QuarkXPress OS X Soon

[arn]

CNet expected (http://news.com.com/2100-1040-957737.html?tag=fd_top) a Quark announcement at Seybold:

Many in the publishing industry expected Quark to announce a release date for an OS X-compatible version of its dominant QuarkXPress software at this week's Seybold trade show. A Quark representative confirmed that the company is working on such software but offered no target dates.

Quark officials told MacCentral (http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0209/11.mac.php) this week that they support Apple's upcoming move to Mac OS X only and hint that it will not be a problem... "We haven't announced a specific date, but we are working very closely with Apple -- they are aware of our schedule and we are aware of theirs"


Steve Jobs was also recently questioned about when QuarkXPress will come to Mac OS X: We expect some news from Quark in the not too distant future and that will take care of that problem.

[robotrenegade]

It's a nice program but Indesign is better.

[djkut]

Umm...

who cares.:rolleyes:

[BillGates]

A lot of people in the prepress industry care. They care a lot.

[scottlee]

I cannot believe Quark is taking so long. I work in the prepress and graphic design field, so I am very familiar with Quark and what it is capable of. Don't get me wrong, it's a good program but they have got to get with the times. For the last few months I have been using OSX whenever possible at work which amounts to 85% of the time, and have made the switch to InDesign as my primary layout program. It was a bit aukward at first, but I have been very pleased with InDesigns interface and features. This is no Pagemaker -ragemaker- and OS10.2 is so rock solid.

I give InDesign a 9 out of 10

[Screamingbeaver]

Hey Scottlee-
How was the swtich it InDesign? I've been wanting to do this for a long time. I too am in the prepress/design field and I use quark 80% of the time. I've tinkered with the the InDesign demo, however, I've been affraid to use it on live jobs. What kind of workflow do you use? Are you all digital? Are you a postscript or PDF workflow? Do you output strait to plate or film? Where do you handle trapping? Just courious how well InDesign has held up.

Thanks

'Beaver

[scottlee]

I would say if you can, do some small simple jobs to get the feel for it. I work for a commercial printer using postscript workflow and Scitex Brisque (the Brisque takes care of trapping, output to film, using Preps). I had problems with the postscript, but our version of Preps is 3.5. To correct this, I wrote a pdf out of InDesign then from Acrobat I wrote a .PS

[djkut]

Originally posted by BillGates
A lot of people in the prepress industry care. They care a lot.

Um...I am in the pre-press industry:rolleyes:...I wasn't saying who cares about a "new" page layout program, I am saying who cares about quark...

I think adobe should be doing some switch commercials of their own...

Ideally, I would like to see Quark and InDesign compete, driving the products foward...however the only one that's been driving is Adobe, Quark needs to get their ass in gear and realize that they can't just sit back and watch. People no longer have to use their software.

If Quark doesn't change, the industry will.

[nemo]

I definitely agree that Quark needs to get with the OSX game, add some features, etc. At the same time, I kind of appreciate that my layout program doesn't need to be updated every two years. I'd rather every feature be rock solid than be cutting edge. After all, it's a layout program and I need precision and reliablity. I don't care if it make drop shadows on objects or whatever. That's what I have Photoshop and Illustrator for.

[Screamingbeaver]

Well Said, nemo.

[Pepzhez]

Just goes to show how staid and ignorant the publishing industry is, waiting for this crap. Quark is an app that deserves to die: lousy interface, HORRIBLE company support, you name it.

I hate Quark more than I hate Cubase (which means I really, really, REALLY hate it!). I really think Indesign IS much better, and I also think that someone could do better than Indesign, if they tried.

[gopher]

Apple's now offering free InDesign with the purchase of a PowerMac.

[Screamingbeaver]

Okay Pepzhez, you get on that. Get a couple hundred programers and software developers together and slam out an app that 95% of the prepress and print professionals are familiar with. Not to mention the designers that supply work to these commercial printers. Quark is solid. It has been for years. ' nuff said.

