The January 2012 Xara Xone has been up for a while and after giving it a thorough going over and kicking the tires (tyres) I can report that I like it very much.

Definately a change in artistic style and layout but comfortable to navigate and enjoyable to view. Gary's sense of humor is obviously present on every page and button design. His cast of characters provide a sense of wonder about what the Magician will provide as Tips & Tricks , or what the Call for Entries Announcer will be broadcasting via his microphone. The Gallery features Derek Cooper, long time TG member Masque, showing some of his artwork that pushes Xara Designer to an incredible level of fantasy and photorealistic illustration.

Being accustomed to written tutorials it was a pleasant surprise to watch Gary's video tutorial, and wonder how he managed the entire recording with only one inhalation. (just kidding).

I have not used the Live Effects to a large extent in my own work in the past. Having learned how they can be put to good use and how to avoid the dynamic overhead I can see they will become part of my repertoire.

Thanks Gary for taking on the mantle of the Xara Xone.