Xtreme Pro 4 way too big!

[jens g.r. benthien]

It appears to me that the real bug in the Xara Xtreme Pro 4.0 is Magix and not a coders fault

[handrawn]

everyone who wants xara to provide them with whatever it is they want, should remember, as was touched on earlier, that xara is a commercial enterprise and its first consideration is to survive. No survival, no anything new.

Personally I think that is reason to be grateful for magix

[jens g.r. benthien]

Even Magix should be able to honor user requests, particularly with the 'pro' version. I wouldn't mind if the would even pack their lousy sound and video editors into the Xara Xtreme (basic) version, plus 20.000 web templates, 5 gigbabytes photographs shot with mobile phones and all the nine yards.

However, the 'pro' version should be a real pro version without gimmicks the pros don't need.

And if they want their name in the software, they can change the name of the basic version into 'Magix Xtreme' to lure the masses and market it through WalMart, Target, etc.

History tells us that all packages that wanted to 'cover it all' like Canvas or Micrografx finally dried up and ended in the gutter. What counts are the core competences of a company in the professional area, not gimmicks or kinky 'me-too' features other vendors can do a lot better.

just my 2 cents

[ss-kalm]

Magix cannot possibly honour every users request. You only have to look at the discussions that have been started as a result of this upgrade being replaced. At the last look at the recent poll of this forums users, more than 50% think that this upgrade is more than they could have wished for.

However, the 'pro' version should be a real pro version without gimmicks the pros don't need.

I don't think that it's fair to think that because you don't want them, no professionals want them. I get the impression that quite a number of the professionals on this forum are quite happy with the gimmicks that make their jobs easier and quicker. If you don't want them, don't use them. If you don't like the clipart just delete it. If you don't like the upgrade, don't buy it. You vote with your wallet!

[jens g.r. benthien]

Keith,

does Adobe integrate Fireworks into the core of Illustrator?
Does Adobe integrate Photoshop Elements plus Photoshop CS3 plus Fireworks into the core of Illustrator?

No. Definitely not.

Guess why.

Look at Cinema 4D - it's a modular software which allows numerous plug-ins - even 3rd party stuff - **if** you need them.

[jclements]

I am not qualified on the technicalities of an installer and whether or not having one "pick and choose" what is to be installed complicates the process of assuring various features/components (whatever you want to call them) work together once installed.

And within the last couple of years I more less kind of given up on custom installation of applications as the "quicker processor, cheaper memory, and unlimited harddrive space" approach seems to have taken over.

However, I do miss being able to custom install and pare-down what goes on the harddrive. It is all to easy these days to have your PC "slow down" for no apparent reason or just plain have too much unnecessary things installed on it. I do enjoy having a 'well-oiled', efficient PC. And even if something is running relatively fast, if it can be made to operate even smoother then so much the better.

It seems that Xara still has a good tight code (by evidence of how well its features/tools work relatively well with one another), but if at least the Pro version could have a custom Installer without turning the world upside down, it might be even more attractive to "professionals" and to people like me.

===========================

Oh, if you are knew to the forum within the last few years, Jen's request and subsequent replies posted here have been well constrained.

Jen's, life in Spain must be agreeable.

"I've just produced two large 80 page photographic books about Andalucía ". Is there anyway we can take a sneak peek online at some the pages from your photographic book?

Regards, John

[Odat]

And then there was the time I download a trial of Premiere Elements 4, which was a 2 gig download, but a well compressed 2 gig because it takes roughly 4.5 gig once it's actually installed. Somehow, the extra size of some help movies seems to pale into insignificance...

But anyway, to stay on topic, I'm usually all over an installer that allows a customize option so that I don't have to install parts that I don't want or won't use.

It would be exceedingly clever if every tool in Xara was actually a plugin that you could install, or not, so that only the features that you want are installed and everything else isn't. Ditto for import/export filters, so that I could not install the ones I never use and thus have an easier time finding the one that I want in the list.

if such a thing could be done in 0 time with 0 cost, I'd be standing on a soap box pelting someone with muffins to go ahead and get on that, already. But since that's not the case, and having bugs fixed and new features is more important to me than being able to selectively install something that it already does, I'm going to have to take a pass on that one.

Which leaves me with more muffins to eat.

[handrawn]

I am a pro and I still draw lines with a piece of technology that was invented when Queen Victoria was learning to walk. [as in my avatar]

It takes no disk space and requires no electricity [if you only use it in daylight]

Doesn't come much leaner and fitter than that

I say this just in case the term 'pro' is automatically thought to be 'cutting edge'

I use what works. I don't care if it has other things too, as long as they do not get in the way - life's too short.

[Improv]

I am a pro and I still draw lines with a piece of technology that was invented when Queen Victoria was learning to walk. [as in my avatar]

It takes no disk space and requires no electricity [if you only use it in daylight]

Doesn't come much leaner and fitter than that

I say this just in case the term 'pro' is automatically thought to be 'cutting edge'

I use what works. I don't care if it has other things too, as long as they do not get in the way - life's too short.

I may be new here, but looks like you're talking about the Xara 2B or perhaps Xara HB digital manual input hardware?

[handrawn]

I may be new here, but looks like you're talking about the Xara 2B or perhaps Xara HB digital manual input hardware?

close but no cigar - although I do use them too of course
I was referring to the xara 1290 [Gillott Edition]
http://www.scribblers.co.uk/acatalog/Drawing_Nibs.html