[solvs]

We were just talking about this in another forum. We wound up talking more about Tanya Donelly and Julianna Hatfield. I empathize for those who HAVE to use Quark for some reason (believe me, they're out there), or those who aren't ready to switch. I hated Quark, AND PageMaker. My ex-boss was using MSWord (HA!).

InDesign was a Godsend. I have version 1.5 and a trial of 2 (soon to have a full version, maybe free if I get my new Mac before the rebate expires http://www.apple.com/promo/designfreely/ ). I'm just lucky I don't do a lot of page-layouting and stuff like that.

I hope this isn't too little, to late for old Quarky. You snooze, you lose. Especially in this economy. You couldn't pay me to use it at this point.

Reminds me of the time I was offered a free WinXP Pro CD, with serial key and everything.

I turned it down.

[DavidFDM]

is that there are terabytes of old designs in designers' archives that get dragged out now and again. Clients will not pay for the designer to recreate the work in InDesign. I tried importing a newsletter into ID and was less than happy with the results. This is the main reason people hang onto Quark. I am going to do all my own work in ID now but the ad agencies I work with will continue to use Quark. It is just not profitable to switch old layouts to ID.

I am anxiously awaiting QXP for X. I want to be in X exclusively. It drives me crazy to bounce back and forth.

[nickgeppetto]

Unfortunitly I live in Colorado and since it is Denver based I have to live in a market that uses Quark. So yeah finally a OS X version, but boo in the fact that they did it. I wish they dug their own grave in January. Go InDesign.:D

[shakespeare]

InDesign is a better program. Plain and simple. There are at least twenty features I use every day that QuarkXPress doesn't have, and InDesign is better-integrated with Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat. I really can't sing the praises of InDesign (2.0) loudly enough. If you're a designer for print, you must have it.

What's more, InDesign can open XPress files. You don't need to have your clients pay to 'recreate' the old files in InDesign because InDesign can open them, usually so that they need no editing. (Sometimes text boxes need to be resized somewhat; it's never serious, annoying, or time-consuming.)

XPress' features are buried deep in unintuitive menus and it is altogether a very weak program. The press firms in my (quite large) city are all switching to OS X and InDesign. It's the coming standard, and if you're in the industry, you must learn it. It is simple and extremely powerful.

[Hemingray]

This whole InDesign being ahead of Quark is all well and good, but I'm the systems administrator for a graphic design company, and we're still using Quark 4.11. It's an ugly, miserable program, but it does the job. I haven't upgraded to 5 and I don't plan on it ever, since 5 is hardly worth the trumped-up price. I've still got everyone running OS 9.1. I don't see me upgrading the stations to OS X for another few years at least.

I may be in the minority here, but then again, maybe not. By the time companies like mine give OS X and developers enough time to mature in the OS transition, Quark will have gotten away with stalling this long to put out an X version of their software anyway. That's the really sad thing about all of this is that Quark knows they have a large portion of the graphic design industry by the balls.

If a company has trucked along for over 12 years using Quark, and it's worked for them, why should they change? Where's the motivation? I'm being the devil's advocate here, people. I personally despise Quark and their lacksidaisical development and support. But of all the programs for Adobe to win converts over to, this is by far the hardest one.

[scottlee]

I was always a strong Quark supporter and believed there was no other app that could come close to its features and reliability. If you give InDesign a chance and take the time to get comfortable with it, I think most users would be pleasantly suprised how nicely it works. I feel like I am in Illlustrator sometimes when I'm using ID.

[Bob Dobbs]

Love it or hate it, quark is a MUST HAVE (unless you are just getting started, then you can go ground up with indesign). Most service people i work with need / use quark, a few are just starting to add indesign to the mix, but quark is what they expect, and it will be for at least another year or two. yes its slipping, yes indesign is getting better, but i have about 7 years woth of layouts (adds, vid boxes, posters, even a few books) that DO NOT PLAY NICE when opened in indesign.

add the 1000 plug-ins, and i gotta keep quark (hell i even sorta like it). cant wait for X even if it breaks my plugs.

