- a crippling activation scheme (I have copies of all my software and workfiles on a bootable external firewire drive. That way, if my main drive dies, I'm up and running in a few minutes. If I need to go work somewhere, I just pick up my drive, boot form it on whatever machine I'm handed and I have all my stuff, fonts, preferences, etc. I even work that way on the laptop! Seems Quark doesn't want me to work that way...)
- publish and subscribe is gone (major, major bummer!)
- can't save to version 4.0 (Ooo! Shades of Microsoft circa '95: "Resistance is futile! You will be assimilated!" My main clients request 4.0 files, and I don't see them upgrading soon 'coz there's nothing in it for them...)
And they call it an upgrade? Sounds like a downgrade to me! Don't get me wrong, the idea of ditching classic sounds mighty sweet, but I don't see 6.0 working for me. Maybe I'll start toying around with InDesign again.
While the article may be accurate as a review, the fact is that Quark is once again taking a cavalier attitude towards customers.
Despite claiming publicly that 6.0 was shipping, the reality is that as recently as July 16, they are back-ordered and say it will be "20-30 days, maybe longer" before orders placed and paid for in June are filled.
This is a constantly changing date--two weeks ago, orders were expected to go out in "a week or so," so there is no reason to believe this latest date.
As a production person using Quark and InDesign on a daily basis I have serious problems with Quarks Activation ( I am still waiting to have it correctly activated) Quark 6 as a software program for the output of pages works perfectly fine but the activation thing is just plain madness it does not work as it should (ie first time) I have tried the internet option the phone and am now trying the emailing of the activation codes to quark after i had to fax the details to them (yes very hi tech). Once I have the program up and running it is fine however Quark need to wake up seriously if they are to remain at the top of the game they have to cop on that they are taking serious liberties with their customer loyalty. By the way we are now able to get more work from agencies as the designers are far more comfortable with InDesign than they are with Quark. Also an issue that my brother a trainee graphic designer has brought to my attention is that InDesign while it may lack serious inroads in the production field is making serious inroads in the creative agency area and the point is that at the end of the day is that our work comes from designers at the end of the day and they will go to companies that are using their software and can produce the artwork that they have created the way they want it to appear. I don't like the idea of Adobe ruling the world either but Quark are damaging themselves irrepairably in way that they are behaving towards their customers creative and production based.
Submitted by Julesxarc on Wed, 11/26/2003 - 23:13.
I agree with most of this article, however, I can clearly see Adobe Indesign is leaving Quark in the dust in many, many ways. Best of all is that InDesign is less expensive than Quark to buy or upgrade. Spend less and get more with Indesign. Quark pdf features are a joke as well as attempting to make Quark a web tool. Quark is just too Quarky --- Go for InDesign. You will be much happier and much more satisfied with more cash left in your pocket.
This is mentioned very briefly in "What's Not There," and Sandee below is right--it will be a much missed feature. Hopefully this will be addressed in a third-party XTension. But compatibility with Adobe products like Photoshop and Illustrator is certainly one of the benefits of InDesign.
Submitted by GeneGable on Tue, 07/08/2003 - 05:13.
Love it or hate it, Quark is the standard. When it comes to reliable output, I still don't think much surpasses it, although InDesign may be getting there.
There are 2 things about the article that come to mind, one is the choices that an OS 9 using shop has, and OSX and Quark. Gene hit the nail on the head concerning choices that users have at this juncture in time. I came real close to abandoning my Mac based workflow, especially because all of the major software I need to function is available cross-platform. Instead, I've decided to continue on with a new (G4) Mac, going to an OSX machine and using Quark 6 and InDesign 2.
I agree with the comment about Tim Gill and the direction of the company, I think it has lost it's soul. I've been really fortunate in my dealings with Quark, when we were members of Service Plus, they always treated me well, especially during the 4.00 release disaster. I can't believe it has taken them this long to release something for OSX. Maybe they thought the same thing I thought, if the software is essentially the same on both platforms, why develop for the tiny market share on the Mac? Am I the only Mac user who feels like the poor relation when it comes to software?
Time will tell how well Quark 6 succeeds, I hope they take a clue from Adobe and throw in a few things for the faithful who have been using the software long-term.
Submitted by geozinger on Tue, 07/08/2003 - 06:40.
I've looked through the article and can't find mention of the missing feature that allowed you to edit a placed image in a program such as Photoshop or Illustrator.
This has to do with the fact that Quark 4 and 5 used the ancient Publish and Subscribe code to open placed images and then update them in the program.
Without this, Quark 6 has no way to launch the editing program, and then update the placed image.
This is a feature service bureaus and designers use all the time. Without it, the program is really crippled.
Submitted by SandeeCohen99 on Tue, 07/08/2003 - 03:38.
