Is XDPX "19.0.0.63929" ==> "19.0.0.64291" worth the cost? If so how does one do so?

[shiphen]

Hello

I have Xara Designer Pro X "19.0.0.63929 DL x64 Mar-3-2022"

I just got a message to update to "19.0.0.64291" but the link to extend the "Update Service"
(https://rdir.magix.net/?page=RAMJADF6KLQR)
doesn't actually work.

As a freelancer one thing I shall never do is to "rent" my software on a time-bombed basis, but if there are important new features that are worth the money I would consider it. However although Xara Designer is one of my favourite applications, however I don't use it all that often.

J

[Acorn]

shipen, you've not explained if you are within your Update Service period. (You might have bought v18 over a year ago).
If so, any update will be free and available.

The page link appears to work.
Try a different browser?

Acorn

[browj2]

shiphen,

You are not renting the software - you get access to the online catalog content for 1 year and a coupon for 1 yr's worth of M-Hosting. After that the program still works, but no updates/upgrades, no access to the OCC and hosting can be paid for separately. Read the terms of service of the Update Service. Always download everything that you can from the OCC before the year is up unless you want to renew.

[Daniel]

I think by "renting" Shiphen means they don't want software to stop working if they stop paying (and therefore the Magix way of subscription-to-updates working is acceptable, but the Xara way of pure-subscription isn't).

The question is more "what's different in v19.0.0.64291 compared with the earlier version of 19.0.0.63929?"

I'm also freelance, I'd like not to have subscriptions but Xara simply joins Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Xero Accounts, Dropbox, Spotify etc. The three-user licence for Xara at $215pa is the best value subscription I have!

[handrawn]

The question is more "what's different in v19.0.0.64291 compared with the earlier version of 19.0.0.63929?"

not a lot

I have version Xara Designer Pro X 19.0.0.64291 DL x64 May 3 2022 and if you do not use the OCC Shiphen, I would say keep your money this time round....

[Acorn]

shiphen,
You are not renting the software - you get access to the online catalog content for 1 year and a coupon for 1 yr's worth of M-Hosting. After that the program still works, but no updates/upgrades, no access to the OCC and hosting can be paid for separately. Read the terms of service of the Update Service. Always download everything that you can from the OCC before the year is up unless you want to renew.

John, I still feel the Magix model is still a subscription in that if I have not used or downloaded a template component that I cannot reconstruct within the application and that component is blocked from access then I have to subscribe to get it. There are many examples where the XDA has in-built code for such a component that I would not be able to use: Segments, Arrows & Lines, Timelines, ...

Xara offers a sort of 'care pack' in its ..\basefiles\intro folder [accessed through Insert > ...], but even the YT https://youtu.be/1uDRs_Teqsc for P&GD+ does a better job than I have of showing items you cannot regain after losing OCC access.

The other reason I abandoned Magix's approach is you pay for a year's access to new features. If you are lucky, you may get to keep them on that installation.

As a freelance too, I prefer to keep up-to-date so Xara+ offers this for me.

Acorn

[shiphen]

I think by "renting" Shiphen means they don't want software to stop working if they stop paying (and therefore the Magix way of subscription-to-updates working is acceptable, but the Xara way of pure-subscription isn't).

The question is more "what's different in v19.0.0.64291 compared with the earlier version of 19.0.0.63929?"

I'm also freelance, I'd like not to have subscriptions but Xara simply joins Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Xero Accounts, Dropbox, Spotify etc. The three-user licence for Xara at $215pa is the best value subscription I have!

Yes, that is correct. I have no use for catalogues & hosting etc. And in general I have very little use for minor updates either.

The point here is that yes, the subscription business model, can make perfect sense for a large company where there is a regular flow of predictable work for its employees, and obviously application developers love the sense of security it brings.

However as a freelancer/entrepreneurial small company owner, 'renting' software that I may or may not go for months without actually using it makes no sense.

I deeply object to the subscription (i.e. rental) model. To me is a sort of con, whereby once they have got us to subscribe they :
A) Hope the we won't add up just how much the subscription fees come to over time...
B) And/or hope that we will forget to cancel a subscription's renewal.
B) Hope that we don't want to write off our time & energy learning our way around the application(s) in question.
C) Hope that we won't like the idea of being able to edit our own data whenever we like.
D) Hope that all this stops us from experimenting with using their competitors.
E) Hope that we don't mind if they fail to do any significant improvements during the subscription period

So as a matter of principle, I point-blank refuse to 'rent' software. And I am only prepared to buy software out-right. EVER. The only exception is Microsoft 365 (see below).

J


PS Since you ask:
- Google: The have a near monopoly on search, they have a history of bankrupting other companies (e.g. analytics & mapping services), they deeply violate our privacy and fail to pay their taxes ==> no thank you.

- DropBox: I use a bit but only use their free version (I think I still have c. 8GB for free)
- Spotify: I barely use (and then only their free version)
- Microsoft 365 is the only app that I know that I will use enough to justify a subscription. But I make sure that I get my money's worth from their support team!

