I have a bad feeling we are all repeating the same things again and again, and worse still I'm about to do the same! But for the benefit of those who haven't seen the previous discussions, can I clarify:

- the software will continue to work after expiry on your current installations, for all of you who have said that you do not use content and Online Designer that would appear to be the key thing
- if you *do* use the content then it can be downloaded in the Local Designs Gallery (remember as Pro owners you also have a DVD that contains the content from last July)
- the widgets such as forms and slideshows continue to work after expiry, ditto symbols, fonts etc
Information on the Update Service can be found @ http://www.xara.com/update-service/

Many of you who have posted in this thread don't like the Update Service, I've completely got that message, but I wonder if you really prefer the alternatives. We can return to a yearly upgrade model, and you can wait a year to access anything new we develop in the meantime, including Online Designer updates (which is typically updated monthly, often needing updates to the desktop version too). Or we could move to a true subscription model - easier to understand for sure than our hybrid model - but the software will stop working when your subscription ends. What we actually have is something in the middle, hopefully offering some of the benefits without the obvious usual price to pay (software stops working).

On testing and support, I'd argue that the current model is a big help - we no longer have the massive upturn in tickets and huge pressure on testing at the time of the annual release, when standards slipped as a consequence. Because we can spread testing and support more evenly thru the year, the net result is better testing and quicker support. If none of you have noticed that I confess I'm a bit disappointed!