QuarkXPress - 8.12

It has come to my attention that some reviewers in this forum may have undisclosed professional ties to Quark. There is nothing wrong with company affiliates posting comments. However to do so without mentioning this relationship is deceptive and arguably inappropriate.

The reviews in question may be coming from the same person, using aliases, or may represent a larger, more organized and concerted effort to influence this forum.

Normal, unaffiliated end-users may recognize the remarks in question. Simply ask yourself if the review you read appears to describe the application that you know of as Quark 8.x (barely improved since the old days) or if it seems to describe some other ideal, chimerical, essentially non-existent page-layout program that we all still wish for, but do not yet have.

Another clue to this deception, are reviewers who insist on attacking those of us who post sensible critical comments. This in itself should send up a Big Red 72 pt Helvetica Bold Flag.

There is no need to harass those of us with critical views of Quark. It's bad form. Some of us have been using this program, in all its dubious glory and imperfection, for better or worse, till death do us part, since 1987! Our views are relevant, and from a friendlier company, would be invited, valued and appreciated.

Quark have come a LONG way!! this version brings me back to Quark from Adobe!

Try it out, everything Adobe has promised is in Quark already!

Great job Quark and glad to be back with you guyz.

But that's exactly my complaint about people like you who post here. What exactly IS your complaint. You state nothing except generalized comments. I think Quark 8 is much improved over Quark 7. I have seen improvements -- and I use the product. So if you criticize the product, be specific. Contact Quark -- I did. Don't just shoot off your mouth unless you're shooting it off about something worth complaining about. They can't fix things if nobody tells them what the problems are. And unless you are a software designer who has experience with making these programs, then you have no idea what the complications are in making improvements. And I didn't say one negative about the other product, did I?

Go to Quark site. Enter email address and password. Download.

What? I now have a Windows updater!

Quark, by demanding registration for every hapless ingénue who visits them, already knows I am a Mac user. I feel alienated already by the compulsory registration, now I'm pissed off at being forced to waste time on a Windows download.

Oh well. Go to the "Not what you were looking for?" tab. "Downloads. Search for available downloads." Enter "Product: QuarkXPress. OS: Mac OSX. File Type: Updater." Click "Search"

Around I go in a useless loop. Now I'm REALLY grumpy!

I only find what I need after choosing a top menu item "Downloads" then I can make the right choice.

This is exactly the sort of BS that has alienated what appears to be hundreds of thousands of formerly-loyal Quark customers. Amazing.

There are some damned annoying bugs in my version 8.0. If they have not disappeared in 8.1 (If I ever get it installed) I will join the deserters.

The previous reviewer would have you think that if you don't like Quark, your comments are not appropriate. Balderdash!

Many of us who dislike Quark are very long-time QXP users, some of us are professionals in the industry, and our opinions are *EXACTLY* what this forum is for. I have e-mailed Quark Technical Support with my bug reports, complaints and suggestions more times that I am willing to say. And all for naught.

Sure, we are still using Quark, and some of us are using inDesign too. They each have positives and negatives. But that doesn't mean we are happy with all the long-standing bugs and brain-dead feature deficits, or the customer-hostile corporate climate that seems to prevail at Quark. No!

When CEO Fred Ebrahimi said "anyone dissatisfied with Quark for Mac should switch to something else"* he exposed the tip of a mac customer-hostile culture that the previous reviewer seems to echo. In essence it goes something like this: "If you have any issues with Quark — you can just p_ss off!"

*http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/787/

Anyone trying to paint those of us posting critical reviews as somehow not belonging here, is simply a bully. Nothing more. Either that or they have an undisclosed conflict of interest — like perhaps a paycheck from the Denver HQ. Hmm?

My understanding is that this is a forum for review, comment, critique, criticism, even grumbling and whining, if so desired. And yes, you Quark-loving patsies are welcome to leave your mindless glowing reviews here too.

The bottom line is, after all these years, and it's been an awful long time - - IT SHOULD BE BETTER.

Ain't freedom great!