[Choppaface]

gotta have both. doesn't matter if you really like one over the other, that's nice, but if you're a real pro you're prolly better off taking the route of compatibility and getting both, and being fluent in them.

[reyesmac]

Took long enough, lots off people will switch from quark 3 and 4 to this and if it is not perfect in its point zero release, they will let quark know. I couldnt care less really. Everyplace I see Quark nowadays its running on a beige mac. Hope the people that will have to upgrade bring lots of money to Apple and can deal with OS X only on their machines.

[MacFocus]

Well, we are a prepress company in the Netherlands and we might want to switch. But the problem is that it is not us who decide what we use. Our customers do. The ad agencies and the designers do. They deliver Quark doc's to us and we have to deliver Quark doc's in say 30% of our total output (rest is PDf or film) So do we have a real choice? Don't think so because as far as I know ID can't create Quark doc's.

Quark isn't to bad in it's functions (although ID might work easier) but it's stability is the real problem.

Guess I'm stuck with Quark.

BTW. Adobe Netherlands wanted us on their list of ID capable companys, but they didin't offer me any rebate...

[MacFocus]

Originally posted by Hemingray
This whole InDesign being ahead of Quark is all well and good, but I'm the systems administrator for a graphic design company, and we're still using Quark 4.11. It's an ugly, miserable program, but it does the job. I haven't upgraded to 5 and I don't plan on it ever, since 5 is hardly worth the trumped-up price. I've still got everyone running OS 9.1. I don't see me upgrading the stations to OS X for another few years at least.

I may be in the minority here, but then again, maybe not. By the time companies like mine give OS X and developers enough time to mature in the OS transition, Quark will have gotten away with stalling this long to put out an X version of their software anyway. That's the really sad thing about all of this is that Quark knows they have a large portion of the graphic design industry by the balls.

If a company has trucked along for over 12 years using Quark, and it's worked for them, why should they change? Where's the motivation? I'm being the devil's advocate here, people. I personally despise Quark and their lacksidaisical development and support. But of all the programs for Adobe to win converts over to, this is by far the hardest one.



You're right (sad but true)

[beatle888]

Originally posted by BillGates
A lot of people in the prepress industry care. They care a lot.


im in the prepress industry and i dont care.
i want people to use indesign. QUARK SUCKS
STICKY FARTS.

[beatle888]

Originally posted by Screamingbeaver
Okay Pepzhez, you get on that. Get a couple hundred programers and software developers together and slam out an app that 95% of the prepress and print professionals are familiar with. Not to mention the designers that supply work to these commercial printers. Quark is solid. It has been for years. ' nuff said.


quark is lacking "nuff said". Every prepress
operator i have worked with bitches about quark.
and their not rock solid...that's a freaken joke.

[beatle888]

Originally posted by shakespeare

XPress' features are buried deep in unintuitive menus and it is altogether a very weak program. The press firms in my (quite large) city are all switching to OS X and InDesign. It's the coming standard, and if you're in the industry, you must learn it. It is simple and extremely powerful.






oh god i hate that about quark.....oh yea
quark is soooo fncking great...that's why
they stuck us with limited keyboard access to the tool palett through cycling through ALL THE
FREAKEN TOOLS before you get to the one
you need. How long did they stick us with that
bulls1t? unexceptable.

[iGav]

Originally posted by solvs
We were just talking about this in another forum. We wound up talking more about Tanya Donelly and Julianna Hatfield.

Heh heh..... that's because there really isn't much to say about Quark...... there hasn't been since 96 :eek: :p :p

[gotohamish]

I certainly hope all you lot in the pre-press industry go and upgrade then - I'm yet to come across a print house here on anything newer than Quark 3, and get this, Photoshop 4! A nationwide design and marketing company i went to recently did all their work on Freehand 4...

... on Dells!!!!!!!

God help the UK design/press industry. I've just come out of Uni, and have Photoshop 7, PageMaker 7, Dreamweaver MX, FCP3 - why, because it pays to be ahead of the game I thought - when actually, the biggest print house in a big city, have'nt heard of OSX!

