How do you feel about the 365 Program?

[Acorn]

..., because they have not renewed their subscriptions

Xara are keen to emphasise that their 365-day Update Service is not a subscription:
My bold text but Xara information:

We know that many of you find it frustrating that you have to wait a whole year for our next update - knowing that we are working on (and have likely finished) new cutting edge features and on-trend content. We have the answer! For the first time you’ll have access to new features and content as we develop them, at any time during the 365 days after you purchase. You'll be able to download and use these new features, for no extra charge, in addition to the version that you buy today.

• You receive a perpetual license to the very latest version at the time of purchase
• We promise to continue optimizing and developing software which includes the Update Service. We will regularly publish new features and templates throughout the year
• You will have access to these new features and content as we develop them, rather than waiting up to a year for our next annual release*. Which means you can keep up with the latest trends in web and graphic design!

However, I have banged on about the loss of the On-line Content Catalogue, the consequential loss of a Find capability, the potential loss of Components downloaded and the reversion to the base version, losing features that could have been used in a site's design.

Walking like a duck, talking like a duck and quacking like a duck - it's a subscription.

Acorn

[katemoir]

We are trying to be clear about what the Update Service entails so Acorn I'm going to add the sentences that follow your quote, for the benefit of those who haven't followed the thread closely or don't visit http://www.xara.com/update-service/ (but I'd urge everyone to visit the page and read all the FAQs to get a proper understanding). This is what we are offering, whether you regard it as a subscription or not is perhaps not of the first importance - the question is only whether it suits *you* to upgrade now, or later when you see something you want, whether to accept the updates or not, or none of the above:


We know that many of you find it frustrating that you have to wait a whole year for our next update - knowing that we are working on (and have likely finished) new cutting edge features and on-trend content. We have the answer! For the first time you’ll have access to new features and content as we develop them, at any time during the 365 days after you purchase. You'll be able to download and use these new features, for no extra charge, in addition to the version that you buy today.

- You receive a perpetual license to the very latest version at the time of purchase
- We promise to continue optimizing and developing software which includes the Update Service. We will regularly publish new features and templates throughout the year
- You will have access to these new features and content as we develop them, rather than waiting up to a year for our next annual release*. Which means you can keep up with the latest trends in web and graphic design!

* What happens after 365 days?
If you don't upgrade again the Update Service expires. Any online services will cease, or fall back to a basic service. For current 365 products this means:
- Web Designer: The free hosting and free Online Designer continue, but the Online Content Catalog will no longer be accessible†
- Web Designer Premium: The M hosting falls back to the free hosting offer, the Premium Xara Online Designer falls back to the free Online Designer, the Online Content Catalog will no longer be accessible†
- Designer Pro: The M hosting falls back to the free hosting offer, the Premium Xara Online Designer falls back to the free Online Designer, the Online Content Catalog will no longer be accessible†
- Photo & Graphic Designer: The Online Content Catalog will no longer be accessible†
In addition you will no longer receive feature or content updates. 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 Update Service has expired then the new installation will fall back to the version you last purchased.

[Acorn]

...

Kate, I was not trying to be selective about the information and if I was, I apologise. I did include the link to the page for those interested.

I just find the model you have adopted is contrary. Elsewhere, I buy a product and get free updates and bug fixes to the next big version, or I have a subscription. With a subscription, I will lose all access if I terminate.
With your model, I lose relatively critical components that you have chosen to put on-line and beyond reach.

To be upbeat, my Xara applications are my first port of call for 90% of my work. I subscribe to Creative Cloud because I can afford to and I use this reluctantly for industry-standard work. I use a variety of web packages but prefer Xara over these for elegant solutions (in the main). I use MS Word and MS Visio for DTP work. I want to use Xara but the lack of Visio-style or Gliffy-style dynamic connectors is a stopper for me. I would sorely miss not have my Xara applications.

Read this: https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...392#post569392 for ernie-f's accolade and superb portfolio.

Acorn

[hoja]

That seems like an odd comment to make on TalkGraphics!

Why so? One hardly discredits this volunteers community with this statement.

The reality is, that I really have to consider what to do when I run into technical issues and have wishes:
People at TG often know the program better than your Support, communication is faster and more personal.
But fellow users can't fix stuff, in case something is broken.

Your feedback system on the other hand isn't set up for feature requests but posting wishes in Dear Xara makes limited sense too:

The Dear Xara sub-forum as a matter of fact doesn't get a lot of attention by developers, quite to the dismay of some of the most
active TG veterans. A consequence of this frustration I see is that a distinction is made between useful wishes ('they have been
on our eternal list since 2005...') and such which in their point of view would bind developer resources 'for needless fluff'.

Not only is it unlikely that developers in charge read your wishes at all – one may even end up quarreling with fellow members,
in case your wish doesn't fit their scheme. At this point things may get tedious too.

All this would automatically work a lot better if you ran your own forum and got your developers to interact with customers.
Please don't tell me that you don't have the resources. It works anywhere else.

[hoja]

But that reminds me that I didn't answer your earlier question about the Slideshow Widget.
If you have a slideshow in your page it will continue to run after the Update Service expires, and you will still be able to
edit it. And so long as you have downloaded it to the Local Designs Gallery in your current installations you will be able
to add it to new pages too.

Ok, I have to admit, that I did not know that. As one loses other externally hosted content it seemed
pretty evident that the same will happen with all Slideshow-content too. It in fact is the case, but I wasn't aware that
one could download slideshows.

