Update to Xara Designer Pro X 16 - or not?

[Fred C]

In addition to the what's new link, please refer to this link that highlights additional feature releases: https://www.xara.com/uk/designer-pro/whats-new/older/. Also I'd recommend reviewing the release notes to see many improvements that add up to a lot.

Hopefully, you will find that it is beneficial to upgrade from v8.1.1 to v16.3.

Happy holidays,
Matt
CEO of Xara

The link shows v15 , no v16 .
??

[Acorn]

The link shows v15 , no v16 .
??

v16 is in this previously posted link: https://www.xara.com/uk/designer-pro/whats-new/.

Acorn

[Helle]

First of all, a happy newyear....
I noticed the PDF export is somewhat better.
If I chose to buy X16 and for some reason my custom tool bar keeps disappearing when/if the software crash - will you pay me my money back?

[Helle]

Hmm, so the offer for a new license is 159$ and you also get Panorama studio (39.95$)
So if I buy a new license and don't want Panorama studio, I should actually only pay 119.05$

But as a 12 year longtime customer I shall pay 129$ on a special offer including something called ASEOPS 11 which I will never use.

All I want is just an upgrade for Xara Designer and not all kinds of exstra software.

How can I upgrade clean without exstra software for a sensible price?

[Acorn]

Hmm, so the offer for a new license is 159$ and you also get Panorama studio (39.95$)
So if I buy a new license and don't want Panorama studio, I should actually only pay 119.05$
But as a 12 year longtime customer I shall pay 129$ on a special offer including something called ASEOPS 11 which I will never use.
All I want is just an upgrade for Xara Designer and not all kinds of exstra software.
How can I upgrade clean without exstra software for a sensible price?

You can't, this is the price Xara has exacted on us for getting into bed with Magix.

Perversely, I have taken out Xara Cloud Pro and now get a XDPX licence thrown in for free. I negotiated for this to just be an extension to my current licence and Xara were happy to do so.
In effect, I have a £-€-$12.95/month subscription, costing £-€-$155.40 up front for a year so I benefit with XDPX and Xara Cloud Pro and Xara-only support (no Magix). I don't get Magix offers thrown in!

Acorn

P.S. I still hate the false parity of exchange rates: £-€-$.

[Helle]

One thing I will never have is any subscription software. My last buy was Adobe Master Class CS6 and it ends there. Subscription in my point of view is robbery in full daylight! I don't get that any people will fall for this!. I buy software every now and then I rarely use, only for special task. If I had to pay and pay and pay - that would be insane. So subscription is a clear no go for me!

Well maybe I will buy the Pro update, I still use the trial and are looking for something worth 129$ :-)

[Acorn]

Xara's approach is a botched hybrid. You can continue using the application outside of the subscription. The subscription allows access to templates and shapes with updates in the year.

It fails to properly address bug patching. It mucks up designs where you have used a SmartShape in good faith within your subscription to then find it inert in your earlier initial purchase.

@MB365/@Xara - it may cost one year's revenue to ensure we get the last subversion update against any given major version. It re-aligns your revenue stream back to annual. Your current updates in a year seem to be haphazard.
Say your major release was July and I buy in December, then bill me every December for a full year; all I have to do is terminate and get a refund of what I haven't used. You get revenue throughout the year. I get to retain, download again and use the last update within my subscription period.
@MB365/@Xara - allow the Online Content Catalogue to stay open to all. Lock it by all means to the subversion. You get to see and potentially target out of cover users with offers to resubscribe that match their actual usage.

Acorn

[Helle]

Uhh, glad I don't use templates and smart objects that often. Rather not actually :-))