How do you feel about the 365 Program?

[gwpriester]

OK, let me repeat, this thread is to discuss the 365 program, + or - or =. NOT a discussion of features or lack of features or a comparison of features.

Confine your responses to what you feel about the 365 program. Please.

If you want to discus features that should be included or features that are in other applications, do it in the Dear Xara forum.

I don't want to do this but if you continue to get OT (and I am not referring to OpenType), I will have to start removing OT comments.

[mwenz]

Ok, everyone, once more with feeling ...

Gary, with all due respect, I do not think one can divorce features--or the lack thereof--from the so-called 365 Update Guarantee. That is what the whole thing is about: Delivering new features during the 365 days one has purchased a license (and 3-4 updates was what was bantered about at the beginning).

Because of Xara's lack of keeping to a normal sense of what those words mean, yeah, it is going to be mentioned. As well, it is normal therefore to mention the types of things I (or we) would have liked to see and how those things ought to work.

I'll refrain from mentioning certain aspects of other applications. But if I believe it is pertinent to the topic (how to do XYZ or whatever), then I will do so.

So I'll do/say what I believe is best, you do what you believe is best.

The best of both worlds...

[handrawn]

I don't think the average user cares how updates are delivered just so long as they are; and preferably those that they want/need/require/asked for, as quickly as possible

the 365 update program has not yet been running for it's first complete cycle and I dare say that if there was an update released tomorrow that included something I had long wished for, my response might change significantly

the 365 model is merely a vehicle for providing a service and it is that service that really matters, not the vehicle

a thread like this will only sample current opinion - what you need are trends; it's a bit early for that....

and I agree with Mike, you cannot expect people who really care about the service to restrict them selves to only talking about the vehicle: either it's roadworthy or it 'aint - only time will tell, as has been said

[haakoo]

The overall consensus is that the 365 model is failing.
To many people don't seem to like the model with nothing to gain
The so called speedy implementing of tools and features are so very few,not even worth to mention.
The model only gave us (paid)content.
But creators whom are using a creation tool are making their own content.(go figure)
The responsibility that should make this 365 model work is more engagement and a direct relationship with your customers.(TG)
But I think the revenue comes first by selling the affiliate programs through magix instead of the fan-base here.
I think Xara sees the people here as old f*rts with to much time their hands.

**Sorry for bumping the thread.

Hans

[wizard509]

I have been having trouble moving an object. For instance I select object and try to drag it to a different location and my hand shakes the mouse quickly I get a duplicate.
delete that one then try again and the same thing. Sometimes I might get 4 or five.

[AndFarr]

Larry,
Select your object with the selector tool, then use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move your object.

[katemoir]

The overall consensus is that the 365 model is failing.
To many people don't seem to like the model with nothing to gain
The so called speedy implementing of tools and features are so very few,not even worth to mention.
The model only gave us (paid)content.
But creators whom are using a creation tool are making their own content.(go figure)
The responsibility that should make this 365 model work is more engagement and a direct relationship with your customers.(TG)
But I think the revenue comes first by selling the affiliate programs through magix instead of the fan-base here.
I think Xara sees the people here as old f*rts with to much time their hands.

**Sorry for bumping the thread.

Hans

Quite a few of you have mentioned this issue of paid content in the Content Catalog. Can I just clarify that in the 365 versions of WDP and PGD we don't currently offer any additional paid content in the Content Catalog, and in Designer Pro only the Business Print Themes. Yes it is true that if you use some of the third party widgets such as JotForm, then that third party might try and upsell you a premium version, but that is their business model and we don't take any cut - we offer JotForm because it is a popular solution for forms (and we also now offer Google Forms as an alternative). Or have I misunderstood what you mean by paid content and affiliate programs?

[wizard509]

Personally I like it, yes we do get updates to the program and there have been several. It takes time to implement a new feature and testing would the new version anyway to make sure the program still performs well. I use it for everything, granted I have problems using certain features but that is just me and in no way reflects on the program. I commend the devs I'm sure their job isn't easy, I know I couldn't do it. For awhile I was not keen on the 365 idea and in some ways I'm still not but in the long run as long as I can I would buy the new version anyway, this way we don't have to wait a year for the updates.

[Albacore]

Just think if you were doing web design just think how much time you would save using the "Online Content Catalogue" that must be worth quite a lot to the majority of users here. It goes against the grain to say this as I am a vector user but the improvements in the bitmap filters and the online stuff has made this type of upgrade worth while. I see so few members saying great thanks for the upgrade in November. Is it because the ones that use TG and reply to topics are the more established TG members and like me we use it as a drawing programme?

[mwenz]

...I see so few members saying great thanks for the upgrade in November. Is it because the ones that use TG and reply to topics are the more established TG members and like me we use it as a drawing programme?

I have an use one (or more) of 3 different image editors on any given day. So the November update wasn't something I would have written home about as that function (image editing) was about the only thing that would have benefited print design. How bitmaps are edited in XDP is fairly non-intuitive to me. How the effects work is slow and fiddly in my opinion as well.

As regards bitmaps, I would have shouted praise from the rooftops had Xara finally did something with utilizing true grayscale images in XDP.

As regards print design work, rolling LCMS would have been praise worthy enough I might take out an ad in the newspaper. One of the first issues I raised with Xara with version 6 (my first version) was Print on All Plates doesn't work on spot color plates—I would have praised Xara for that. I could go on all day.

But bitmap effect filters? Nah. Don't use them by and large. Removing backgrounds on images, something I do a fair amount of? Xara is not as easy nor as effective in use with the types of images I need to do this with. So the bitmap capabilities go unused by me. There are reasons why these things are good to have in Xara applications, but they do not meet my needs.

To the last part of your (probably rhetorical) question, yes. I believe the vast majority of users of any software never grace a forum—whether it would benefit them or not. And even those that do, they typically will not rock the boat like I may choose to do and/or stay out of topics that can be controversial. Most users simply read and or search a forum for answers and go away and get about their business. I have zero life, so I inhabit forums where I think I can help and that are of interest to me.

Mike