Confused regarding Xara Products: Xara Photo & Graphic Designer MX 2013 vs .....

[jclements]

I had someone ask me about which program they should buy to update webpages which I have created for them using Designer ProX (8).

I looked on the Xara site but could not find a comparison chart between Xara Photo & Graphic Designer MX 2013 and Xara's other Web related products.

Differences between ???:
Xara Photo & Graphic Designer MX 2013 ($89)
vs
Xara Web Designer MX Premium ($99)
vs
Xara Web Designer MX ($50)

Can someone clarify, please?

[gwpriester]

John

This may help (a little) http://www.xara.com/us/products/designer/compare/

Depending on what kinds of changes the user plans to make, if the changes are simple text and photo edits they might be able to get by with Web Designer MX.

I suggest you download a trial and open your site and see if this will work.

[Egg Bramhill]

Hi John,

I find Xara's current product line and product names totally confusing as well as overly long. The company seems hell bent on confusing their customers as well as their long term supporters with their constant product name revamps. Go figure!

[steve.ledger]

Just call them all 'Xara' like everyone else does...

[jclements]

So would Xara Web Designer MX Premium ($99) would be better value than Xara PHOTO & Graphic Designer MX 2013 ($89)?

What would be the advantage of Xara Web Designer MX premium over Xara Photo & Graphic Designer MX 2013 or are they the same product?

I saw no comparison between Xara Web Designer MX Premium ($99) and Designer Pro?

[steve.ledger]

Xara PHOTO & Graphic Designer replaced the Xara Xtreme application, it's mostly geared towards the graphic designer, but it does have most of the latest Web Features.

Xara Web Designer MX Premium is a version which concentrates on the web features with fewer of the graphic/illustration features. Mainly for people interested only in building sites.

(Xara Designer Pro replaced Xtreme Pro)

[angelize]

If you designed the site in Designer Pro X then Xara Web Designer Premium would have all of the same web capabilities but not as many other features geared for graphics design etc. Either one of the Web Designer programs would be what you want. It really depends on what the client will be editing. If it's just a few text areas or replacing a few photos here and there you may get away with Web designer MX.

Gary's suggestion of downloading the trials and seeing which one works best for the edits your client will need to make is your best bet.

[jclements]

Thank you, one and all.

It really is a shame the Xara site does not have a better comparison "spreadsheet/checklist" of features between their four available applications on one page (with a downloadable PDF version). It would make the selection process easier, especially for newbies to graphic and web applications.

I hate to saying this, but currently I am hesitant to recommend people to go to the website unless they have the time or inclination to ponder and download each of the apps.

If anyone from Xara (Kate ?) is reading this thread please considering the above.

Regards, John

[tonylondon]

If you designed the site in Designer Pro X then Xara Web Designer Premium would have all of the same web capabilities but not as many other features geared for graphics design etc. Either one of the Web Designer programs would be what you want. It really depends on what the client will be editing. If it's just a few text areas or replacing a few photos here and there you may get away with Web designer MX.

Presumably the client would have to be given the native files to work with, and export/publish from these after making the changes. Wouldn't all features used have to work? Excuse my ignorance about this; it is something I have considered doing but not actually done yet.

[gwpriester]

Tony - For the most part yes, even documents created with never versions will open in older versions, but the ability to edit some of the new features will not be available.

I find Xara's current product line and product names totally confusing as well as overly long. The company seems hell bent on confusing their customers as well as their long term supporters with their constant product name revamps. Go figure!

Totally agree Egg. This is called Market Segmentation, a product for each price point and consumer interest. But the overall result is not a product for each level of user, but confusion for all levels of user.

John - Photo and Graphic Designer is more for users who need the drawing tools as well as the web tools but not all of the heavy duty features of Designer Pro or WD MX Premium. If you are recommending a product for a user who needs to update her or his website that you designed, I would suggest Web Designer MX Premium.