Xara products in DVD-style packaging?

[AntonyF]

I can understand that John. Old computer things from me start to travel from "They might be useful" to "But they're of historical interest!"

I'm ditching every floppy disk I own tonight (really). http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

[amoore]

Anthony

I've never had a Xara box. I've always downloaded and gotten the CD by mail later. The CD goes in my central storage, and any subsequent installs are from the CD. The original download files are maintained on a hard disk partition. In the office, that partition is backed up regularly. At home, I need to do it more often.

While it sounds good to archive to CD, with the new understanding that home-burned CDs may not be all that longlasting, I figure I'm pursuing a reasonably safe course.

As for boxed items in general, I hold the box until I'm sure the software/hardware is functioning as expected. Then I review the box for info that may not be readily accessible otherwise. If there is any, I strip out that panel and put it in a file folder. (Rarely necessary with software.) I may also keep the UPS info. The rest of the box goes in recycling.

Manuals are on the desk until I'm comfortable without them. Then they move to the bookshelf, which is 8-10 feet away in both home and office. For most software, I keep only the current manual.

Software CDs are moved to legacy storage as they're replaced, primarily for upgrade and audit purposes.

[amoore]

Rammie

I'm well aware of the advantages and disadvantages of jewelcases since between home and office I have 400-500 of them (mostly music).

If you have a lot of DVDs, it makes great sense to ditch your VHS stuff and standardize on DVD. To date, I have no DVDs. I'm sure I will eventually, but so far none of the stuff I'm interested in is distributed that way. And since DVDs may not be any more stable than CDs, I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't a new distribution format altogether coming down the pike.

In the office, we've never used jewelboxes for the CDs we distribute for exactly the reasons you cite. We've always used polyethylene clamshells. OTOH, there are no graphics, marketing material or serial numbers, so we don't need the additonal print surfaces.

Altogether I have fewer than a dozen CDs in nonstandard packaging, including a couple in DVD cases. All of them are problems because they can't go in the normal filing system. They have to be stored elsewhere, so they're out of mind, sight and order. Or they stick out of the open racks, so they tend to get knocked off, or knock other CDs off when you move them in and out.

As a replacement for Xara's jewelcases, my first choice is still a printed cardboard sleeve as Masque describes (assuming it fits into standard CD storage). I could live with the clamshell as AndFarr suggests, but it's still too anonymous to be useful for ID purposes.

[AntonyF]

Erm Allison, if you get the CD version and not the boxed version, how does this affect you? http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/confused.gif

You should just continue to get the CD-only version...

[RAMWolff44]

So you are saying, Antony, that the CD only version will continue to be shipped with just the plastic sleeve and the new "boxed" version will come in a handy dandy DVD type of packaging?? http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

Allison, the DVD format FAR outdoes the VHS format. Worth getting serious about, IMHO!! I fought it and fought it and now I am so glad I did. DVD players are a dime a dozen these days and can play not only DVD's but most newer models can also read and play MP3's and CDR and CDRW's with music on them as well and I suppose if the format is right even home movies!! It's a format that will probably be around for the common folk of the world for a few more decades!

[amoore]

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Erm Allison, if you get the CD version and not the boxed version, how does this affect you?

You should just continue to get the CD-only version...
---------------------------------

Of course, http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif It's a semantic thing. Assuming we're given a choice when obtaining software, the choice is usually electronic download or physical medium (these days, mostly CD), which is sometimes referred to as "boxed" even though the "box" is only a jewelcase. I've gotten "boxed" software that consisted of a CD in a printed cardboard sleeve shrinkwrapped on top of a manual.

Until this particular thread, I had no idea that Xara ever came in an actual box. http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/smile.gif How every sophisticated. http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/wink.gif http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

Rammie,
I don't doubt you're right about DVD outdoing VHS. Over the last 10 years, I've purchased maybe a dozen video tapes altogether. The ones I'm most interested in are not available on DVD. Even if the others are, they're not worth replacing just for the sake of a new format. Same goes for the couple of dozen programs I've recorded on video tape myself.

As for lasting value, the DVD format itself is not the issue. It's the physical medium. CDs, particularly non-commercial CDs, have been shown to have a much shorter life than expected, and that's assuming they're handled with care. FWIU, DVDs are a similar medium and have a similar problem, although they may last a bit longer.

[AntonyF]

Currently we have just the CD in a jewel case.

And the CD in a jewel case in a box (with a shortcut card and Xara Xone CD in the case of Xara X, manual in Webstyle etc.). This is the boxed version.

So RAMWolff, there will still be two versions. The just-CD (which is a jewel case, not a sleeve incidentally) and as you say the boxed version will be in the handy dandy DVD type packaging.

As to the VHS vs DVD thing. I used to have about 220 VHS videos. I'm now down to about 45 videos (mostly stored away) and I'm up to 274 DVD products. http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/smile.gif I like DVD.

[Clif]

I would love it if the next version of xara came in a dvd case with two spots... One for the actual software cd, and the other for users to put a cd of their xara artwork for quick convenient storage http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

[AntonyF]

Just an update, as quite a few of you voted in the poll and gave your views.

As there was no particular negative reaction to DVD-style packaging, we went ahead and implemented it for Xara3D. The reason why we went with Xara3D is purely because that's where our stock was low, and we needed to order more. So that was a good time to change.

So it's in a DVD case now, which works really well. It's much more compact, sturdy and easier to mail. It should even fit through most letterboxes now. The manual sits in the case, and there's an overlap design that allows both CDs to sit on one side of the case.

Any customers who buy Xara3D from now on will get this case. So we'll be keeping an ear to the ground for any reaction, and if anyone here buys it by all means please give your views on the packaging.

Webstyle will probably be converted over too in the same fashion, when stocks are low. Xara X is a little more undecided; it's our flagship product, so I'm looking into possibly doing something a little different (whilst keeping with the same benefits of DVD-style packaging). But this is very much up in the air at the moment, as I'm just investigating, so no particular news or plans on this one.

Thanks again for all the feedback.

[John Rayner]

Thanks For the update AntonyF!