly weak.

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Certainly at the outrageous price they charge for yearly renewal!

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Originally Posted by Acorn

@Xara - the above evidence is indicating all effort is being focused on Xara Cloud and the Desktop applications are not even getting the crumbs from the table.

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Well, enough crumbs to make folks believe it's a going concern. What I naively hope is that they'll make a one-time splash with a stellar update to convince those (like me) who have given up hope to return to the paying fold, if only temporarily. A little daydreaming feels nicer than having to accept cold reality -- especially in these harsh times... ;)
So, thank you, Acorn, for all your efforts to have Xara take the desktop apps seriously again! =D>

@acorn - you too are much appreciated ;)

@iamtheblues - what we had was a community; most of that has gone - you can blame the advances/changes in technology, you can blame the companies attitude, you could even blame the ex-pat australian who broke away... but the community was what made TG... we have all just moved on...

The companies attitude was always commercial, they fund the forum, and we act as unpaid helpers that learn as we help; it is that that rankles me at times because in a way I sometimes feel taken for granted, but we that are still here choose still to do it; there is really very little useful for me to learn these days with the xara I use...

The Craic, that was, is over for me at least; I don't feel insulted, or the victim of injustice, I know how things work...: if you fall for the BS you end up the creek sans paddle :(

@acorn has bailed me out more times than he knows. Thank You.

I took a close look at Xara Cloud but this I believe is strictly corporate. I just don’t think it’s working for Xara. It may be a hybrid of Adobe, wordpress arrangement. If memory serves this is a monthly, strictly for non designers. I just don’t get that strategy. The forum threads are way below average. Joe 6 pack designer, the masses if you will, are not attracted to this platform at all.

Now if Xara put up a full fledged XD on a cloud, full capability, with a yearly sub I might be tempted. Tempted only. I hope Xara makes the right moves going forward. I really do.

RENEW - HELL NO
If you renew you get to use the Content Catalog, which has broken objects that will prohibit you from opening your existing files. And if you need support your subscription does not offer you that, cause that is pushed to Magix that fights with you until you give up.