What's the cheapest way to got a HiDPI version of Xara Designer? (Cloud not needed)

Hello

I understand that the HiDPI version of "Xara Designer Pro+" has been released. However as a sole trader, I have no use for any of the "Cloud" stuff!

How can I get a "HiDPI" version of Xara Designer Pro that runs on my Windows 10PC, without buying any complicated subscriptions to "Xara Cloud. i.e. I have no use for "Team+" etc
To get clear, I just want to run Xara Designer Pro on my 4K screen!

With thanks

J

I think you have two choices:

1] you buy the pro+ from xara; you totally ignore the cloud stuff, in the same way I and others [you?] totally ignore the web building stuff in the magix destop xara programs; but you will need to bite the bullet of a continual subscription

2] you wait until the magix distributed programs catch up...

you have been waiting a long time - so this may be 'hobson's choice' for you unfortunately: 1] or nothing

on the plus side, not having to deal with magix is a genuine 100% plus for xara customers

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shiphen

Hello

I understand that the HiDPI version of "Xara Designer Pro+" has been released. However as a sole trader, I have no use for any of the "Cloud" stuff!

How can I get a "HiDPI" version of Xara Designer Pro that runs on my Windows 10PC, without buying any complicated subscriptions to "Xara Cloud. i.e. I have no use for "Team+" etc
To get clear, I just want to run Xara Designer Pro on my 4K screen!

With thanks

J

---

shipen, you wouldn't pick Team+ as a sole trader, you would pick Pro+.
The subscription model for Pro+ is not complicated.

• Annual - (£17/m) == £204/y
• Monthly - £23/m == (£276/y) - use this if you can develop in one-month chunks and don't mind squinting the rest of the time.

Have a read of https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...527#post623527.
If you buy in now, you get a free trial, I think 14 days with another 14 days if you ask.
Also, Xara is offering a 50% introduction during CV-19 pressures so the first annual cost is down to £102.

So keep XDPXv17 loaded as it is perpetual. Ensure it is on two machines and you have populated your local cache with Download All.
Do not pay for the Magix Upgrade Service until you need it, e.g., if it delivers the HiDPI upgrade and you are at the end of your Pro+ subscription.
Benefit from the Xara upgrades being slightly ahead of the Magix deliveries and potentially with more capability and UI improvements.
Get faster responses from Xara with its on-line Intercom Help.
Use Cloud+ > Share > Share to Web to let a client see a website on-line at no cost to you or the client: bad example - http://shared.xara.com/BiO2kkpUGB.
Introduce Client to Cloud+ by adding as a Guest to then be able to amend your design! Personally, I am considering factoring in this to my Maintenance contracts with Clients as the interaction is going to be far more effective than the current email and screenshot bounces.
This last, I asked Xara about. If you add a Member to your Team, they too can download and run two instances of Pro+. I suspect Xara is indicating this is possible under a Team+ account. A clarification here might be useful.

For for the trial period and a discounted one-year subscription, it is effectively costing you £8/m.
You would save this in two fewer shop coffees. You are less likely to need the caffeine anyhow as you can see the Xara furniture more clearly.

The only remaining issue is the size of overlap of your remaining Magix Update Service.
The more it is the more likely you have to get the HiDPI update; the less means it is going to be cheaper.
You have to decide where the sweet spot is.
I already did and bought in early.

Acorn

Hi shiphen,

Thanks for asking this question here as many users ask us the same and Thanks to you, handrawn & Acorn, for answering so quickly :)

Basically it is exactly how the two have described it:
You either upgrade to the Pro+ plan and use Xara Cloud only by the means you need it. I know you think you don't need it at all, but I am pretty sure at one point you will find a scenario where you are happy to see Designer Pro+ integrating with Cloud ;)

Or you wait until we release it for MAGIX. And for sure there will be a point where this feature will go into the MAGIX versions, but we can't tell exactly when this will be.


As you mentioned the price point, with our actual campaign upgrading to Designer Pro+ is even cheaper than upgrading your Designer Pro X to V17:
Have a look into our post in 'Announcements': https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...igh-resolution

***********

Want to experience it?
You can download the lastest version of Designer Pro+ from here: https://xara.com/pro-plus-download/
Please remember, in order to use Designer Pro+ you need to register it with a Xara Cloud account. You have a single account for both products.
Signing-up today at www.xara.com means you will get a 14 day trial of both Xara Cloud and Designer Pro+.