[iGav]

Originally posted by gotohamish
I certainly hope all you lot in the pre-press industry go and upgrade then - I'm yet to come across a print house here on anything newer than Quark 3, and get this, Photoshop 4! A nationwide design and marketing company i went to recently did all their work on Freehand 4...

... on Dells!!!!!!!

God help the UK design/press industry. I've just come out of Uni, and have Photoshop 7, PageMaker 7, Dreamweaver MX, FCP3 - why, because it pays to be ahead of the game I thought - when actually, the biggest print house in a big city, have'nt heard of OSX!

the industry generally lags behind in terms of keeping up to date with regards to software.......

Students are always completely clued up on the latest and greatest software, and they get such a shock when they find out that consultancies have older versions of software and even machines.......

Anways I could understand Photoshop 3 or 5 but 4???? I hated 4 so much......

[chubakka]

We've been using Xpress 4.11 for at least 2 years. It gets the job done. If there was an OSX version we might switch to it... but not until it had been out for a few months at least... and after we've tested it on one machine. When you have short deadlines and an entire network of art directors plugging away 12 hours a day... you can't afford to spend alot of time or money upgrading. But also consider... we can run older illustrator and photoshop... there hasn't been any huge breakthroughs in capabilities that justify spending $1500 or more per machine to make the various G3 and G4s run OSX if the core program doesn't run on it. Smaller agencies don't upgrade thier entire network and machines until they absolutely have to.

[greenfruit]

im in the uk, i have heard of OSX, and use it, and we use quark 4, but have found it increasingly unstable. hence in the studio we are on 9.22, but 2 other macs are on x. we have an xserve, so we are on the leading edge ;-) we would love to upgrade to osx, to help prevent crashes taking down the whole mac, but until quark comes out its not gonna happen. changing to ID would be nice, but unrealistic. the deadline on jobs make it difficult enough as it is, without haveing the problem of an unfamiliar piece of software, whatever its features above QXP. not forgeting the fact that unlike usa, most repro/magazines here in the uk only use quark. i think US-centric people tend to forget this in their rush to praise ID, much in the same way that apple seemed to forget the rest of the world with sherlock 3, but thats another forum.

i can see that companies using old software is realistic, after all, if it aint broke dont fix it, and these are COMPANIES, who after all, are there to make money and upgrading software is expensive (especially qxp it has to be said). we try to keep up to date, and are just in the process of getting ps5-6 on about 8 macs upto 7, and ill 7-9 on the same macs upto 10. quark will be grudgingly paid for (from 4) when 6 comes out. basically so we can move to x. we luckly dont use many plugins for our sw, so hopefully wont miss them in the switch, i do want the ps retroscan plugin though.

layout software doesnt have to have a major update every 6 months, but itd be nice if it kept up with current hardware, hopefully preventing some stupid crashes and weird -43 errors (whats with that).

[iGav]

There's alot of posts in this thread that remind me of the Honda 'OK" advertisement on UK tv........

Why invent the elevator if stairs are okay??? :p :p :p

[Mr. G4]

Originally posted by Screamingbeaver
Okay Pepzhez, you get on that. Get a couple hundred programers and software developers together and slam out an app that 95% of the prepress and print professionals are familiar with. Not to mention the designers that supply work to these commercial printers. Quark is solid. It has been for years. ' nuff said.

Every one knows Photoshop and Illustrator right?
So what is the problem?
ID2 has the same interface, the same short cuts, same way of look and feel. I don't see why people are hesitant to adopt ID2, especially that now it's free when you buy a new Powermac.:D

Don't tell me that ID won't take your old Quark extension...the new Quark won't take it either.

[chubakka]

How about why build and elevator when you live on the second floor!

If it was really important to our studio to upgrade to OS X then it would be a problem... and we would possibly switch. But's it's not. If I was doing freelance from home and had made the switch to 10.2, I would probably be using Indesign. But the cost of upgrading 5 workstations and getting all the software needed (PS,AI, QX... Suitecase, etc.) isn't justified... the advantages just aren't there yet.