Downgrade to 6.0...
Let me get this straight:
- a crippling activation scheme (I have copies of all my software and workfiles on a bootable external firewire drive. That way, if my main drive dies, I'm up and running in a few minutes. If I need to go work somewhere, I just pick up my drive, boot form it on whatever machine I'm handed and I have all my stuff, fonts, preferences, etc. I even work that way on the laptop! Seems Quark doesn't want me to work that way...)
- publish and subscribe is gone (major, major bummer!)
- can't save to version 4.0 (Ooo! Shades of Microsoft circa '95: "Resistance is futile! You will be assimilated!" My main clients request 4.0 files, and I don't see them upgrading soon 'coz there's nothing in it for them...)
And they call it an upgrade? Sounds like a downgrade to me! Don't get me wrong, the idea of ditching classic sounds mighty sweet, but I don't see 6.0 working for me. Maybe I'll start toying around with InDesign again.
Quark and Customers
While the article may be accurate as a review, the fact is that Quark is once again taking a cavalier attitude towards customers.
Despite claiming publicly that 6.0 was shipping, the reality is that as recently as July 16, they are back-ordered and say it will be "20-30 days, maybe longer" before orders placed and paid for in June are filled.
This is a constantly changing date--two weeks ago, orders were expected to go out in "a week or so," so there is no reason to believe this latest date.
Activation woes Quark insanity
As a production person using Quark and InDesign on a daily basis I have serious problems with Quarks Activation ( I am still waiting to have it correctly activated) Quark 6 as a software program for the output of pages works perfectly fine but the activation thing is just plain madness it does not work as it should (ie first time) I have tried the internet option the phone and am now trying the emailing of the activation codes to quark after i had to fax the details to them (yes very hi tech). Once I have the program up and running it is fine however Quark need to wake up seriously if they are to remain at the top of the game they have to cop on that they are taking serious liberties with their customer loyalty. By the way we are now able to get more work from agencies as the designers are far more comfortable with InDesign than they are with Quark. Also an issue that my brother a trainee graphic designer has brought to my attention is that InDesign while it may lack serious inroads in the production field is making serious inroads in the creative agency area and the point is that at the end of the day is that our work comes from designers at the end of the day and they will go to companies that are using their software and can produce the artwork that they have created the way they want it to appear. I don't like the idea of Adobe ruling the world either but Quark are damaging themselves irrepairably in way that they are behaving towards their customers creative and production based.
Quark is second place to InDesign
I agree with most of this article, however, I can clearly see Adobe Indesign is leaving Quark in the dust in many, many ways. Best of all is that InDesign is less expensive than Quark to buy or upgrade. Spend less and get more with Indesign. Quark pdf features are a joke as well as attempting to make Quark a web tool. Quark is just too Quarky --- Go for InDesign. You will be much happier and much more satisfied with more cash left in your pocket.
Publish and Subscribe
This is mentioned very briefly in "What's Not There," and Sandee below is right--it will be a much missed feature. Hopefully this will be addressed in a third-party XTension. But compatibility with Adobe products like Photoshop and Illustrator is certainly one of the benefits of InDesign.
Quark Xpress is the standard
Love it or hate it, Quark is the standard. When it comes to reliable output, I still don't think much surpasses it, although InDesign may be getting there.
There are 2 things about the article that come to mind, one is the choices that an OS 9 using shop has, and OSX and Quark. Gene hit the nail on the head concerning choices that users have at this juncture in time. I came real close to abandoning my Mac based workflow, especially because all of the major software I need to function is available cross-platform. Instead, I've decided to continue on with a new (G4) Mac, going to an OSX machine and using Quark 6 and InDesign 2.
I agree with the comment about Tim Gill and the direction of the company, I think it has lost it's soul. I've been really fortunate in my dealings with Quark, when we were members of Service Plus, they always treated me well, especially during the 4.00 release disaster. I can't believe it has taken them this long to release something for OSX. Maybe they thought the same thing I thought, if the software is essentially the same on both platforms, why develop for the tiny market share on the Mac? Am I the only Mac user who feels like the poor relation when it comes to software?
Time will tell how well Quark 6 succeeds, I hope they take a clue from Adobe and throw in a few things for the faithful who have been using the software long-term.
No Publish and Subscribe editing of placed images
I've looked through the article and can't find mention of the missing feature that allowed you to edit a placed image in a program such as Photoshop or Illustrator.
This has to do with the fact that Quark 4 and 5 used the ancient Publish and Subscribe code to open placed images and then update them in the program.
Without this, Quark 6 has no way to launch the editing program, and then update the placed image.
This is a feature service bureaus and designers use all the time. Without it, the program is really crippled.