JUST RELEASED! Xara Designer Pro X365

[slavelle]

First - I generally don't have a problem with subscription software, depending on the implementation and the "proof of consistent updates", I think it can make a lot of sense. So I have a few observations and concerns on the Xara version of this:

1. I use Cakewalk Sonar for music production. They have had a monthly and yearly upgrade subscription. The way that it worked was that when you got the updates for "that year" whether you got it via monthly or an all-at-once payment, you retained the features released during the year you installed.

The Xara method states that when you re-install after your "subscription", you go back to the originally released features. This is potentially a problem as the appeal of the subscription is that you get updates during the year that it seems like should be retained to me. Not a fan of this, especially with as often as I replace hardware and could potentially skip a year of updates.

2. There is not currently a track-record of updates to go on. I have no idea what is coming down the pike for the year or what surprises there might be. Based on the fact that the new version of Designer has Zero updates to the X11 version that are Designer specific, my expectation is that the updates during the year will only be those that Web Designer and Graphic Designer get. Not terribly compelling, especially considering that many of the new features after a year of development are kind of underwhelming to me anyway - I don't have a huge amount of hope that the new features introduced in the coming months will be more attractive.

3. The flip side to #2 is that I see that there are July 2016 updates on the Web Designer product but that those are not yet listed on the Designer Pro page for X365. Is it safe to assume that the Web Designer and Graphic Designer features will come out to the Designer Pro line? At the same time?

Your thoughts on these items are important to my upgrade or don't question.

[mwenz]

The Xara method of subscription is all wrong. A muddling of several different subscription models--and not for the better. What you describe of how Cakewalk's subscription is, is also how Corel's works. Even so, I don't use Corel's either. Xara's is more like a "Sneak Peek" to what you will receive IF you re-subscribe at the end of one's subscription period.

And yep, Xara's track record for delivering useful drawing and/or typographical improvements is not very stellar. If they couldn't deliver more of these items in the past, I don't have confidence that quarterly delivery of features will excite me very much either. But unless they have a stockpile of features sitting there, and/or unless they have hired more programmers to flesh out and expand these types of features, I lack confidence it will not just be a repeat of the past dribbled out 4 times a year. Only time will tell.

[slavelle]

Yeah - when Cakewalk initially pushed out their subscription feature, I wasn't sold that there would be consistent updates or updates that I cared about. After 1 year of proving themselves, I was much more open to the idea, I just wan't spending any time in my studio. When they opened up a "Sonar for Life" update special (free updates to the core product "forever), I couldn't resist and went for it.

One of the things I really like NOW about this is that they have a roadmap website showing all of the things they've added over the last 18 months since they started doing this as well as a new section of what's coming up this year (which they will have more to add if history is any indicator).

Check out this page to see "how it's done": http://www.cakewalk.com/Products/SON...-Updates#start

I want this sort of assurance.

I understand that it's the same $99 to upgrade to this new version as it was last time and it already has updates in it, but if you are going to sell me on a model, I'd like to know that it's not stuff like "look at these new emojis" or "another base website template included in your subscription. I want new effects, libraries of brushes, new vector shapes, etc.

Again - don't get me wrong here: I like some of these models. The Office 365 model works very well for most of the IT business support we do (and for my own business). It's more cost effective, period. I like the Cakewalk model as well, since they have proven that they are going to actually provide very useful and valuable updates.

[mwenz]

It would take a major shift in thinking for Xara to use a road map of future features. Serif does the same with the Affinity line of products, but they never did with the Plus line.

[slavelle]

Yeah - I saw the Affinity line. I got the beta of the PC version. There are definitely some interesting things going on there, but what a huge learning curve just to get back to the same level of understanding. Like all software, I imagine that after knowing the affinity program at the same level of depth that I know Xara, which is pretty deep, but not expert by any means, I'd likely find other issues with their program, mny shorcomings, performance issues, missing features, etc. I used to have some Serif products and back "in the day" there were things that were really cool compared to other options on the market (like PageMaker) but in the end there were too many isues to take the products seriously.

But I'll definitely give Serif the nod on the marketing savvy on their Affinity product - MUCH more compelling than the equivalent Xara program videos. But when I get the beta/demo, it is an adventure in "how long will it take me to be productive here".

Just some random thoughts.

[JLewis]

Downloaded the trial for X365. Appreciate all the new features. However, the one new feature I was looking for doesn't seem to be there. This would be an organizational chart-looking site view of all pages of a website, where you can add new pages, move pages, change titles of pages, mark some pages as nonpublish, etc. Otherwise, going beyond say a dozen pages to a website, how do you keep track of all the pages during the design process?

[gwpriester]

JLewis - You can drag and drop pages in the Page & Layer Gallery to new positions but a more expanded view is something we have been hoping for for some time. NetObjects Fusion has this view and it does make it easier to create larger websites. I have both but Xara is by far more productive so I have to work around some limitations.

[Ed S.]

I certainly hope Xara is planning on extending the deadline for the upgrade discount. I'm unable to order using my credit card for whatever reason.

[siran]

Ed, you might contact support and ask to pay via paypal.

[MarcT]

Hi, would it be possible to know about the PDF improvements ?

Marc