Xara Xtreme Pro announced

[Meia]

I see their special intro offer is good for just two weeks (Dec 12).

Oh, I wish they would extend it through January...this is Christmas time and I am very budgeted and cannot spend on myself at this time!!!

Do you think they would have mercy and extend this offer a month out?

I've gotta have it!

Meia

[Xhris]

Xara is the company name and Xtreme is the product. Much like Adobe and Acrobat, and Microsoft and Word.

The product is called Xara a lot for some reason, but that's wrong. We have no product called Xara.

I rarely call it Xtreme. I often refer to the flagship product as "Xara".

Does that also mean XaraX was really called X?

[BONES]

Flash - meh, I already own Flash 8 pro so this doesnt knock me out.

Surely that is the best reason there is to be happy about Flash support in Xara? I do a lot of animation work for broadcast and film and I've never come across any animation system that is even half as clunky as Flash or Director. Didn't they look at 3D applications before they got stuck into their animation system? Hell, even old versions of After Effects are easier to work with and it has long been criticised for its poor animation control. I was over the moon when Flash export was included in Combustion 3 a few years ago. I can't wait to try it out here [downloading now].

[BONES]

The product is called Xara a lot for some reason, but that's wrong. We have no product called Xara.

Its always been called Xara. There was a fair amount of debate about what the version after 2.0 would be called, many people feeling that it seemed less mature than Illustrator 10 or Corel 11 [oh look, I call CorelDRAW "Corel"]. So Xara X became the new name, as in roman numeral for 10. Followed by X1 and then Xtreme. So its hard for a long-time user to see that Xtreme or Xtreme Pro should be anything but a version identifier of a product called Xara. That is certainly how I see it.

[amoore]

I'm with you. "Xara" is a unique name. "Xtreme" not so much.

When I've mentioned using "Xtreme", even in a conversation about drawing software, I've gotten everything from blank looks to "What? Snowboarding? I thought we were talking about graphics." At least when I say "Xara", it sounds like a software name, even if the listener hasn't heard of it.

Naming products is a tricky business. When a product has a long time, loyal user base, you don't want to lose the recognition and brand perception your base has built up. Being confronted with a name change on an app you use every day is like having a close friend suddenly announce, "Don't call me Mary any more. My name is Querrelle." What?!? Who are you??? And what have you done with my friend??

In addition, while you need, every so often, to broaden your product's appeal with a name that sounds fresh or hip or current or forward-thinking, you don't want to get so tied to what's cool right now that the name sounds dated next year, particularly if you're trying to expand your base. Unless, of course, you're selling a product you expect to be obsolete pretty quickly.

[euronerd]

This is all very reassuring to me. As a long time absentee from posting here, I wander along to gauge people's reactions to XX Pro, and all I find is minor gripes about the price and the name. I take it from that, that the program itself is OK which is nothing more than I assumed or expected, having come all the way from Xara Studio (and Wordwise/Plus before that. Memories, Charles, eh?). I'll probably skip the download and order the CD direct, as and when.

Geoff.

[Lorie-Jean]

Hi all

Please be gentle on this newbie....I have ordered Pro - and been fascinated by some of the grumbles about the price so wanted to add my voice to the supporters of it being economic!

I bought my original Xara product and (I am a hobbyist) over two weeks of self teaching (from the wonderful tutorials) I created 11 illustrations - 7 of which I sold for a small price = Xara "cost" me nothing but two weeks of absolute fun.

The products is corker and very well priced....can't wait for the new version to arrive.

LJ

[MarciaB]

Hi Lori-Jean, welcome to TG!
Do you want to share these drawings with us and show some of them?

[Lorie-Jean]

Hi Marcia

Oooh how scary to have to show you

OK will pop away and get a couple ...

LJ

[Ron Duke]

Welcome LJ,
Looking forward to seeing some of your work.
ron