How do you feel about the 365 Program?

[handrawn]

“having some, but not all of the features of”

"almost, but not completely, the thing described" **

"apparently but not really"

"having some resemblance usually by possession of certain attributes"

[** but then, the description is never the thing described ]

[Hypervox]

only online designer requires internet access all the time

I'd loved to be proved wrong here, but I was under the impression that XPD now randomly checks it's registration is valid - that requires the internet to be accessible constantly other wise you run the risk of your license becoming invalid. Also, without internet access, you cannot register the license. Previous to XPD9 you could register offline - this is now no longer the case.

I'm in the unfortunate position that I'm behind a company firewall, so I'm unable to regsiter as XPD seems to require non standard port access that's not available to our proxy server.

[Jagga]

Xara - “the fastest vector...” “Xara – the drawing program”… WOW! What a treat! YES! I’ll pay for the added features! Yes!. But then… a move to Web editing. And Photo editing… Sure, I could choose a certain Xara program that was centered on one of the areas. Since I loved the vector-centric program so much, I opted to pay for the “Designer Pro” version, thinking they would offer exceptional software “all-around”. Well, I already have a stable of “image editors”, and “HTML editors”… and – the vector editing area of Xara seems to either have been stagnated, or worse, gone backwards - “to prevent errors by new users”. OK, a work-around will be forthcoming. Not a reversal to the original, better way of “squashing” text or images, as was once so simple and obvious, but the fix is to - oh, read the Forum entry. A question was asked in the Talk Graphics Forum: “How do you feel about the 365 Program?”. As of today (Jan 26, 2018, there are well over 17,000 views (XARA, take note). There are many replies by long-time Xara users who feel abandoned, ignored, taken for granted (perhaps), by the “365” Program that Xara/Magix have conjured. We get to pay (in advance) for… for… we don’t know – future feature updates (pig-in-a-poke) updates. One person (quite accurately) described the 365 Program as “Quasi-Subscription”. Thanks, by the way – it is quite descriptive of the 365 Program. I have to say that I am amateur – and do not make money from any Web or Graphic endeavors. However, I feel for those who do. I have spent money on Xara software, because I loved the vector abilities of Xara. I’m a hobbiest… I’m older, but I try to keep my mind interested, and in the “creative mode”. Are there many like me out there? – I don’t know. I do know that I have used, bought and loved Xara software – up until the “365 Program”. I paid for the “Version 15”, but will not renew. Are there others like me? From the responses on Talk Graphics, I can say “Yes”, there are (pros, too). There are alternatives to Xara that are growing. Do not feel the loyalty is locked in. Some of us feel abandoned/taken for granted. We want Xara to be loyal to us, as well – that’s all. I’ll monitor Xara/Magix (whatever), and will read Talk Graphics entries. These people care for Xara – that is easy to see. Xara, take note. Best of luck to all who depend on Xara for their income – in whatever degree. Anyhow, that's what I think of the "365 Program".

[Egg Bramhill]

An excellent reply Jagga, I believe you talk for many Xara enthusiasts.

[iamtheblues]

Jagga, you have eloquently expressed the feelings of many who contribute to TG. It seems to be a mixture of frustration and sadness felt by many here that Magix and Xara have lost their way, they are directionless, in fact.
Nothing has happened in the way of new vector features for what seems like years now. Why pay a subscription that delivers nothing but pacifiers ~ but we are the dummies here (see what I did there?) aren't we?
Time to move on, methinks. We have waited far too long for no improvements that are worth mentioning. Give us a substantial offering of relevant content that is worth the price of admission, rather than just a new release number. Loyal people on TG and elsewhere, no doubt will just walk away if you don't.
Bob.

[handrawn]

I'd loved to be proved wrong here, but I was under the impression that XPD now randomly checks it's registration is valid - that requires the internet to be accessible constantly other wise you run the risk of your license becoming invalid. Also, without internet access, you cannot register the license. Previous to XPD9 you could register offline - this is now no longer the case.

I'm in the unfortunate position that I'm behind a company firewall, so I'm unable to regsiter as XPD seems to require non standard port access that's not available to our proxy server.

Last I heard ws that, although the program will check the licence validity evry now and then as it does online content, it will not lock you out of the program if the check fails; that said, when the question was asked 'can we run it offline indefinately without being locked out, there was no real satisfactory answer given...

