Quark 5.0 v 6.5

[sparkleinbxl]

A friend of mine is looking to purchase a G5 Mac and will need Quark. She is being given the options of Quark 5.0 and Quark XPress 6.5. Can anyone tell me the differences and their experiences? I have been using Quark for years but am on 9.2 so am running version 4.1 and have so far not found satisfactory answers on the internet as to which she should purchase (I'm actually surprised that she isn't obliged to buy the newest version).

Also Quark 5.0 seems to be significantly more expensive (about 25 percent higher). Can anyone explain this?

Thanks,
Sparkle in Brussels

 

[jimoblak]

QuarkXPress 5 is a valued item because it can save down to version 4 documents: those which InDesign and the wealth of QuarkXPress 4 users can open.

If your friend gets QuarkXPress 6.5, she will not be able to save down to a version that you can use. QuarkXPress only saves down one level so she would also need QuarkXPress 5 to save to your version.

If she needs QuarkXPress, she will need the same version of QuarkXPress that her collaborators use. It is reckless to traverse versions.

If she has not already owned a previous version of QuarkXPress, why not go with InDesign? You can get the entire Creative Suite (Acrobat, Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop) for the same price as one license of QuarkXPress. Such a purchase is often a 'no-brainer' for those that do not have an existing library of QXDs and XTs.

- - I hope this helps - -
[sub](Complain to someone else if it doesn't)[/sub]

 

[sparkleinbxl]

Hi jimoblak,

Thanks for your reply.

Well she is actually selecting all this for her new company, but at home she does have Quark already but the same version I have (4.1).

I can see the advantage of 5.0 being able to save down to 4.1 but – now I'm going to sound really naive here – which can she buy to just stay in OSX. She really does not like to have to go back and forth between OS9 and OSX (and I don't blame her!).

Also, any ideas about the cost difference?

Cheers,
Sparkle

 

[jimoblak]

QuarkXPress 6.x is the first OSX native application. QuarkXPress 5 will start up the Classic operating system within OSX.

Upgrades from 4 may be about $200. See quarkstore.com

- - I hope this helps - -
[sub](Complain to someone else if it doesn't)[/sub]

 

[sparkleinbxl]

Jimoblak,
thanks – your response is quite helpful.

Does anyone have any rants or raves about Quark 6.x on OSX?

Cheers,
Sparkle in Brussels

 

[jimoblak]

http://www.quark.com/service/forums

shows many rants. There are few raves, if any. QuarkXPress 6's only asset was that it ran natively in OSX. Beyond that, there were no 'must have' killer features.

Quark is promoting the upcoming version 7 on their web site so moving to Quark 6 this late in the game is risky.

I might seize the opportunity to move to InDesign since your libraries of documents are already in a format that InDesign can read. Once you move to QuarkXPress 6, you are stuck in that format (unless you also have QuarkXPress 5 to save down to version 4).

- - I hope this helps - -
[sub](Complain to someone else if it doesn't)[/sub]

 

[sparkleinbxl]

Many thanks for the link -- I'll check it out.

Still can't find out why 6.5 is cheaper to buy new here (Belgium) than 5.0.

Anyway, thanks for your responses -- they have been helpful :+)

Sparkle