Also
- X1 Search: (which IMHO, is/was an excellent desktop search utility) have said 'subscription only' so I have dropped them like a hot brick.
- MindManager (which I also love) keeps trying it on too, but again I totally refuse
- Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator I don't use anything like enough so I have dropped them too.

[Acorn]

...
However as a freelancer/entrepreneurial small company owner, 'renting' software that I may or may not go for months without actually using it makes no sense.

I deeply object to the subscription (i.e. rental) model. To me is a sort of con, whereby once they have got us to subscribe they :
A) Hope the we won't add up just how much the subscription fees come to over time...
B) And/or hope that we will forget to cancel a subscription's renewal.
B) Hope that we don't want to write off our time & energy learning our way around the application(s) in question.
C) Hope that we won't like the idea of being able to edit our own data whenever we like.
D) Hope that all this stops us from experimenting with using their competitors.
E) Hope that we don't mind if they fail to do any significant improvements during the subscription period

So as a matter of principle, I point-blank refuse to 'rent' software. And I am only prepared to buy software out-right. EVER. The only exception is Microsoft 365 (see below).

shipen, I find I am on the opposite side of most of your arguments.
A) I have done the maths and XPro+ (with my LIFETIME 50% discount) vs XDPX Update Service are almost identical. XDPX is, however, getting cheaper as it runs out of steam.
B-1) Xara are always up-front about renewals. Xara Cloud > Subscription > Billing History is readily accessible.
B-2) I use XPro+ daily and learn with it all the time. Training for a freelance is vital to maintain an edge. My main clients use Xara products so the cost of maintaining a current product is a necessary benefit. I offer 90-day warranty so again, I keep my subscription active should they use XPro+.
C) As Xara products are 90+% backward-compatible, I have no real issue in having a fall-back to an expired Magix version, a ploy I have advocated from the start. If you have clients who update their own websites themselves, I also believe in retaining a working copy of their version, just to be safe if they come back for a maintenance session. Limited at the moment but has potential, witough Xara+ access, your documents can be edited in Xara Cloud, forever, at no charge. Limited, as it doe not yet handle Layers.
D) I use other products all the time, some subscription. Xara products have major limitations around websites with state, e.g., CMS and if a 3rd party widget doesn't cut it or I cannot built it myself, I will jump across to another product.
E) Magix is the one that eeks out features and releases. Xara Cloud and XPro+ are well ahead. I would only but its for reason C).

I have found that XPro+'s ROI is not against time but number of clients. With just one, I break even and have XPro+ then free for my non-client (hobbyist) interests.
Even if you pay more, you have Xara on-line Help within hours, far better than anything Magix ever achieves.
All for one less bought coffee a week.
If I didn't have clients, I might 'rent' XPro+ monthly, playing with a Magix version in-between.

I too have MS365 as I used to develop lots using VBA; with this learned skill, it also helped me develop in MindManager/SharePoint as it too has a VBA interface.
Never used X1 Search. Back in the day I used Copernic. I have handled vast document management systems (Documentum) and deployed Enterprise SharePoint. I even leveraged a zippy utility named Wilbur for free-format databases.
Most of these products' capabilities are free on Unix systems. Though if X1 Search saves you an hour a week in finding stuff then it has paid for itself in that week. Agent Ransack/FileLocator Pro is non-subscription at a similar price, $79/y + 30% major version upgrade with support back two versions. It probably does not support Cloud or SharePoint.

Acorn

[Daniel]

Dropbox Family, Spotify Family, and Microsoft 365 Family all make the premium services very cheap across five people. I think that they're astonishing value.

I had Magix's software when it was the only option and took out a Xara Pro+ subscription when it became possible. I wanted to give my Magix licence to someone else, but of course at some point its update service expired. It was cheaper to get Xara's Team subscription and it left me with a third licence that I could give to another person.

Yes, if I stop paying for Spotify I can't listen to any music... but while I do pay, I can listen to more music than I could afford to buy and it suggests such interesting music based on my past listening that it is worth the money.

Yes, if I stop paying for Dropbox I can't store so much stuff online... but while I do pay, it's the single easiest and most convenient way of accessing the same data on my PC desktop, laptop, Mac desktop, and mobile phone. I have a NAS and VPN but it's faff, and even with that, sharing folders with others is just not so possible.

Yes, if i stop paying for Xero I can't access my accounts... but while I do pay, I can access them from any computer and I couldn't do that using the traditional bookkeeping software. I can send invoices by email and reconcile the bank more quickly. They make more improvements more often than old and stagnant software ever did.

Yes, if I stop paying for Xara Team+ I can't use the software anymore... but when they sold CD-based perpetual licences I queued up at trade shows to get in first and buy the software directly from them as soon as I could - supporting them directly and encouraging development is worthwhile. Support is excellent too, and the pace of development is faster now than it has been in 20 years.

Google's Workspace email system is the best I've ever used. You can't seriously discount using Google because they've run competitors into the ground... and then defend your only subscription software being from Microsoft. If there's any software company further from being angelic, I'd love to know who!