How do you feel about the 365 Program?

**HokuAppsKarl** · 08 February 2018, 11:31 AM

Not updated new features on 365 programmes.
[Link removed by moderator]

**browj2** · 08 February 2018, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by maksimon

I feel bad. Over the past year, I cried with each new upgrade. What do you do with XDP? Look around! You have still best software, BUT Affinity Publisher will be released in that year and it will hammer the nail in the coffin. The difference will be only in the possibility of creating websites. And this is XWD ... and why would I use XDP? Wake up and finish your vector tools and add a new tools! We really love you(Xara), but lately it seems that it is unrequited. Without large-scale updates of tools I don't pay a single penny ... and I'm very sad to say this(. It seems that you miss the time when you will overtake the competitors((.

As I stated way back in this thread, I often see complaints about too much web design stuff in Designer Pro. Xara has 3 main programs, plus one watered-down program, one minor program, and one that is a combination of the three main programs:

1. Photo & Graphics Designer 365 (PGD)
2. Web Designer 365 Premium (WDP)
3. Page & Layout Designer 11 (PLD)

The combination of programs 1 to 3 above is Xara Designer Pro X365 (XDPX) and it has, according to Xara, a few extra features that are not in the individual programs. If, like me, you need 2 of the 3, in particular 1 and 2, then you may be best off purchasing XDPX as you have the convenience of everything in one program. When I bought XDPX the first time, the price for 1 and 2 was almost the same as for XDPX, so I thought that I got a good deal, with convenience being the main selling point.

If you don't need or want the web design stuff, then don't buy XDPX, get PDG only. So please don't complain about new features in XDPX being mostly web related. You have the wrong program. Complain about a lack of new features in PDG (which, of course, will also show up in XDPX).

**mwenz** · 08 February 2018, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by browj2

As I stated way back in this thread, I often see complaints about too much web design stuff in Designer Pro. Xara has 3 main programs, plus one watered-down program, one minor program, and one that is a combination of the three main programs:

1. Photo & Graphics Designer 365 (PGD)
2. Web Designer 365 Premium (WDP)
3. Page & Layout Designer 11 (PLD)

The combination of programs 1 to 3 above is Xara Designer Pro X365 (XDPX) and it has, according to Xara, a few extra features that are not in the individual programs. If, like me, you need 2 of the 3, in particular 1 and 2, then you may be best off purchasing XDPX as you have the convenience of everything in one program. When I bought XDPX the first time, the price for 1 and 2 was almost the same as for XDPX, so I thought that I got a good deal, with convenience being the main selling point.

If you don't need or want the web design stuff, then don't buy XDPX, get PDG only. So please don't complain about new features in XDPX being mostly web related. You have the wrong program. Complain about a lack of new features in PDG (which, of course, will also show up in XDPX).

P&GD has limited print work appeal. It is getting better, but it isn't there yet.

**browj2** · 08 February 2018, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by mwenz

P&GD has limited print work appeal. It is getting better, but it isn't there yet.

Would having a combined P&GD + PLD solve that problem?

**mwenz** · 08 February 2018, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by browj2

Would having a combined P&GD + PLD solve that problem?

No. Maybe. I don't know what all P&LD encompasses.

I think an XDP without web stuff is what I am looking for. If that means P&GD combined with the apparently dead (or languishing) P&LD, then fine. But only if the combination equals XDP without web stuff.

**handrawn** · 08 February 2018, 03:47 PM

no [from my point of view]

last time I looked P&G did not have customisable keystrokes - so dead in the water from my point of view without the need to go any further... if this has been migrated then wonderful, but in the absence of macros, customisable keys at least makes some repetitive proceedures bearable - eg use of 'covert line to shape' which has neither a mouse button nor a keystroke setting by default, so going to the arrange menu every single time is the only other, truly tiresome, option

it never had any professional PDF printing - I believe this has been addressed to a degree?
it has no pantones as far as I recall

and xara will keep screwing about with the UI as in the ver 15 'squish' - ostentiably to help some with no though for others... they back-tracked, but
I have no faith that will not happen again..

small things like ALT+drag select of objects that make such a difference - are they now in P&G?

