Why Xara Designer Pro+

[Promidi]

I hope we can at least see a November 2020 update for Designer Pro X that incorporates all the improvements that have been added to Designer Pro X+ (sans cloud stuff).

There is also another possibility. We have to wait until Designer Pro X 18 in 2021 for the next update.

[wizard509]

I hope we can at least see a November 2020 update for Designer Pro X that incorporates all the improvements that have been added to Designer Pro X+ (sans cloud stuff).

There is also another possibility. We have to wait until Designer Pro X 18 in 2021 for the next update.

Yeah me too.

[Initiostar]

I hope we can at least see a November 2020 update for Designer Pro X that incorporates all the improvements that have been added to Designer Pro X+ (sans cloud stuff).

There is also another possibility. We have to wait until Designer Pro X 18 in 2021 for the next update.

As regards to enhancing Designer Pro X, it may not be in Xara's commercial interests to promote a true competitive product / (alternative pricing model) though its Magix reseller channel. Pro will get upgraded at some time, but maybe not with all the new goodies (whatever they might be).

It is sadly crass marketing on behalf of Xara and naïve at best to assume the majority of its historic customer base (handed-over to Magix) are going to roll-over and sign-up to a new Xara Pro+ @ circa £100 per annum (after the 50% discount).

Personally, I see no merit in maintaining a Magix Upgrade Service at £99 per annum either, when there is no visibility/roadmap/ timescale for any upgrade.

My current ongoing Xara cost is zero – when Pro v18 (or whatever it is called) appears, maybe in March 2021, it will be worth a look. Meantime and with many thanks to TG support, I'm staying put with Pro v17.

[bwood]

@acorn. Features > Limited. What the heck does that mean?

For the sites I do there’s no way a non profit can afford $$ per month. Apparently there is some kind of break for non profits but I’ve been unable to find it.
-Bill

[Acorn]

@acorn. Features > Limited. What the heck does that mean?

I don't know but my guess above was it referred to the crippled sub-products in https://www.xara.com/uk/designer-pro/compare/.

Acorn

[bwood]

To all! I’m thinking at the moment to shift all my sites to Pro+. The non profit price is quite attractive.
Question. Will my current sites open on the Cloud based version of Xara? Will everything work as constructed in the DP versions?

Many Thanks,
Bill

[Acorn]

To all! I’m thinking at the moment to shift all my sites to Pro+. The non profit price is quite attractive.
Question. Will my current sites open on the Cloud based version of Xara? Will everything work as constructed in the DP versions?

Many Thanks,
Bill

Bill, everything will work as if you were using XDPX on the Desktop with Xara Designer Pro+.

The Cloud only gets involved if you enable a Cloud server to store your design files.
I use Dropbox anyhow and occasionally I open the design file in Xara Cloud+.
The things you can see, you can edit and if you have XDP+ open, the changes in either are quickly reflected in the other when you perform a Save. Do note Xara Cloud(+) is not yet fully featured to take over as a replacement for your Desktop application.

What I use Xara Cloud+ for is to present my website using Share > Share to web. This is a SSL-secure link so I am happier to present my designs with clients during development.
The Share > Download options are also useful.

Xara Cloud+ is effectively a rendering engine of Xara Designer Pro+ on a server rather than on your machine.
Unless someone corrects me, there is no direct path to publishing your design from Xara Cloud into your server Provider's environment.

I am quite happy with the service, although the earlier 2-hour response is now set at 3-hours.
I also like the immediacy of changes.
I am less bothered with it being a subscription as if it stops, I still have XDPXv17.0 to use and I could switch to a monthly subscription if I had a clutch of work.
I do find I design down so my sites will still edit in the earlier versions so I am well-covered.

Acorn

[bwood]

Thanks @acorn. Appreciated.

[MB365]

Bill, everything will work as if you were using XDPX on the Desktop with Xara Designer Pro+.

The Cloud only gets involved if you enable a Cloud server to store your design files.
I use Dropbox anyhow and occasionally I open the design file in Xara Cloud+.
The things you can see, you can edit and if you have XDP+ open, the changes in either are quickly reflected in the other when you perform a Save. Do note Xara Cloud(+) is not yet fully featured to take over as a replacement for your Desktop application.

What I use Xara Cloud+ for is to present my website using Share > Share to web. This is a SSL-secure link so I am happier to present my designs with clients during development.
The Share > Download options are also useful.

Xara Cloud+ is effectively a rendering engine of Xara Designer Pro+ on a server rather than on your machine.
Unless someone corrects me, there is no direct path to publishing your design from Xara Cloud into your server Provider's environment.

I am quite happy with the service, although the earlier 2-hour response is now set at 3-hours.
I also like the immediacy of changes.
I am less bothered with it being a subscription as if it stops, I still have XDPXv17.0 to use and I could switch to a monthly subscription if I had a clutch of work.
I do find I design down so my sites will still edit in the earlier versions so I am well-covered.

Acorn

Publishing. If you are using Xara Desktop to publish a site and the .xar/.web file has the required settings, then you can open, edit and republish the site with Xara Cloud. There are scheduled improvements in this area of Xara Cloud, including better feedback and collaboration workflow between designer and client (or document creator and other team members). Hope this helps highlight a few more capabilities of Xara.

[Sheridan]

Hi,
I just got (another?) email from Xara - the one as above, from Ana... it's most confusing, even despite having a text-chat with Xara several weeks ago...

They offered me the 50% life-time discount. When I pointed out that I had only just renewed the annual update-service (just for WebDesigner) with Magix, Xara offered me 16 weeks extension for free. OK, not bad, but they'd based their math on the full cost, thus halving the free extension period! (It's not a huge amount of money, but the principal is core to building trust). I asked about the Magix/Xara relationship, the future plans, bug reporting, fixing etc, etc. - none of that was answered.

The only thing that I was tempted by, was that support (for Pro+, inc WebDesigner) was with Xara directly, seemed to be better, and has a UK office (I think, if I recall correctly??). Just the improved support alone is tempting. I have spent many, many hours collecting screenshots, reporting bugs, fathoming a work-around etc, for Magix support (by email). Quite often a response comes many days later (in the middle of a project - not good), and often with an initial response of either 'its supposed to do that' or 'please send more information' (to which I usually respond with "see my 3rd email already sent" or similar!! Grrh). Not that I blame the support staff!

I am more than happy (addicted?) to collecting info to help solve a bug that leads to a fix. But when it mostly seems to fall on deaf ears...

The Pro+ web/collaborative aspects could also be great - to smooth working on web pages with remote clients, but that needed me to assess by use of trial software... and I've put that on the back-burner for now...

Overall, the key factors (for users and their clients) is the long-term strategy for the software, support and training/learning options (I've found the help to be somewhat 'all over the place', but perhaps I am expecting too much!?)

The Magix-supplied WebDesigner is still powerful software, but the 'querks' made it a horrid experience on occassions, especially when they're so obvious and probably relatively simple to fix in code. Let's hope Xara find their way.

Cheers