I earn my living using Xara for 95% of all I do. I spend all day producing work for product labelling, signage, web sites and web graphics. I use it for vector illustration as well as photo manipulation and if I can't produce something with Xara Designer I usually use Xara Designer to find a way around and do it anyway.
It's my living as well as my interest that I turn to Xara to help me with. If they had computers on desert islands this is the software I'd take along with my 8 mp3s.
Derek