Pre-Purchase Question - Xara Designer Pro 7

[LisaA]

I am thinking about purchasing Xara Designer Pro 7 but I have several questions.

1) Xara Designer Pro 7 appears to be Xara Web Designer 7 Premium and Xara Photo Graphic Designer 7 combined.

What I don't understand is Xara Designer Pro 7 is $299, if it is in fact the two programs combined, couldn't I just purchase the two programs independently at $89 and $99 for a total of $188. Why is there such a price difference if it is the two programs combined? What is the advantage of buying just Xara Designer Pro 7?

2) What is the difference between what xara.com sells and magix.com sells? They appear to be the same thing?

3) With Xara Designer Pro and/or Xra Web Designer, I see alot of inline CSS, is there anyway within the program to have the CSS be external?

[Soquili]

Hi Lisa welcome to Talkgraphics.

Your number 1) is an incorrect assumption. Designer Pro has features that are not present in Web Designer and also not present in Photo & Graphic Designer. Designer Pro has Pantone color support and PDF export features not present in Web Designer and Photo & Graphic Designer, just to name two Pro features.

Magix is the parent company of Xara which is an independantly operated subsidiary.

As for your 3) the answer is it is not possible, at least not in any current version.

[tjc]

1. The two separate have more features and more frequent updates. They seem to use the same engine though.
2. seems so
3. no

[Soquili]

tjc your answer to number 1 is incorrect. Web Designer and Photo & Graphic Designer are subsets of the Pro features. The Pro version always has additional features the other two do not have.

[LisaA]

Thank you for the replies. I have re-read the description for Xara Designer Pro and see that it has extra features like PDF/X, Pantone, color seperation that the other 2 programs don't have so here is another question.

1) Is it worth the price difference to purchase Xara Designer Pro instead of purchase the two products independantly?

2) TJC seems to think that the two products independantly offer more features and frequent updates, is this not true?

I'm sorry if these sound somewhat repetitive, I am trying to decide if I purchase the combined version or the separate versions.

Any other opinions?

[mwenz]

Lisa,

What is it you desire to do with any of these applications? That is all that really matters.

If you are doing professional design, get XDP7 (xara Designer Pro 7).
If doing both professional design and web stuff, get XDP7.
If only doing image work for the web and or limited design capabilities, get PGD.
If only web stuff and need all the features available, get WDP7.
If you only need a limited set of web stuff, get WD7.

From there, whichever combination fits what you desire, combine whichever applications as appropriate.

Take care, Mike

[zaphodeist]

1) Only you can decide what you want to do with the programs

http://www.xara.com/uk/products/designer/compare/

2) TJC is incorrect

[LisaA]

Wow the Feature Comparison helps alot, I did not see that previously.

Thank you VERY much!

[zaphodeist]

Glad it helped

[nb8808]

digging in for info myself what to do - my computer crashed and I bought new Sony with windows 7 home premium, 64 bit, 4GB RAM,
installed all visual CC++ libraries available, .NET framework libraries, but in no way can get my Xara Designer Pro 7 run - uninstalled, cleaned registry files,
installed with firework and antivirus disabled, but even I choose to run as an administrator,

it gives me visual CC++ Runtime Library error message abnormal program termination

What to do? what else do I need for my new computer system files or what to do so my xara runs?

Need help ASAP! SOS!