Just Released: A New Version of Web Designer

[andymack]

I agree totally with behzad, I have spent some time going through the new offering and can honestly say I was totally underwhelmed. This will be the very first time I will not be upgrading immediately, and that is without all the confusion that the "365 Update Guarantee" brings with it.
I have always been very quick, (same day usually) to upgrade but I am not jumping to it this time. The 'new' templates do not seem to bring anything new to the table that I cannot do already? It might be that the way Xara is displaying them on the preview, within some sort of display frame and maybe some of the new effects are just not happening?
I use another third-party template provider who can really make Xara sing, and he is excited about this new launch and I might have to upgrade just because he will be using some of the newer features. But that would be the only reason I would eventually upgrade, just to keep compliant with him. In fact, it is from this designer that I got the heads up regarding this upgrade (and not Xara, which seems rather strange) and I am wondering if he will still be 'excited' to use the new version when he has more time to discover the rather limited features this lauded version actually offers?
I am a big fan of Xara, and this particular forum, but they just do not seem to make the best of its own features. I simply do not use any of their templates (i often start with a template and end up with something completely different) and looking through their new selection, there does not seem to be even one I cannot create already with X11? By including their complete catalog of 166 business themes is not even a good enough 'pull' for me to upgrade. I have often looked through ALL those templates in the past looking for inspiration, but always came away empty-handed.
I look forward to more conversation on the new version and in the meantime wait for the definitive review by gwpriester who is the most knowledgeable and helpful moderator on here, even if it sounds like he is not treated with the respect he deserves from Xara themselves.

[pauland]

I look forward to more conversation on the new version and in the meantime wait for the definitive review by gwpriester who is the most knowledgeable and helpful moderator on here, even if it sounds like he is not treated with the respect he deserves from Xara themselves.

Absolutely.

Maybe Gary would have had you reaching for the "Buy Now" button with a first look.

[katemoir]

I've just checked that for you Christine and in fact it seems the spiral SmartShape was never in Web Designer, only in PGD and Pro. So it's the release notes that are wrong.

[katemoir]

Hi, when I purchased Xara web designer v11 premium I was able to install it on 2 computers that I own and use, will I be able to do the same with XWDP 365?

Thanks

Roly

Yes, this hasn't changed. You can install on two, and you can deactivate either of them via the Help menu if you want to install on a new computer.

[katemoir]

Can anyone please clarify this for me? In the 'Your 365 Questions Answered' section on the 365 DAY UPDATE GUARANTEE page it says "The copy(s) that you have installed at the time of expiry will continue to run indefinitely, BUT if you re-install on a new machine after the Guarantee has expired then the new installation will fall back to the version you originally purchased." Does this mean to the first version of 365 that I purchased, but with none of the incremental updates I have received since the initial install? Or does it mean my previous version of xara web designer i.e. v9, 10 or 11 before I invested in 365?

Finally, regarding the online content gallery, any key widgets, templates and images that I use, I presume I can just make sure I have copies of them locally if I decided not to renew?

If you purchase today, then it would fall back to today's version, not some previous version. And yes, you can download content from the Content Catalog to your Local Designs Gallery (details in the release notes).

[Christine Farrelly]

Kate - you are wrong. The spiral shape is in WD11 Premium. See attached image.

[mwenz]

If you purchase today, then it would fall back to today's version, not some previous version...

*If you are silly enough to ever, ever have a hard drive crash or actually want to upgrade your computer. Ever.

[katemoir]

Kate - you are wrong. The spiral shape is in WD11 Premium. See attached image.

Ah yes, you're absolutely right. It isn't in the Content Catalog or Designs Gallery with the other shapes but it is in the Insert Menu. That looks like a mistake in the Insert Menu in v11 because our product notes tell us it isn't in WD! So what you can do is insert it and save the xar from WD11, then add it to your Designs Gallery in v12 using More > Add designs from Disc.

[roly]

Thanks Kate.

Ciao

Roly

[Christine Farrelly]

Followed Kate's instructions and the spiral even gets the new features.