Just Released: A New Version of Web Designer

**pauland** · 15 April 2016, 09:02 AM

I cannot see the issue with leaving the system as it is regarding re-licencing online in the case of a crash or config change...

Currently Xara knows what version of the software you are licenced to use, so there's no problem giving you access to it and the latest updated version.

With a one-year subscription model that is not attached to the lifetime of a specific release, keeping track of the right version to give access to is going to be more problematic, because whether a user is entitled or not to which version now depends on when their subscription ended/ends.

Xara, I'm guessing, is looking to cut-off updates when the subscription ends and offer the major release version during that period without any updates. That would be quite like the system they have now, except that the post major release updates are no longer available.

The equitable thing is to offer the last update before the subscription ends. To do this they would need to keep track of every minor release and deliver the last version that was available before the subscription ends. The cost of administering that may prove too expensive.

What Xara don't want to do is encourage people to leave gaps between subscription periods - this could hurt their bottom line.

Xara sees subscriptions as an added benefit for users that have an active subscription - early access to new features. Users also see the downside if a subscription lapses - you could be locked out from a bug fix or feature that you rely on.

I can see the problem from both sides. Naturally Adobe doesn't have this problem (stop paying, stop using)!

At one stage (no longer) Adobe was offering the traditional buy the product and the subscription option at the same time.

This is not as straightforward as it looks. Fairness is one thing, profitability for Xara is the other.

**handrawn** · 15 April 2016, 09:41 AM

thanks for that Paul

well it's no longer my problem, just thought I'd air my views as a xara user since 2003; that said in the last eight months I have used xara only once or twice

i'll go back to my cintiq, my SAI [new 64bit version out in beta], and my Painter 2016 - good luck all, I hope it works out for everyone

**jacobitejake** · 15 April 2016, 11:36 AM

Originally Posted by handrawn

thanks for that Paul

well it's no longer my problem, just thought I'd air my views as a xara user since 2003; that said in the last eight months I have used xara only once or twice

i'll go back to my cintiq, my SAI [new 64bit version out in beta], and my Painter 2016 - good luck all, I hope it works out for everyone

Hi Handrawn

Just out of interest, have you used Xara Web Designer, if yes, what will you be using in the future? I only ask as I'd like to know what else is available that is similar, besides Serif, although saying that, Serif has now discontinued their webplus product and are only focussing on photo, page and design through their affinity products, so they're out the picture now. Obviously Adobe and Corel are out of the frame due to the cost, especially on my salary!

**jacobitejake** · 15 April 2016, 11:50 AM

I can't believe that upgrading to 365 is currently cheaper for a v10 standard user to upgrade to 365 than a v10 premium user??? you'd think xara would provide an 'intro' offer to both standard and premium users, don't they value the users who have spent more with them???

**handrawn** · 15 April 2016, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by jacobitejake

have you used Xara Web Designer

no - back in the day I used wordpress... maybe would again if I had to, but I currently outsource [and yes they use wordpress]

I wasn't aware serif had discontinued webplus - ver 8 appears to be still for sale...

affinity products are great if you have a mac and I think, as the magix/xara 'all things to all' approch has shown sadly, better for their modularity

**mwenz** · 15 April 2016, 12:23 PM

Serif will continue to sell and support the last versions of the Plus range, at least in the short term. They will.also be issuing patches. It was a bold move, one that I hope continues to pay off. I'm looking forward to the Affinity line on Windows.

Mike

**jacobitejake** · 15 April 2016, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by handrawn

no - back in the day I used wordpress... maybe would again if I had to, but I currently outsource [and yes they use wordpress]

I wasn't aware serif had discontinued webplus - ver 8 appears to be still for sale...

affinity products are great if you have a mac and I think, as the magix/xara 'all things to all' approch has shown sadly, better for their modularity

Thanks, I have used/played with wordpress but it was a headache to keep fixing/changing things when plugins updated and caused conflicts, and sadly I'm no coder

Yup, Serif has killed off webplus and will continue to sell v8 until they have no boxes left I suspect. I received an email from them recently explaining that they are moving affinity into windows as well as mac. Nice products looking at the mac versions.

**jacobitejake** · 15 April 2016, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by mwenz

Serif will continue to sell and support the last versions of the Plus range, at least in the short term. They will.also be issuing patches. It was a bold move, one that I hope continues to pay off. I'm looking forward to the Affinity line on Windows.

Mike

Hi Mike

I certainly think it will pay off for xara now that one of their main competitors are no longer developing a web design product. Now, as far as I can see, they are only competing with the likes of Wordpress, and the many hundreds of fairly restrictive, and expensive (if you don't like branding on your site), online web design platforms currently available. There may be 'another' direct competitor, with regards to price and functionality, I don't personally know of one, is there one?

David

**mwenz** · 15 April 2016, 01:36 PM

Hi David,

I don't use fixed-position web editors in the main so I have no recommendation. In the seemingly distant past I did use WebPlus for a few sites, but that was what the client wanted as they took over when it was finished. Every once in a blue moon I need to fix something they did but not often.

The reality is that while it will not receive functionality updates, there is no reason not to use it for the next few years. Which gives people the time to patiently learn something new and port existing sites if necessary.

The same applies to Xara products if one decided to skip X number of versions.

**pauland** · 15 April 2016, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by jacobitejake

I can't believe that upgrading to 365 is currently cheaper for a v10 standard user to upgrade to 365 than a v10 premium user??? you'd think xara would provide an 'intro' offer to both standard and premium users, don't they value the users who have spent more with them???

Why would a user of the premium product, be downgrading to a product that offers fewer facilities than the product that they are using will eventually offer?

It's not an upgrade.

It's sad to see how easily people make incorrect assumptions about how people treat their customers.