Maybe when our office moves to the Penthouse.

[Mr. G4]

Originally posted by chubakka
How about why build and elevator when you live on the second floor!

If it was really important to our studio to upgrade to OS X then it would be a problem... and we would possibly switch. But's it's not. If I was doing freelance from home and had made the switch to 10.2, I would probably be using Indesign. But the cost of upgrading 5 workstations and getting all the software needed (PS,AI, QX... Suitecase, etc.) isn't justified... the advantages just aren't there yet.

Maybe when our office moves to the Penthouse.

So I take it that you guys haven't bought any new g4 lately...or had any plan to buy anytime soon...because I think it is a waste to buy a multy prosessor machines and use only one of them :confused: :(

[solvs]

Originally posted by iGAV
There's alot of posts in this thread that remind me of the Honda 'OK" advertisement on UK tv........

Why invent the elevator if stairs are okay??? :p :p :p

Yeah, who wouldn't want to walk up a building that has floors in the double digits. Especially if you have to carry a lot of stuff. Or you're in a wheelchair (like my friend on the third floor). Stairs are just fine. Who even needs an escalator?

Oh wait, you were being sarcastic...

I knew that. I did.

Nevermind. :D

[kaneda]

hahahaa...you guys complaints too much! :) Blab Blab Blab...

Just kidding!

[gopher]

Originally posted by Mr. G4


So I take it that you guys haven't bought any new g4 lately...or had any plan to buy anytime soon...because I think it is a waste to buy a multy prosessor machines and use only one of them :confused: :(

You spell that multi processor or multi-processor. Anyway, Mac OS X uses both processors whenever you get a chance to. You can monitor this with various process meters on Versiontracker. So if you are going to get a tower, plan on getting Mac OS X software as soon as it becomes available for what you want to do. Because then it will be able to take advantage of multiprocessing.

[rayzor]

I am a self employed designer, and I switched to Indesign 2 and hav'nt looked back since. Yes ocasionally I have to go into classic and open a quark doc. but hopefully if more people get into Indesign Quark will fade away.
Indesign has more features is easy to use and in half the price, not to mention the technical support.

[smithdewey]

I think a lot of us who have been in the graphics arts industry for a number of years can keep a copy of Quark 4.1 around in classic to update old jobs that need tweaks. But I don't think anyone who gives InDesign a fair try will ever want to switch back to Quark as their main design tool. Quark's history of foot-dragging and lukewarm response to changes in the Mac market aside, InDesign is simply a more elegant, enjoyable, easy to use (once you stop thinking in Quark's restrictive terms -- I find most things that frustrated me in switching to InDesign were trying to make things harder than they were, because of how those tools worked in Quark).

Time to get on the Abobe InDesign bus, and nudge all the printers we use to support this better design software.

I came to InDesign for Mac OS X support, but I'm staying with it because it makes my life easier in many, many ways.

[iGav]

Originally posted by solvs


Yeah, who wouldn't want to walk up a building that has floors in the double digits. Especially if you have to carry a lot of stuff. Or you're in a wheelchair (like my friend on the third floor). Stairs are just fine. Who even needs an escalator?

Oh wait, you were being sarcastic...

I knew that. I did.

Nevermind. :D

Ouch.......... :eek: :p

But why invent tall buildings if bungalows are ok??? :p :p :p

[iGav]

One word......

Exactly...... ;) :)

[solvs]

Originally posted by iGAV


Ouch.......... :eek: :p

But why invent tall buildings if bungalows are ok??? :p :p :p

I was just kidding. :D

But when I read your post, at first, for a second I thought you were serious.

You'd be suprised.

I have GOT to get some sleep.

[Daaavek]

Quark is familiar and entrenched in the U.S. prepress. Many commercial printers still use Quark 3.3 or 4.11 on OS 9 if not 8.6. With so much capital tied up in machines, printers tend to stick with what they know works.