Already have used up your trial but nevertheless want to be part of the new Xara movement?
Then we strongly recommend you take advantage of our exclusive 50% discount (6-months free) for the first year of the subscrioption offer dedicated to our TalkGraphics community: use the code TALKGRAPHICS to get it, i.e. as an individual you will pay 101,70 €/ £/ $ for a whole year. In order to use this coupon code, do the following:

*Click the UPGRADE button in either Designer Pro+ or in Xara Cloud
*Choose the Xara Cloud+ plan you want to go for (Pro+ for individuals, Team+ for 3 or more users)
*During checkout, enter the coupon code TALKGRAPHICS
*Complete the purchase


Already have updated your MAGIX Designer app to V17 (DPX, WD/P, PGD) and still want to use Designer Pro+?
Don't worry, you can still do this. Simply send me an email to evak@xara.com or contact us via https://xara.com/contact-us/ and we will transfer your remaining credit over to your new Xara Cloud+ subscription.

***********

As you can see with our TALKGRAPHICS voucher you won't pay more than around 100 €/ £/ $, and in case you have an upgraded to v17 and have an active update service, then we will provide credit onto the Xara Cloud+ renewal date. I think this is an offer, that can't be refused ;)

Whenever you have more questions to that, don't hesitate to contact me via evak@xara.com.


I am always happy to help - stay tuned :)

Best,
Eva

Product Manager @xara

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Acorn

shipen, you wouldn't pick Team+ as a sole trader, you would pick Pro+.
The subscription model for Pro+ is not complicated.

• Annual - (£17/m) == £204/y
• Monthly - £23/m == (£276/y) - use this if you can develop in one-month chunks and don't mind squinting the rest of the time.

Have a read of https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...527#post623527.
If you buy in now, you get a free trial, I think 14 days with another 14 days if you ask.
Also, Xara is offering a 50% introduction during CV-19 pressures so the first annual cost is down to £102.

So keep XDPXv17 loaded as it is perpetual. Ensure it is on two machines and you have populated your local cache with Download All.
Do not pay for the Magix Upgrade Service until you need it, e.g., if it delivers the HiDPI upgrade and you are at the end of your Pro+ subscription.
Benefit from the Xara upgrades being slightly ahead of the Magix deliveries and potentially with more capability and UI improvements.
Get faster responses from Xara with its on-line Intercom Help.
Use Cloud+ > Share > Share to Web to let a client see a website on-line at no cost to you or the client: bad example - http://shared.xara.com/BiO2kkpUGB.
Introduce Client to Cloud+ by adding as a Guest to then be able to amend your design! Personally, I am considering factoring in this to my Maintenance contracts with Clients as the interaction is going to be far more effective than the current email and screenshot bounces.
This last, I asked Xara about. If you add a Member to your Team, they too can download and run two instances of Pro+. I suspect Xara is indicating this is possible under a Team+ account. A clarification here might be useful.

For for the trial period and a discounted one-year subscription, it is effectively costing you £8/m.
You would save this in two fewer shop coffees. You are less likely to need the caffeine anyhow as you can see the Xara furniture more clearly.

The only remaining issue is the size of overlap of your remaining Magix Update Service.
The more it is the more likely you have to get the HiDPI update; the less means it is going to be cheaper.
You have to decide where the sweet spot is.
I already did and bought in early.

Acorn

---

Hi Acorn,

Thanks for this summary! :) Regarding your question: If you add a Member to your Team, they too can download and run two instances of Pro+. I suspect Xara is indicating this is possible under a Team+ account. A clarification here might be useful.

Exactly if you want to use Designer Pro+ in a team you need to go for the team subscription plan, i.e. Team+.

Have a great evening! :)

Best,
Eva

Product Manager @xara

that's good to know, both summary [acorn] and clarification [eva] :)

TBH, my head is swimming with all this. To get clear, are we saying that:

1. Customers can only buy a standalone copy of Xara from the [German] company Magix?

2. And that if a customer buys from xara.com (which presumably is the [UK] company that wrote the original versions of Xara) then the customer is compelled to buy something that comes with Cloud. In fact you can't truly "buy" anything all you can do is rent it via a subscription?

3. That there is a Covid-induced sale running that gives customers 50% off.

4. What about those of us who participated in the HiDPI Beta Testing...?


Let me declare my hand a little.

A) I am a very long-term fan of Xara (since Xara Studio in 1994!)

B) I even helped test Pro+

C) But as an entrepreneur/sole trader I am only a sporadic user of Xara Designer. I tend to use it very intensively for short periods and then sometimes not at all for many months.