You skipped to say that one loses the ability to create new slideshows.
I think you understood my point pretty well but you have to defend your position.

[katemoir]

You skipped to say that one loses the ability to create new slideshows.
I think you understood my point pretty well but you have to defend your position.

Let me re-word my last sentence. So long as you have downloaded the Slideshow Widget to your Local Designs Gallery, you will be able to create new slideshows using that Widget, after expiry.

[ernie-f]

Read this: https://www.talkgraphics.com/showthr...392#post569392 for ernie-f's accolade and superb portfolio.

Acorn

@Acorn: Thank Yuo very much!

@ all: the thing is we don't own the program. We only have a time period where we can use it (license). It's like with fonts. You buy only the rights to use them – You don't own them.

Not the yearly fee is for me the problem but to be dependet on Xara if anything go wrong with them. If I had all things on my PC offline, I can restruct them. If there lost by Xara – lost!

An other thing which annoys me is the fact that Xara don't say clear what will be happend in the next time. Whre is the future of XDP? May this make a sence to stick with Xara for the future when You don't know what will Xara do? I wish an answer from the developers at Xara. But until now: NOTHING.
So may I stay or may I go? I think I will …

Servus Ernie

[Ron Duke]

Ok.......Now I think I understand how the 365 program works. However, as I was not signed up for the "Outsider" emails (I am as of now), how do I access the downloads for the updates I've missed so far?
I've searched all over the Xara website and can't find a download link to them anywhere.

[Acorn]

Ok.......Now I think I understand how the 365 program works. However, as I was not signed up for the "Outsider" emails (I am as of now), how do I access the downloads for the updates I've missed so far?
I've searched all over the Xara website and can't find a download link to them anywhere.

Ron, Help > Check for updates...

Acorn

[browj2]

I guess that I showed up as indifferent or negative on Bob's list. I tried my best to explain the realities and I thank Kate for jumping and doing a better job of it.

So, put me down as a positive for the 365.

Plus number 1, the way it was before was that you got the version that you paid for at the time of purchase, which was the one that was issued, even if you bought that upgrade (or new) 8 months after the version was issued (you had an 8 month old product with no new interim features). Now, whatever is in the version, including recently added features are what you are paying for.

Plus number 2, you get an advance look at and use of any new features as they become available and you can keep them even if you don't pay for them after 1 year (renew, that is), unless you have to reinstall. Sounds like a very good deal to me. If you do find new features that come out after you bought in or renewed that are indispensable to you, keep in mind that you have not yet paid for them, so if you want to keep them in case you have to reinstall after the year is up, it is only fair that you pay (renew).

Plus number 3, any new features that are content, you can download and keep and they will work even if you don't renew. Sounds good to me.

As for the M hosting, that is independent of renewal of the 365 program. I used the coupon to get the M package about 6 months after purchasing the previous version, X11. My renewal is in January. I purchased the 365 version (X12) in July, and received a coupon for the M package. I used that coupon to renew in January of this year. M package is a subscription, always was. The domain name registration is a subscription. So, do not confuse the 365 period for Xara DPX with the M package. The M package would be a subscription whether or not the 365 scheme existed. This is the same everywhere; if you don't pay for your domain renewal, you lose access. However, as Kate points out your M hosting reverts to the free package, so maybe that should be Plus number 4.

My only complaint is that there are a couple of bugs that have not been addressed and for these, it seems, that it is up to Magix to get them fixed in Xara. But that has nothing to do with the 365 program.

As it stands, Xara DPX(12) already does much more than I really need or use, so the value to me of getting more is questionable. However, like it is with my other Magix products, there are usually a couple of new features that I didn't even think of but that I really like and want to use, so I end up getting the new version or renewing. If I want to use new features, I am willing to pay for them.

Just thought of a plus 5 but it may be questionable, upgrading without installing a new version means not having to set up everything in the new version. This has always been annoying for me and I prefer the new scheme. However, it seems that one upgrade patch required redoing the settings, so maybe this gets half a point.

And maybe plus 6, something that we missed, a lot of content, particularly web templates, that used to be additional cost now come with the program.

I still have one outstanding question that Kate was not able to answer except to say that it was not yet sorted out with Magix. If one does not renew and has to re-install, how is the bug patching handled? Right now, there is no separation between a bug repair patch and one with new features. I have the same question for Magix for my other Magix products.

Lastly, a couple of comments on Xara/Magix about some of the comments that I have seen:
1. Magix/Xara allow you to download the program that you purchased indefinitely; the download link is in your account. I just had to reinstall everything on my computer and there were a few non-Xara, non-Magix programs for which I had not kept the install program and had trouble getting, not so with Magix/Xara;
2. Magix/Xara give you 1 year on-line support and always have. Compare that to others, like Corel (1 month), and it seems that Magix still gives some support, even beyond 1 year;
3. Xara employees, like Kate, Phil and Ben, often jump in to address some technical and commercial questions in TG. It is rare to find that in user forums with other software. Yes there are some, but not many.
4. Support personnel are there to take care of installation, bugs that get reported, and help out where they can with some problems (usually for new users who don't bother reading the manual). They are not people who spend their day using the product, so don't expect them to be able to reply to intricate and difficult questions about using the product. That is where the users' forum comes in. I really dont think that software developers should be spending their time replying to user questions and comments on a forum; they should be spending their time developing the software. The support team can send forward problems and requests much more efficiently, and that is how I understand it is done.