Beta Test Quark 7

[ShopJockey]

Try creating a 40% black box with 100% white type in InDesign...you'll need 2 boxes.

Try switching tools, if you're using either the good or evil arrows, you'll be able to colour the background and stroke of a text box.

 

[nbayguy]

If not in practice, in thinking...the Quark 7 beta is a much more realistic and forward thinking program than Pagestrator, I mean InDesign, ever was. Quark has focused so much on actual workflows that those who say they won't switch back are in a small potato category whereas bigger companies that would like to have all the real-world collaboration and quality assurance tools of Quark 7 will just have to spend so many thousands on lost labor...big potatos don't like hemorhaging unecessary funds for too long. Plus even the features that are catchup like shadows and transparency are superior in Q7. Try creating a 40% black box with 100% white type in InDesign...you'll need 2 boxes. I find InDesign truly lacking in innovation and prone to all sorts of illogical behavior. Also, the paucity of ID plug-ins compared to Quark XT's shows why Quark still enjoys 85% of the market (according to printers who get files).

Quark 7 is not forward thinking. I've been using the beta for a couple weeks. There's not much in it that InDesign is not already doing.
If Quark was so focused on workflows, we wouldn't need to buy all those xtensions now would we. My company spends thousands on them.
InDesign is more powerful than this Quark lover ever thought. It's highly scriptable (Applescript for the Mac, Javascript which is cross-platform, and VBScript for the PC). Quark has applescript on the Mac and it's become quite sluggish and buggy.
Here in our mid-sized printing company in North America we see about a 50/50 ratio of InDesign/Quark documents. We primarily print magazines, catalogs and periodicals.
If you think big companies are turning a blind eye to InDesign you would be dead wrong.

 

[narco]

• Guide changes still not undoable
• Step and Repeat STILL the same shortcut as Dock Hiding... grrr.

Man, that really sucks about the guides STILL not being undoable. Whenever I complained about it to other Quark users, they ask me what the big deal is since it's only a guide, so I thought I was weird for complaining about it.

The step and repeat being the same shortcut as the hidden dock isn't a HUGE deal, mostly because all 10 of my monthly deadlines are all one after the other, so I usually work on Quark straight for a couple weeks. I just have to use the mouse to get to the option, then do a command+D when I want to make a copy change. I can see it being annoying to those who change the setting multiple times, but I mainly use it to copy/paste and keep it in the same place as the original. I know InDesign has something similar but incorporated it into a copy/paste thing -- so much easier!

All in all, I wasn't looking forward to yet another Quark I have to purchase, but I am very curious. I'm still praying on the price.

Fishes,
narco.

 

[Blue Velvet]

I expect to see good deals on upgrades...

Upgrade to QuarkXPress 6.5 for $199 and receive QuarkXPress 7 for $79

Or purchase QuarkXPress 6.5 for $749 and receive QuarkXPress 7 for $79
Upgrade to QuarkXPress 6.5 from versions 3, 4, or 5 or purchase a full-product version on or before April 30, 2006 and receive a coupon* to upgrade to QuarkXPress 7 when it is released for $79.

So all those holdouts on Quark 4 and OS9 can now upgrade to version 7 for $278. That's a pretty good deal.

http://www.quark.com/sales/desktop/promotions/upgrade_to7/

 

[bousozoku]

So all those holdouts on Quark 4 and OS9 can now upgrade to version 7 for $278. That's a pretty good deal.

http://www.quark.com/sales/desktop/promotions/upgrade_to7/

Except that they'll have to upgrade from their Quadra 840s.

It looks like a good deal compared to the upgrade to version 4 or even version 5.