I think I'm right in saying that offline activation died with version 11 [and the switch to a new activation system 'P3']

so it needs it, but not all the time... I guess if you need hard and fast answers raise a ticket with xara support...

[handrawn]

yes well said Jagga

and I emphasise:as far as the squish goes, having to use an alt modifier from now on is actually only helpful up to a point - if say you are using a mouse in one hand and a cintiq pen/tablet with the other, it's going to slow you down, quite a lot, it's not clever

[ernie-f]

Xara - “the fastest vector...” “Xara – the drawing program”… WOW! What a treat! YES! I’ll pay for the added features! Yes!. But then… a move to Web editing. And Photo editing… Sure, I could choose a certain Xara program that was centered on one of the areas. Since I loved the vector-centric program so much, I opted to pay for the “Designer Pro” version, thinking they would offer exceptional software “all-around”. Well, I already have a stable of “image editors”, and “HTML editors”… and – the vector editing area of Xara seems to either have been stagnated, or worse, gone backwards - “to prevent errors by new users”. OK, a work-around will be forthcoming. Not a reversal to the original, better way of “squashing” text or images, as was once so simple and obvious, but the fix is to - oh, read the Forum entry. A question was asked in the Talk Graphics Forum: “How do you feel about the 365 Program?”. As of today (Jan 26, 2018, there are well over 17,000 views (XARA, take note). There are many replies by long-time Xara users who feel abandoned, ignored, taken for granted (perhaps), by the “365” Program that Xara/Magix have conjured. We get to pay (in advance) for… for… we don’t know – future feature updates (pig-in-a-poke) updates. One person (quite accurately) described the 365 Program as “Quasi-Subscription”. Thanks, by the way – it is quite descriptive of the 365 Program. I have to say that I am amateur – and do not make money from any Web or Graphic endeavors. However, I feel for those who do. I have spent money on Xara software, because I loved the vector abilities of Xara. I’m a hobbiest… I’m older, but I try to keep my mind interested, and in the “creative mode”. Are there many like me out there? – I don’t know. I do know that I have used, bought and loved Xara software – up until the “365 Program”. I paid for the “Version 15”, but will not renew. Are there others like me? From the responses on Talk Graphics, I can say “Yes”, there are (pros, too). There are alternatives to Xara that are growing. Do not feel the loyalty is locked in. Some of us feel abandoned/taken for granted. We want Xara to be loyal to us, as well – that’s all. I’ll monitor Xara/Magix (whatever), and will read Talk Graphics entries. These people care for Xara – that is easy to see. Xara, take note. Best of luck to all who depend on Xara for their income – in whatever degree. Anyhow, that's what I think of the "365 Program".

You say/wrote it exactly. I'm one who earned money with graphic design. All my work I've done with Xara all over the times, I do now with the competitor SERIF. Not that Xara is'nt a good Software but I feel helpless in Xaras arms. In an other thread I wrote „don't go with Magix”. And now: we got the HORROR. I think Xara goes the wrong way and Magix is the detour. My money don't go to Magix anymore before we/I know what will be with XDP in the future.

[DanFelix]

"365 has had no significant impact on total revenue and neither did we expect it to. But it will smooth out the revenue over the year and, perhaps more important, smooth the load on our support and testing teams"

Moving to a lease model to achieve income distribution throughout a year (vs. seasonal loads) is a financial management issue. Work load on designers and staff is a planning issue. None of these reasons are materially related to customers preferring a purchase model that is yearly and final. Final in the sense that failure to pay for additional upgrades/membership/leases does not hobble software operation from previous purchases. I cannot think of any other industry that is so structured. Turn off the Excel and Powerpoint and truly listen to your market. Magix/Xara have unprecedented access to customer feedback. Use it.

Dan

[maksimon]

I feel bad. Over the past year, I cried with each new upgrade. What do you do with XDP? Look around! You have still best software, BUT Affinity Publisher will be released in that year and it will hammer the nail in the coffin. The difference will be only in the possibility of creating websites. And this is XWD ... and why would I use XDP? Wake up and finish your vector tools and add a new tools! We really love you(Xara), but lately it seems that it is unrequited. Without large-scale updates of tools I don't pay a single penny ... and I'm very sad to say this(. It seems that you miss the time when you will overtake the competitors((.