Which Package?

[JustConfused]

Hello there, I am new to this forum and I have loads of questions that I would normally ask a customer services department. Am I using the correct forum?

My simplest question is;

I want to be able to use the software on any (Apple) machine I have, so, if I have a desktop package, will I be able to use it on my laptop and my ipad or do I have to buy the desktop package for the Imac, again for the laptop AND the ipad package.

This may be  silly question but I haven't been using DTP for long and would appreciate some guidance. Thanks in advance.

[R C-R]

Neither currently released Affinity product (Affinity Designer or Affinity Photo) is a desktop publishing app. You need to buy the Mac & iPad versions separately. (Note that currently there is no Affinity Designer for iPad yet.)

 

For non-commercial use, or for commercial use only by you, you can install & use the software on as many Macs as you own or control.

[JustConfused]

Thank you for coming back to me and for the clarification. I understand that Affinity Publisher will be released later this year. I was getting a little ahead of myself in that, in the next 12 months, I will be looking at all three items. I note that there is only an ipad version on the photos but I do balk at paying extra for it.

I also am part of a community group that put together a newsletter for which we need windows software. Could you tell me where I direct questions about that please or do I just start a new topic?

[MEB]

Hi JustConfused,

Welcome to Affinity Forums :)

Post them here in this thread too.

[IanSG]

 I understand that Affinity Publisher will be released later this year.

That's not my understanding - mine is that Affinity Publisher will be released, and the (potential) user community would like it to be this year.  If you need a cheap and capable DTP programme now I'd recommend Serif's PagePlus X9 - it's likely to be some time before there's an Affinity alternative that can do better and there's a reasonable chance you'll never need anything more. 

[Alfred]

I note that there is only an ipad version on the photos but I do balk at paying extra for it.

 

It seems that the launch discount period has been extended. You might want to grab it while it's still only $20.

 

That's not my understanding - mine is that Affinity Publisher will be released, and the (potential) user community would like it to be this year.

 

The current expectation is that the public beta of Affinity Publisher will be available later this year but the retail version is unlikely to be released before 2018.

[R C-R]

I note that there is only an ipad version on the photos but I do balk at paying extra for it.

Why? Commercial software development is an expensive process. While the Mac OS & iOS share a common code base, their UI's, file management, & other features are considerably different, so it is not as if the Mac app can just be "ported" to iOS. If Serif is to profit from selling its Affinity products so it can stay in business & offer support, updates, & so on, then it has to charge buyers for them.

 

They could conceivably sell a license to use both versions for one price, but it is unlikely it would be any cheaper than the combined prices of the two apps bought separately.

[IanSG]

The current expectation is that the public beta of Affinity Publisher will be available later this year but the retail version is unlikely to be released before 2018.

Has there been a statement to that effect from Serif or is that just the latest output from the rumour mill?

[Alfred]

Has there been a statement to that effect from Serif or is that just the latest output from the rumour mill?

 

Please see TonyB's post here: https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/34835-two-questions-about-affinity-publisher/?p=170768

[IanSG]

Please see TonyB's post here: https://forum.affinity.serif.com/index.php?/topic/34835-two-questions-about-affinity-publisher/?p=170768

I might have missed something in that post (I don't go to Specsavers) but the only statement I saw said that it wouldn't be published in 2017 and they were hoping for 2018. It wasn't clear what "published" means.  Some very interesting background about development timescales though - it helps to put any predictions into context!

[Alfred]

It wasn't clear what "published" means.

 

I took it to mean what it usually means: "made available to the general public".

[IanSG]

7 hours ago, Alfred said:

 

I took it to mean what it usually means: "made available to the general public".

I phrased that badly - I meant it wasn't clear what Serif hoped to publish in 2018 i.e. a beta or a formal release.  

[Alfred]

I don't think it matters much. It's quite clear that regardless of whether or not the public beta phase begins in 2017, it won't be finished before 2018.