Scores of 3rd party developers over the last decade have provided custom solutions (Xtensions) that are now integral parts of many shops' workflow - from plug-ins as complex as database integration, variable print, pdf generation, and catalog creation, to simple time-saving tools that eliminate repetitive tasks.

These people will not argue against you that Quark is a "better layout program" than InDesign. That's not their issue. It's a matter of workflow. Upgrading to X (and potentially having to buy new Macs, since InDesign is quite clunky on all but the most recent years' machines), switching to InDesign, re-educating staff, and having everything run smooth (while keeping up with clients' deadlines) is too difficult for most companies to handle.

InDesign may be able to run circles around Quark with new technology and features that allow it to make well-kearned type appear transparent over a drop-shadowed full-resolution preview of a layer of a placed .psd file while running natively in OS X. If it chokes in my custom workflow, I can't use it. For that reason, it will be a long time before InDesign has anywhere near the installed base of QuarkXpress.

[chubakka]

Yeah we would all love to be running Quark or Indesign on OS X BUT...
For companies with more than 2 macs... it's not feasible... yet.

[xylpho]

Originally posted by scottlee
I cannot believe Quark is taking so long.

Yeah u can believe it.

Don't get me wrong, it's a good program but they have got to get with the times.

A good program? A big buggy piece of **** for me. I used it for years and i'm angry about it. This soft is an hold-up for the freelance designers, it's monolithic, it has a dongle, it's unstable and capricious.
U're right, switch to InDesign

[chubakka]

Quark Xpress doesn't have a dongle.

[xylpho]

Originally posted by chubakka
Quark Xpress doesn't have a dongle.

Huh? and what about this beautiful USB dongle that i own with my XPress Passport?

[chubakka]

We have 5 macs here and none of them have a dongle...
does Passport stick you with a dongle?

[MacFocus]

Originally posted by chubakka
We have 5 macs here and none of them have a dongle...
does Passport stick you with a dongle?

We have 14 macs using Quark and they all need a dongle. On the mainland of Europe you can only buy Passport. We didn't even know there was a non-Passport version, until we met an english customer who couldn't read our files because they were multilanguage.

So yes, Quark Passport sticks you with a dongle.

[chubakka]

hehe... that does suck!

I suspect that next year will see the resurgence of QuarkXpress... that is if they get their ***** together in the first quarter of 2003. If the new IBM PPC powered macs come out around MWNY then there could be a real surge in sales for both Apple and Quark in the second half of the year.

It's one thing for a freelancer or single person studio to switch... but it's a much different thing to get an entire agency or publication to switch.

Dongle FREE in NYC.

[xylpho]

Originally posted by chubakka
We have 5 macs here and none of them have a dongle...
does Passport stick you with a dongle?

Yep, a beautiful purple dongle.

[MacFocus]

Originally posted by chubakka
hehe... that does suck!

It's one thing for a freelancer or single person studio to switch... but it's a much different thing to get an entire agency or publication to switch.

You're right about that...

Dongle FREE in NYC.
You lucky bastard ;)

[iGav]

Originally posted by solvs


I was just kidding. :D

But when I read your post, at first, for a second I thought you were serious.

You'd be suprised.

I have GOT to get some sleep.

I knew you were kidding....... ;) :)

The advert is quite funny though....... everything in it is 'Ok'............ A very good advertisement for progression and evolution me thinks..... :D

[primalman]

Originally posted by MacFocus


We have 14 macs using Quark and they all need a dongle. On the mainland of Europe you can only buy Passport. We didn't even know there was a non-Passport version, until we met an english customer who couldn't read our files because they were multilanguage.

So yes, Quark Passport sticks you with a dongle.

I am in education, and we were always only allowed to buy QXP Passport as well. But the last order form I have seen , and reading an FAQ on quark.com it looks like there will no longer be a dongle version for QXP lab pack or Passport. I think. Let's hope so.

The dongle idea is dumb. As sson as one walks off, BAM, $300 US.