Pro users want an efficient workflow that suits them and that they can be confident is not going to be broken simply because they are considered less important than someone else...

....maksimon is making the point that the drawing side of xara is stagnating - porting stuff from pro to P&G is not going to address that is it?

**browj2** · 08 February 2018, 06:09 PM

@handrawn,

I believe that it is the other way round. What goes into the 3 individual products gets ported to XDPX, not the other way round. That is why you see the new stuff in P&GD and WDP first, then later in XDPX. See below near the bottom.

What I would like to see is a listing of what is in XDPX that is not in any of the other 3. Does this exist anywhere?

Back on the 365 subject, P&LD is at version 11. If you click on Upgrade, you will see an "i." Click on it and you will see information about the update service. But, almost nothing has been updated since V11 came out, so this would be a non-starter, except for the November update giving free access to "All Business Print Themes Now Included." I can't see much benefit, if any, in P&LD as a 365 product.

Now, about what I said about the new stuff coming out first for the individual products and then being ported to XDPX, looking at the updates, unless I missed something, the last update for P&GD and WDP was in November, and for XDPX in December. Looking at the detailed Release Notes, those for P&GD and WDP are much more extensive than those for XDPX. However, I think that we got everything in December that was in the individual products. Did anyone check this? If we got everything, I wonder why Xara did not give the complete list for XDPX.

http://releasenotes.xara.hosting/designer-pro/
http://releasenotes.xara.hosting/pho...phic-designer/
http://releasenotes.xara.hosting/web-designer/

Given the fact that nothing has happened to P&LD for a couple of years, maybe Xara should have given us a better discount on XDPX, like 2/3 of what they charged us.

Since there has been not upgrades to P&LD, Xara may as well combine P&LD with P&GD into a new product.

**mwenz** · 08 February 2018, 06:17 PM

I belive Xara applications are conditionally compiled. While they could work from the bottom up, it would make more sense to work top down. Regardless of release schedule.

**handrawn** · 08 February 2018, 06:57 PM

I agree with mike - looking at the examples i have already given, then where did they come from if they were 'supposed' to have been introduced in P&G first - they wern't there last time I used it; if they are there now [and I can't be arsed to check] they have been ported down from XDPX; sorry John, what you say does not make sense to me

anyway it is the lack of new drawing features that is the real issue, not the mix of wht we already have...? right..?

**browj2** · 08 February 2018, 08:59 PM

Sorry, I stand by what I said until Xara answers with something else. I recall reading somewhere about that this is how it is done. For me, it only makes sense. You put the features in the separate module first, then integrate into the whole.

I will check the release notes again, but from what I saw, the modules came first with the new features, XDPX came a month or so later with the same new features, in probably every case. The only thing is the few features that are in XDPX that are not in any of the other 3. What are they?

The most recent version of P&GD is 15, just like XDPX, is it not.

I agree with all of you about the lack of new drawing features. It would be nice to see a numbered listing of requested new drawing and other features, and then a follow up to see if and what gets done, but that takes work. I think that this is being done for Vegas. In fact, the head of Vegas design actually goes out on a limb and announces some of the new features that they are working on, and then there is a lot of discussion and anticipation and let-down when they can't make the hottest new feature work for the next update. That reminds me, there is a thread by Rob requesting input from users about a new feature, so even Xara makes the occasional effort.

However, we are way OT, as this was to be about how we feel about the 365 program.

That said, for me, I am satisfied with the 365 program for Xara DPX, except for the renewal price and the lack of being able to use external plugins like Filter Forge 7 (64 bit only now) and Athentech Perfectly Clear. For anyone with P&LD, the 365 program is a total waste of money, given that no new features have been released. I'm surprised that the option is even there.