D) For this reason I personally HATE the subscription model with a passion. I do NOT want to suddenly find that I can't edit my own files if I'm running low on money. I am more than happy to not upgrade my software if business conditions don't justify paying of the upgrade.

Look, subscriptions may work well for large stable companies and yes they may also make finance directors in software houses feel pleased with themselves, but they are the absolute death of small, nimble, entrepreneurial companies and sole traders.

So partly as a point of principle, I refuse point-blank to pay for my software by subscription.

Why is all this so darned complicated? I really don't have time for this.

OK for now I shall just sit this out.

J

UPDATE: Right on queue, Xara Team <info@mail.xara.com> just sent me an email saying "We are preparing for something BIG".
So I shall wait for Something Big.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shiphen

TBH, my head is swimming with all this. To get clear, are we saying that:

1. Customers can only buy a standalone copy of Xara from the [German] company Magix? YES
2. And that if a customer buys from xara.com (which presumably is the [UK] company that wrote the original versions of Xara) then the customer is compelled to buy something that comes with Cloud. In fact you can't truly "buy" anything all you can do is rent it via a subscription? YES
3. That there is a Covid-induced sale running that gives customers 50% off. YES
4. What about those of us who participated in the HiDPI Beta Testing...? I might have thought there would have been some reward...

Let me declare my hand a little.
A) I am a very long-term fan of Xara (since Xara Studio in 1994!) Many beat you
B) I even helped test Pro+ YES
C) But as an entrepreneur/sole trader I am only a sporadic user of Xara Designer. I tend to use it very intensively for short periods and then sometimes not at all for many months. Then use XDPX and wait for HiDPI or buy in sporadically
D) For this reason I personally HATE the subscription model with a passion. I do NOT want to suddenly find that I can't edit my own files if I'm running low on money. I am more than happy to not upgrade my software if business conditions don't justify paying of the upgrade. Your files are still editable; I always back-check to an earlier version automatically

Look, subscriptions may work well for large stable companies and yes they may also make finance directors in software houses feel pleased with themselves, but they are the absolute death of small, nimble, entrepreneurial companies and sole traders. No - I manage by subscribing only if I need it and use freeware (or build my own as I have the capability)

So partly as a point of principle, I refuse point-blank to pay for my software by subscription. You did ask
Why is all this so darned complicated? I really don't have time for this.
OK for now I shall just sit this out.
J

---

shipen, if you have followed my total detest of the Update Service in it present form, you will realise I do not roll over.

I used to pay a fortune for Adobe products and then got wise. I might drop Xara Designer Pro+ in due course but I can actual see it has got merit. If you build and support a couple of websites a year professionally then it will pay for itself.

You have fall-back licences to Xara Studio and most still cut the mustard.
If a later version has a feature you haven't then ask in TG.

You don't want Cloud+ and I am sure Xara will be weighing this up but at present it has to promote Xara Cloud as it has burnt through a lot of start-up money and needs to deliver a robust revenue stream.

Hypothetically, I could form a loose grouping of Xara Desktop application designers. I might call it Team TG. I then set up a Team+ account and provided I can convince more than two others to "join" then I could bill each £132/y, so my use of Xara's bundle would drop from £17/m to £11/m, as would the others. I have added a mark-up of 10% for admin and and other handling costs.

The gain is Team TG would be able to share assets through Cloud+ for no extra charge and the members would no longer be alone.
If we got to a membership of say 50+, I would actually raise the charge to £12.50/m each to pay for time to collate material into an XDA Knowledge Base (XKB).
The XKB would become a tangible asset that could be sold separately to any corporate entity, say Xara, at an equitable price. Let's try £250/m.
All members of Team TG would be partners and though AGMs we could allocate revenues fairly, with the usual posturing and arguments that such meetings engender! Those who want to leave would lose their share but could negotiate for another to buy their place so they could recoup remaining fees.

Those who don't want to use the Cloud+ and the XKB declare this at the AGM and are rebated back to £11/m.

@All - PM me if you want to partake and I will put my head to it and speak to Xara about its viability.

Acorn

Hehe, sometimes I think I've accidentally signed into the wrong forum!

I feel dizzy (:|

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by behzad

I feel dizzy (:|

---

Start using Xara Designer Pro+ with HiDPI support to solve your dizziness. ;)) Have to keep the humor around here sometimes.

Happy early Friday to all,
Matt

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MB365

Start using Xara Designer Pro+ with HiDPI support to solve your dizziness. ;)) Have to keep the humor around here sometimes.
Happy early Friday to all,
Matt

---

Come on Matt, even a "We're not thinking about separating Cloud+ from Pro+ at the moment, but ..." would have been kinder to those who cannot see the benefit of Cloud+ or a subscription model.

