October 12th: Typically we either report news or write opinion articles based on the news, but this is current news in an opinion article, if you will. Quark, today, announced QuarkQPress 6.5. It will be shipping in thirty days and will have long awaited features. On their website, they seven new features and the popular, "and much more!", which only says, "this is the best we have". I will settle for seven more features if they are things I really need and before Quark could not offer me.
Let's analyze the additions to Xpress 6.5. "Click Full Story"
Quark bosts you can:
1. Import PSD files using PSD Import XTensions® software.
2. Place guides on master page pasteboards.
3. Group, rotate, and autogrow tables.
4. Set custom bleeds.
5. Simplify IT management with support for Citrix servers and run the application off a server instead of an individual users computer.
Wait a second. You could not do these things in Quark 6.1? Are these not features that users desprately need? They bost the ability to import PSD (Photoshop) files "with and Xtension". Keep in mind this is standard in Adobe's InDesign. Secondly, you can place master guides on Master pages, group rotate and autogrow tables, and set custom bleeds on your projects. Aside from the "custom bleeds", I am sure you can do the other things in InDesign without Xtensions or other nonsense.
The final feature, running the App off a Citrix server locally, is pretty cool, but this only creates more firm spending on IT support to get this working and maintaing it. If that server is down, you don't make your deadline.
My question is, why were these not standard features, aside from the server side launching, in version 6 or even 6.1? Did it take them a year to notice that users need these features? Indesign 2 and CS had these features and users that work with these applications know this. I guess the quote, "better late than never" applies to this.
One more thing Quark lists as a "feature", is a thousand dollars credit worth of linotype fonts, which I doubt they even paid for and is a promotional thing from Linotype. Honestly, this is not a feature, but an incentive, so that narrows it down to six new enhance ments to QuarkXPress 6.5? No thanks, I will stick with Adobe CS.
With Serial Installations, more recognizable interface, and the ability to work well with Photoshop and other applications when updating links and files within the other apps, I am staying with InDesign.