Quark promoting XPress 2018 as Cloud Free & no monthly fees

[prwhite]

Quark is promoting QuarkXPress 2018, emphasizing no monthly subscription fee—buy the license & own it. Owners of competing software—InDesign, CorelDraw, Microsoft Publisher & Photoshop—can switch to QuarkXPress 2018 for $399 US$ and save 50% on an XPress 2018 license (a savings of $450 US$ off the regular $849 US$ price).

Key XPress 2018 features include:

• An intuitive user interface, less palette clutter and faster results;
• Convert any AI, EPS, PDF or InDesign file to editable QuarkXPress objects;
• Non-destructive image editing;
• High-quality typographic controls, featuring kerning pairs, font tracking tables, text variables & OpenType fonts;
• More granular design control for optical margin alignment, gradients & opacity;
• Ability to copy objects from Affinity Designer & Adobe Illustrator, copy pie charts from Excel, and paste them as editable QuarkXPress objects;
• Ability to output unlimited iOS & Android Single apps;
• Conversion of print layouts into interactive HTML5 publications;
• Lower cost of ownership.

Upgrades from XPress 2017 can be purchased for $185, or from any prior version for $399. XPress 2018 can be purchased through the Quark Store and authorized resellers. Learn more about QuarkXPress 2018

 

[DCurry]

Smart move - might get some switchers to come back.

 

[Joe]

Maybe but I think many people will still need Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat and in that case there really isn't much incentive to switch.

 

[dabob]

They need to develop some users, like print designers because when the Quark files start rolling in the shops will be buying it . . . but when you haven't seen a quark doc for the last 5 years there isn't much of a need for it . . . .

 

[wonderings]

Maybe but I think many people will still need Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat and in that case there really isn't much incentive to switch.

I certainly have no desire to switch back to Quark. Years of Adobe files and I do not trust Quarks ability to edit Indesign files without issue. A good point as you mentioned that for those who use Illustrator and Photoshop there is no incentive to get away from the cloud as you are already in it with those apps with which you get Indesign as well. I hate the subscription model but like the software. Not sure about Quark saying they have less clutter. I have all the panels I want neatly at the side in all my adobe apps giving me quick access to everything I want.

 

[Dov Isaacs]

Remember that what you “own” with a perpetual license is the right to use the software indefinitely, but with no long term support for OS changes that preclude the ability to run on new OS versions and/or hardware configurations (both Apple and Microsoft are guilty of this now) without upgrading to a new perpetual license that provides such support as well as any upgraded features and long-term bug fixes.

This may work for you and then again it may not. Unfortunately, you can't have both “own” a perpetual license and have indefinite support for OS/hardware compatibility, new features, and long term support without either a subscription or a requirement for a “maintenance contract” which some high-end software packages do require.

- Dov

 

[gordo]

Personally the subscription model has made PShop affordable for me and probably a great many others. I think Quark is making a mistake. AFAIK the subscription model is the way that most high-priced software will be sold. I admit that it's scary when PShop can't connect with Adobe's servers - but fortunately there is a reasonably priced viable alternative with a perpetual license that does most of what PShop does as far as image editing is concerned. Soon, hopefully this summer, there will also be an InDesign alternative (I'm still using InDesign 3 (with its perpetual license) on an old Mac since, based on the minimal use I'd get out of it, I can't justify the cost of adding it to my PShop subscription).

 

[DCurry]

Remember that what you “own” with a perpetual license is the right to use the software indefinitely, but with no long term support for OS changes that preclude the ability to run on new OS versions and/or hardware configurations (both Apple and Microsoft are guilty of this now) without upgrading to a new perpetual license that provides such support as well as any upgraded features and long-term bug fixes.

This may work for you and then again it may not. Unfortunately, you can't have both “own” a perpetual license and have indefinite support for OS/hardware compatibility, new features, and long term support without either a subscription or a requirement for a “maintenance contract” which some high-end software packages do require.

- Dov

This is a perfectly acceptable trade-off.

 

[prepressdork]

Adobe's subscription model is great for those who use only one app or lots of them. For someone like myself, who only use InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat (I have no need for any of the other apps), I suppose an argument could be made that I am paying for apps that I am not using but $959 (team license - all apps) isn't bad for everything that you get. With that price multiplied by 7 (the number of full licenses I have), I will be paying just over $6700 PER YEAR where before CC came to market, I was paying in between $3000-$4000 (upgrade pricing) every 12 and 18 months for the Design Standard flavor of the Creative Suite. So for me, my costs have almost doubled and my app usage hasn't changed.

pd

 

[wonderings]

The subscription model is great for those who use only one app or lots of them. For someone like myself, who only use InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat (I have no need for any of the other apps), I suppose an argument could be made that I am paying for apps that I am not using but $959 (team license - all apps) isn't bad for everything that you get. With that price multiplied by 7 (the number of full licenses I have), I will be paying just over $6700 PER YEAR where before CC came to market, I was paying in between $3000-$4000 (upgrade pricing) every 12 and 18 months for the Design Standard flavor of the Creative Suite. So for me, my costs have almost doubled and my app usage hasn't changed.

pd

What really upsets me is that I have nothing with Adobe CC if I stop paying. Being using CC for 4 years I think now and if I stop now I have no applications, no old previous CC versions, nothing. With the old CS once I paid I always had them. If I wanted to just stop updating I never had to pay a penny more and had functional software that would do what I needed. We had choice before, you could keep buying outright or you had the cloud. They have removed options for us the pro consumer and taken software away. I do not expect them to let me keep whatever the latest version is but after a full year of paying I think it only right to keep the previous version if I decide to stop paying Adobe.

 

[Slammer]

Maybe but I think many people will still need Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat and in that case there really isn't much incentive to switch.

I get along fine with Quark, Afinity Photo and Afiinity Designer, no Adobe needed at all.

 

[Joe]

I get along fine with Quark, Afinity Photo and Afiinity Designer, no Adobe needed at all.

Hey if it works for you that is great.