How crippled is the trial version?

**jeb** · 05 July 2011, 08:20 PM

Ah, if you don't like it you could - maybe - delete it?

- jb

**drslim2** · 05 July 2011, 08:28 PM

Hi pauland, I upgraded to NOF 10 and that was so slow - lots of hanging etc. Just purchased NOF 12 and a bit better but still still very slow and crashes a lot. I have used NOF 7.5 (they call it essentials) and this is the best version as very fast & stable but out-dated by many years. I like NOF and get great rankings but the styles and buttons are very amateurish and I use Xara webstyle for my buttons but this is a hell of a run around - my site at http://www.********.co.uk/ uses a bit from both software packages. NOF forged ahead with db connectors etc but the visual appeal lagged behind.

**pauland** · 05 July 2011, 09:20 PM

In some ways NOF and Xara are opposite sides of the same coin - one strong on site management, the other page design. I toyed with NOF way back when and loved the story of it's birth, but along the way it's always had niggles one way or another.

Thanks for the info.

**drslim2** · 05 July 2011, 10:24 PM

Hi pauland, did you get my reply as I posted it but not showing here?

**ShapeShifter** · 05 July 2011, 10:30 PM

Previous page? : http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthre...128#post408128

**pauland** · 06 July 2011, 04:20 AM

Originally Posted by drslim2

Hi pauland, did you get my reply as I posted it but not showing here?

Post #12?

I replied with post #13

**Lou Sander** · 06 July 2011, 01:23 PM

Please RTFC (C=Complaint)

The problem IS NOT that the trial doesn't include everything. The problem IS that the restrictive conditions of the trial have to be discovered through wasteful trial and error. This is VERY frustrating. Whether it is purposeful deception or just careless work, one doesn't know. It's easy to suspect the former.

After experimentation, I've learned that though the trial software SEEMS to work in an otherwise uncrippled manner, it SEEMS to disallow the use of even a single one of Xara's hundreds of designs.

Even worse, one learns that a feature is unavailable only when one tries to use it. Are SOME of the designs available? Who knows? Are the designs actually any good? Who knows? Do OTHER features of the trial not work, or work incorrectly? Who knows?

This is, after all, a trial, where we are expending time and effort to learn about the software and the company behind it. When they make that hard for us, or possibly deceive us, they shouldn't be surprised that we complain.

**pauland** · 06 July 2011, 01:40 PM

Lou all this "SEEMS" nonsense seems to imply there's some kind of deception taking place.

"Are the designs actually any good? Who knows?" - here - I'll give you a clue: http://www.xara.com/us/products/designer/templates/

What do people do with the software? - another clue: http://www.xara.com/us/websitegallery

Coupled with all of the other snide remarks you may wish to remove the trial and move on. Meanwhile everyone else can move forward in a positive atmosphere knowing what great software you missed because you were so convinced you were being deceived. I don't know who the "us" is in your posting, but could you let the others post on their own?

**masque** · 06 July 2011, 01:55 PM

Lou
Xara Designer is primarily design/illustration software, the clues in the name really. The clip art and templates amount to several hundred mb of extra material that is available, should you want it, to download once you have purchased the software. Allowing you to run the trial and download and copy the resources would be stupid.
Many experienced users most likely do not even know all of what is available in the resources folder and I'm sure is not seen as a particularly important part of the xara designer software package.
Surely if you download, try the software and get on with it you will know if it suits your requirements without the templates. If you are going to depend on templates and readymade artwork then there are many other beginner packages, both for dtp and web work that are available and possibly more suited to your needs.
As for your last point regarding finding out about Xara then look here http://www.xara.com/uk/about/
Derek

**ckh** · 06 July 2011, 05:56 PM

The trial itself isn't crippled whatsoever. Every function works in the trial as the full version. A crippled version wouldn't have all the functionality or have some sort of limiting. Templates, pictures, fonts, etc aren't part of the functionality of the program, they are just extras that you receive in the full version. Just because they aren't included in the trial, doesn't cripple the functionality of the software in any way.

The only restriction that I know of in the trial is the time limitation on how long you can use the software.