Look at it as a business opportunity.
You seem to value the bundle at £200/y with Pro+ only £50/y.
After year 1 at your current £100 offer, allow that who do not really want or need Cloud+ an ongoing rate of £125/y for access to Pro+, with limited Cloud functionality (Sign in, Web Preview, PDF Export, no Editing).
Everyone gains.

Acorn

I was going to name my first child Xara, but wife is confused, not knowing to call the baby Xaraplus or Xarapro (:|

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Acorn

Come on Matt, even a "We're not thinking about separating Cloud+ from Pro+ at the moment, but ..." would have been kinder to those who cannot see the benefit of Cloud+ or a subscription model.
Acorn

---

my feeling is that xara wish to put the magix legacy stuff behind them - I got s**t for saying that a year and a half ago, but it sure still looks that way to me - no doubt Matt will put me right where necessary...

your suggestion is a fair one - maybe the company will go that sort of way, one thing I don't think they will do is offer anything that is not an ongoing subscription...

Anyone know if "Something Big" has happened yet?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shiphen

Anyone know if "Something Big" has happened yet?

---

Just the Patch release and:

• https://docs.xara.com/en/articles/40...-11th-may-2020
• https://docs.xara.com/en/articles/41...-4th-june-2020
• https://docs.xara.com/en/articles/41...17th-june-2020

We had a fanfare email with this image:
Attachment 127335

Quote:

---

Attention: in the next days we will make a special release that we are sure you will love.

This is the release you've been waiting for! We can’t share details, but watch this space!

---

It came out on 04 June.

Had it been 04 May, we might have had:

This is the not release you've been waiting for!

I sort of guess it was the Cloud+ & Pro+ Bundle.

Acorn

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by behzad

I was going to name my first child Xara, but wife is confused, not knowing to call the baby Xaraplus or Xarapro (:|

---

=D>Have you heard our new tagline
Xara. Not the clothing company.

Signing off for now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MB365

Signing off for now.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by handrawn

no doubt Matt will put me right where necessary...

---

say no more ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by handrawn

say no more ;)

---

Was that a note to self? :)

:D - remember [pre Xara GmbH] when so much was made of the fact that the [magix] update service was not a subscription service in the 'adobe' sense... and here we are, with just that now on offer...

to quote what Debussy might have said [but put differently] 'there is no music without the silence between notes, only noise' ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by handrawn

to quote what Debussy might have said [but put differently] 'there is no music without the silence between notes, only noise' ;)

---

Yes, silence is golden.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by handrawn

:D - remember [pre Xara GmbH] when so much was made of the fact that the [magix] update service was not a subscription service in the 'adobe' sense... and here we are, with just that now on offer...

---

Sadly, the Magix Update Service (MUS) still exists with its defects. Xara GmbH is targeting a different market with its Bundle+:

• MUS - perpetual licence at activation date version after MUS expiry.
• Xara Bundle+ - Cloud+ & Pro+ on subscription at latest version, no Magix involvement.

I have said before, the current Bundle+ offer effectively costs nothing different to a MUS renewal.
At the end of the subscription, you can revert to MUS and renew that or continue with Bundle+ (at twice the cost).

The point I am making is to try Bundle+ for a year is worth it for the non-Magix support and the access to quicker Updates and Patch Releases. MUS will get there possibly within the year so a continuation or transfer back to MUS loses little.
We received a Patch Release within a fortnight, a record.

For the professional designer, the cost is easily absorbed in two or more projects. Cloud+ will become the exchange mechanism with a client as I have just demonstrated to myself with a new client.
For the hobbyist, there is really not much to incentivise a MUS renewal annually so holding back and exploiting a Magix or Xara offer is recommended until there is a new (bedded-in) feature you must have.

For those not aware, Xara Cloud (+) is a Xara Designer Pro X (XPDX) running on a server with a browser from any device as the User Interface.
It is still lacking in all XDPX features, which is where Pro+ come in as the latest Pro Desktop version is bundled with Cloud+ (as a subscription).

Xara probably has a contract with Magix not to directly compete against it and I think the subscription model is Xara's way around the legalities.

Acorn

yes, all that is understood :) but my point is... depending on the bundle+ uptake and the cash flows I wonder what sort of incentive there would be for Xara GmbH to pass [all] the new features down to to the MUS channel in the future...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by handrawn

yes, all that is understood :) but my point is... depending on the bundle+ uptake and the cash flows I wonder what sort of incentive there would be for Xara GmbH to pass [all] the new features down to to the MUS channel in the future...

