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PookJP · Dec 2, 2002, 04:17 PM

Has anyone heard anything about Quark being released for X? At risk of sounding crude, I must ask what the hell they are waiting for. I understand the publishing industry subscribes to the "if it ain't broke, why fix it" ideal, but this is becoming absurd. With nearly every major software publisher porting their products to X, why does Quark think they will keep their user base over superior OS X apps in the long run (Adobe comes to mind)?

Developer · Dec 2, 2002, 04:22 PM

It's the first version to be written in India, and I'd guess it takes its time until they can make sense out of the old Quark code.

PookJP · Dec 2, 2002, 05:55 PM

Originally posted by Developer:
It's the first version to be written in India, and I'd guess it takes its time until they can make sense out of the old Quark code.

I'm confused....

They are writing the OS X version in India, or the OS 9 version was written in India?

BuonRotto · Dec 2, 2002, 06:00 PM

Quark fired a lot of staff in Denver who wrote the Classic Mac OS versions, and gave the programming to people in India who they've just hired. It is one huge mess of old code. Think about it: they barely got it running on OS 9.

::maroma:: · Dec 2, 2002, 06:02 PM

Quark hasn't said anything about a date or even an estimated time when an X version will be released. They say it will come, but not when. They hint at next year. Screw them, get InDesign.

Terri · Dec 2, 2002, 06:09 PM

Originally posted by ::maroma:::
Quark hasn't said anything about a date or even an estimated time when an X version will be released. They say it will come, but not when. They hint at next year. Screw them, get InDesign.

Try doing a hundred page catalog in InDesign that is graphic intensive.

voodoo · Dec 2, 2002, 06:18 PM

I didn't know they moved to India.

Moonray · Dec 2, 2002, 06:23 PM

Why don't you discuss this in the third-party software forum?

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::maroma:: · Dec 2, 2002, 06:23 PM

Originally posted by Terri:

Try doing a hundred page catalog in InDesign that is graphic intensive.

I have yet to do that, since we haven't made the switch here at work. We are still at Quark 4, but I'm (and many others here) are trying to make a switch. I've heard that long documents aren't handled well by InDesign. We do bi-annual catalogs that hover around 100 pages. This will be the ultimate test for us. I'm hoping it goes well. And if it doesn't, and InDesign sucks at it, well then I'm confident in Adobe to fix the problem in the next major version. Can't be nearly that confident in Quark. I can only pray to the publishing gods that Quark X will solve XPress' MANY problems and flaws.

Art Vandelay · Dec 2, 2002, 06:24 PM

Originally posted by voodoo:
I didn't know they moved to India.

Their headquarters are still in Denver, but their engieering is now primarily in India. They cited cheap labor for the move.

mitchell_pgh · Dec 2, 2002, 06:26 PM

Wow, I didn't know about the move to India... makes me want to buy American with InDesign... I know InDesign isn't Quark, but I'm interested in seeing how it turns out. (Note: I just got a copy of InDesign with the design collection) Quark didn't do ANYTHING with XPress 5 (minus cleaning the GUI up a TINY bit... Quark also needs to let the XPress - to -> Web idea die.

niji · Dec 2, 2002, 07:13 PM

quote: "makes me want to buy American with InDesign"

wow. could you pls do a little "thinking differently" pleeease?

i am embarrassed for you.

Subzero Diesel949 · Dec 2, 2002, 09:05 PM

And what exactly does Quark have to do with OS X in general? Seems more appropriate for this discussion to be in the 3rd party forum, as the ranting is about Quark itself.

Subzero Diesel949 · Dec 2, 2002, 09:06 PM

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
makes me want to buy American with InDesign...

Check your computer...was it made in the USA? Doubt it.

Insert quarter and try again.

concaf · Dec 2, 2002, 09:46 PM

Alot of software development is being done in India. Director MX is a great example.

c/o mac central.

http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0212/02.battle.php

mitchell_pgh · Dec 2, 2002, 10:43 PM

Originally posted by concaf:
Alot of software development is being done in India. Director MX is a great example.

c/o mac central.

http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0212/02.battle.php

Ummm, I was joking about the pro-america thing... so cool your jets.

ANYWAY, what's wrong with buying things built in your own country... I guess it's OK for everyone minus Americans? (this is a topic for another area of the forum)

--- Back On Topic ---

That is interesting regarding the switch in coding locations... It would be a nightmare to have dig into 5+ year old code... That being said, Quark isn't just going to roll over and die.

faragbre967 · Dec 2, 2002, 11:30 PM

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:

That being said, Quark isn't just going to roll over and die.

Jan. OS X only - Carbon version of QX = Quark rolls over and dies... Good boy, Quark, good boy...

concaf · Dec 2, 2002, 11:31 PM

I put two hundred dollars US on you being wrong.

voodoo · Dec 3, 2002, 12:08 AM

Quark is behaving strangely. IMO, they could just as well make a Cocoa version of XPress since they moved the entire operation to India. The new programmers have to learn all the code anyway.

Developer · Dec 3, 2002, 10:57 AM

Originally posted by voodoo:
Quark is behaving strangely. IMO, they could just as well make a Cocoa version of XPress since they moved the entire operation to India. The new programmers have to learn all the code anyway.

I doubt it's that easy. They probably have millions of lines of interface code where reusing some of it is still easier than completely rewriting in Cocoa.
And they most likely would like to share as much code as possible with the Windows version. I'd guess the have some sort of cross platform application framework. That doesn't work well with Cocoa since Cocoa is already an application framework. And modelling another application framework around that doesn't sound like a good idea.