Quark previews QuarkXPress 7.0 with OpenType, Unicode

I've been using InDesign for 3 years now -- what is this Quark thing they keep talking about?

Let me guess... they are going to charge $300 a pop for a useable version of Quark 6.5.

Quark is the best. Oh wait its not 1997 anymore is it? Quark sucks. Indesign rocks. And this is coming from someone that went to graphics school on Quark, then tried indesign all on my own.

Sorry idiots. InDesign is still a buggy piece of shit. Quark is also a piece of shit, but it still beats ID hands down.

Quark's business practices are what is really wrong with that company. Let's get some guns, organize a lynch mob, and take it back for the people!

Sorry idiots.

God love the Interweb.

Sadly, those of us who regularly receive Quark files from clients still need to keep copies of Quarks 4-6 around, on the rare occasion that someone will give us something made with Quark 3.3 (happened to me last year -- it was an old file that someone needed reprinted), since each version of Quark will only open/save one version number backward. I'm not sure what the problem would be with including backward compatibility all the way back to 1.0, just like Illustrator, Freehand, Word, Photoshop, Apple/ClarisWorks, and just about every other program does.

SomeToast, the Interweb is love.

Idiots is a term of endearment.

"Flagship" software? HA! What OTHER software does Quark Make?
"Most Significant Upgrade"? So... what, this one will fix the problems/bugs (like not supporting OpenType and Unicode) and add a glyph palette. Things InDesign has done since version 2. Pathetic. And HOW much will this cost us? (Not that I'm concerned because I'd rather chew glass shards than use Quark XPress.)
Probably only $400 a seat, considering that it's "the most significant upgrade in the product's history."

Unless you are tied to a QPS or Quark CopyDesk system, you must be stubborn or CRAZY to upgrade to Quark 7.


See http://www.quarkvsindesign.com

Quark today offered the first look at QuarkXPress 7.0, the next version of its only real software application. Calling it "the most significant upgrade in the product's history," Quark said the update would be the biggest rewrite of code ever, which has needed rebuilding from scratch ever since version 4 but the company has not had the skill or time to do. Quark is busy compartmentalizing many parts of its code to make it simpler to add features now and in the future, as well as encrypting its documents to make it harder to convert files to InDesign.

Following the leader in the industry, Quark XPress 7 will offer support for both Unicode and OpenType (with 23 supported features) by rewriting the core text engine, finally matching features that its competitor has had since 2002.

Version 7.0, demoed at the TypoTechnica 2005 conference, will bring a new Font Fallback feature that allows publishers to set a default font when missing characters exist. Since most designers really don't care which font they use, Quark believes that it is better to come up with something "close enough" that will be harder to spot in proofs than the old standard, Courier.

Quark has cobbed more ideas from its competitor in this version, including a "new" Glyph Palette, which will include pop-up menu for selecting groups of related glyphs, very similar to the one that has been available in competing products since 2002.

Quark has not released a pricing structure, but company sources state that Quark will again put the full burden of developing failed software programs over the years (remember QuarkImmedia?) and unnecessary product "features" onto its dwindling customer base, with an upgrade price of over $300.