---

Effort. For Xara GmbH to hive off a sub-master and manage that would almost double its costs. I have seen companies do this badly in the past.

What Xara currently does is limit the UI of the lower products but retain all the rendering, if not editing, capability of the core code.
It necessarily does this to allow for cross-product inter-operation.
It has also tried to do this for backward version compatibility.

Acorn

Too bad Xara is not listening to its users. I will not pay for the product, not knowing which way it is developing. I do not need all these poorly made templates, I need the development of functionality for graphic design.

Wow it sure is confusing. I’m doing websites for now 4 non profits. A few animal shelters and a singer. There’s no way that financially I can look at any kind of monthly sub. Nov is my anniversary date and I’ll update WD, and may have to call it a day.
What I like about Xara is an all in one solution. I’m in no need of a cloud based pgm, that’s why I left Adobe in the first place.
As I understand this, the stand a lone pgms will now be Magix, and the XD+ will have the frequent updates and cloud accessibility. I found the stand a lone updates incremental. I might stop at WD 17 if it answers all my needs, and at the moment it does.
If it wasn’t for @egg and @acorn, and Mr Priester I would have known nothing about updating, and at this point Xara and Magix are making this update thing quite daunting.
I’ll have to see what November brings.

W

DId not have time to read all the posts but why not just go with this.
https://www.magix.com/ca/web/xara-we...a-web-designer

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by behzad

I feel dizzy (:|

---

If it's physical try MECUZINE.;))

;))

Is there any update on this?

I would like to BUY (not rent) a copy of the desktop application 4K compatible version of "Xara Designer" (i.e. "Xara Designer Pro+")

Is there any way to do so yet?

I have no user for any Cloud stuff.

J

Just sit tight like me until Magix announces it. Subscribe to their newsletter.

Regardless of any concerns about a subscription model, this Thread was about getting the cheapest access to a HiDPI version.

Well the cheapest is now Xara Pro+ (which is coupled with Xara Cloud+) as Xara is offering 60% discount with coupon JULY2020 until the end of July.
My calculations in https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...527#post623527 would put Xara Pro+ at £81.60 for the first year.
You would not renew after the first year but switch back to the Magix Update Service at an update cost of £78 as by that time the Magix version would have gone HiDPI (probably).

Xara has also offers to adopt your remaining licence period but you would have to check and negotiate individually.

Yes, you get the Cloud+ stuff but look at as a free one-year trial. You might see some benefit from it.

Acorn

probably ....... ?

on past performance with the [magix distributed] desktop, what odds would you give ....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by handrawn

probably ....... ?

on past performance with the [magix distributed] desktop, what odds would you give ....

---

99.9% within a year, otherwise Xara would need to fork their code, assuming the existence of both MagiXara's agreement and the companies.
99.9%, as even bleach is not guaranteed to kill everything.

Acorn

we shall see :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Acorn

[...] Xara is offering 60% discount with coupon JULY2020 until the end of July.

---

How/where did you get this coupon code?
I've never registered to try out Cloud+, I'm thinking I might be missing out on information by not being on an email list.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Know1

How/where did you get this coupon code?
I've never registered to try out Cloud+, I'm thinking I might be missing out on information by not being on an email list.

---

By already having a subscription. Stupid isn't it.

The person who has already paid gets the offer.

Acorn

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Know1

How/where did you get this coupon code?
I've never registered to try out Cloud+, I'm thinking I might be missing out on information by not being on an email list.

---

Hi Know1. Users that have a Xara Cloud account and are still trying the product for purchase received the offer. You still have time to sign up to give Cloud+ a try before the offer expires this month. www.xara.com

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Acorn

By already having a subscription. Stupid isn't it.

The person who has already paid gets the offer.

Acorn

---

We verified that you got the offer to one of your many emails, not to your subscription paying account.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MB365

Hi Know1. Users that have a Xara Cloud account and are still trying the product for purchase received the offer. You still have time to sign up to give Cloud+ a try before the offer expires this month. www.xara.com

---

I currently have two partitions with V16.3 on it.

If I sign up to Cloud+ with my main email address (the one I also use to purchase upgrades for Xara Designer) will I be able to install the latest desktop version on a new SSD without it asking to deactivate one of my other partitions? I really don't want this to mess with the perpetual license.

So I don't know how integrated the accounts will be with Xara/Magix if I use the same email address to try Cloud+ out for a year on a new ssd.