how do I free trial the new features, now my licence has expired ?

**handrawn** · 03 August 2017, 03:07 PM

can someone explain to me how, now my update service has expired, I can run a free trial of the new features in subsequent updates - I have tried this for the 25July update [my licence expired 04July] but it will not let me, I get the messages attached below

I sincerely hope I have not received 12 months of patchy updates, in advance, at the price of not being able to test out new features without paying for an update licence first - ie goodbye to free trials

Ok in my particular case I could sandbox a virtual computer - but I shouldn't have to, and nor should anyone else.. so what am I missing?

thanks

**bubbbab** · 03 August 2017, 04:38 PM

As far as I can tell, you're not missing anything. That's part of the mouse trap, buy before you try. Xara is not alone in this. Most big developers are moving to a subscription platform and while I haven't seen such percentages of price increase before, the concept isn't new. Users become dependant on software and then regardless of perceived value, most of the user base has to stay on the boat. I don't want to go deeply into my personal opinions about the new platform, except to say that Xara will likely always be a part of my life, desirable or not. There isn't a lot of difference between Developers/Users and Dealers/Junkies

Mine is due as well, and I'll likely reluctantly, renew. In the final analysis, in my opinion, Xara does it better and faster than the other high end packages I use which I will always also need. They have a business to run, and at some point the light bulb went on and they figure out this has a much better ROI than funding development during the year and not getting revenue from it until release. Good or bad, if you don't like the weird Uncle being at the party, you need to leave.

EDIT: I should also add that in my opinion, having been with Xara I think since 2004, they have always had tech support that is the best in the industry, bar none, as well as a very helpful user community.

**handrawn** · 03 August 2017, 04:59 PM

existing users: buy before you try - but for you flies not yet in the spiders web - you can still try it for free....

maybe there is a way and someone will tell us how it's done [apart from the obvious [if you're technical] hacking that this will only encourage]

I've been a xara user since 2003 - xara X - never had any problems with xara support - always been very helpful

**dutchim** · 03 August 2017, 05:22 PM

As far as I can see only new customers get to try it out... Existing customers get to stare at it from the sideline

**handrawn** · 03 August 2017, 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by katemoir

But do always bear in mind that you don't have to renew until you see enough updates to make it worthwhile for you personally

Kate - if I cannot free trial updates, how can I be sure they are worthwhile? - are you going to move to a position where the updates are so simplistic and straight forward that a user can tell, merely by reading release notes, just how useful something will be to them personally ?

Your update service page offers up and coming 'new cutting edge features' and that 'you can keep up with the latest trends in....graphic design! - no sign of any of that so far, and I am not going to take it on trust in the future, sorry
[I've not quoted the web stuff, because for all I know that is cutting edge, but somehow, from comments made elsewhere, I doubt it]

So hopfully as I said at the start I am missing something here? [apart from keeping a spare computer and clean image handy for sandbox testing - tiresome]

thanks