Loyal & Long time unhappy Serif Customer

[wideangle77]

I am a very long time Serif customer, I have used and recommended your products for more than 10 years and I own all of them up to and including the Affinity products. My questions are 1. Why no user manuals (your other products had them) 2. Why can't the new software open the files from the legacy software (Really!) 3. I bought what I thought was a users manual and all I got was a designers brag book ( you can have it back it is useless to me).  I think the product is good but it is useless in my office because my people think the learning curve is not worth it ( lots of draw plus tutorials and a MANUAL). I no longer can recommend your products to my customers ( too difficult to learn and no lit to teach from). AND PEOPLE WONDER WHY PC PEOPLE AREN'T MAC PEOPLE, THIS IS WHAT YOU GET. GIVE ME BACK MY SERIF PRODUCTS PLEASE!

[MEB]

Hi wideangle77,

Welcome to Affinity Forums

I'm sorry to know you are unhappy with Affinity products. I will try to address your questions the best i can:

1. Nowadays, with software being continuously updated (printed) manuals become quickly outdated. They also increase the product cost/price considerably. All Affinity products include an Help file that covers all features/functionality of the program extensively. It's also available online for user's convenience (Designer & Photo online help - currently in Beta). Additionally we provide a large collection of video tutorials for both Designer and Photo (including for the iPad version) to help users get started with the program. If you still find trouble with any feature or video just post here on the official support forums. There's always staff (including developers) and users willing to help.

 

2. The Affinity line of products is based on an entirely new codebase that offers much more potential for development/grow and takes advantage of the latest technologies available. It doesn't share anything with the legacy Serif products nor is intended to be a replacement for them. Besides the lack of feature parity between Affinity and Serif apps - which makes impossible to translate certain features/functionality from one to the other - the time and cost of developing an importer wouldn't compensate the ones that could be ported from one app to the other. Exporting these files as PDF, SVG or PSD from Serif apps (depending on the program) will lead to a very similar result (with some loss surely but nothing that justifies the time/resources spent developing a specific importer).

 

3. The Affinity Designer Workbook isn't intended to be a manual but a project based book. It's goal is to help users get acquainted with the program through a set of projects where they can put that knowledge in practise. If you are not happy with your purchase and are still within the 14 day period allowed for returns you can request a full refund. Please check this page for more info.

 

If there's anything else we can help with or if you have more questions please let us know.

[R C-R]

20 minutes ago, MEB said:

It's also available online for user's convenience (Designer & Photo online help - currently in Beta).

Is this new & is it maintained by Serif/Affinity?

 

Also, am I correct in assuming it is just for the Mac versions, or are there also Windows versions online somewhere?

[Patrick Connor]

14 minutes ago, R C-R said:

Is this new & is it maintained by Serif/Affinity?

 

Also, am I correct in assuming it is just for the Mac versions, or are there also Windows versions online somewhere?

It is Serif made and maintained, and in beta (also not on the final URL) as announced here 

There is probably going to be one help for both, I will find out

[R C-R]

Thanks. I missed the announcement.