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I'm curious.....


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I'm curious.  I haven't seen anyone address this, and if they have, please accept my apology for overlooking it. 

I think we can all agree that Serif PPX9 is a pretty outstanding application.  So I am curious to know why Serif is reinventing it in Publisher.  I mean, if you want Publisher to run more like InDesign, add InDesign functions and change the interface to look more like InDesign.  But keep the foundation of PPX9.  Creating a new learning curve for long time users of PPX9 seems a little strange to me.  Not being able to open a PPX9 file in Publisher makes me feel as if Serif doesn't even think highly of their own creation of PPX9 or their existing customer base.  I have been loyal to Serif since 1996.  Having to recreate all of those PPX9 files to switch to Publisher seems a little insane.

Does anyone else feel this way or is it only me? 

I am not here to cut Serif down, believe me. 

I love how incredibly generous they are.  And personally when it comes to business ethics, Microsoft and Apple could learn so much from Serif as I think they have the best business ethics of any software company out there.  I also believe when it is all said and done, Publisher will give InDesign a run for the money.  But I can't understand why they wouldn't incorporate the functionality of PPX9 into Publisher?  I think the learning curve to switch from InDesign to PPX9 isn't as steep as the other way around.  So if you are trying to woo InDesign users over to Publisher, it shouldn't be that hard.  Especially if the interface is spot on.  I worked in InDesign, but I still love PPX9 better.

I became a secretary when WordPerfect was king (1994).  I could do anything in that application.  But when they started preloading Microsoft Office on Windows, companies started switching like mad.  Fortunately mine didn't.  I depended heavily on Reveal Codes as I could edit them and see things that the Reveal Codes in Word just refused to see.  And at that time, you COULD NOT open a WordPerfect file in Word.  I worked in property management had to re-create HUD forms from scratch as fillable pdf wasn't around yet, and it was a huge pain in the toochas to keep filling out HUD forms on a typewriter (you couldn't submit any forms to HUD that had whiteout on them).  So there was no way we could switch.  I actually still use WordPerfect on my own time because I refuse to conform and it still does all I need it to do.  I would be lost without the subdivide page function.  I use it all the time.

My point is...  Why fix something that isn't broken?  Why not just give PPX9 a face lift and add InDesign functionality where it is needed for those wanting to make a change?  Does all the programming and code get changed because the interface changes?

I have a friend on Mac.  He is thinking of switching to Windows but doesn't want to deal with the learning curve.  So I suggested he load a Mac shell so it still looks like his Mac OS and he doesn't have to sweat the change so much. 

I am just wondering how other PPX9 users feel.  Not looking to fight or anything.  Just wondering why the need to reinvent such an awesome wheel? I kind of feel like a stepchild now and InDesign users are the favorite son.  I hope this doesn't upset anyone.   

I am still loyal to Serif.  And out of all the telemarketing calls I may get, I am tickled pink to take theirs. 

 

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I quite agree, Pageplus went through so many upgrades to where it is now, I think its a great program, and I still use it today. Is the new Affinity Publisher based around pageplus the early years, so with that in mind, will it be a good few years before Publisher can come close to the pageplus x9 standard? I'm all for new software and I think the new Publisher looks lovely but doesn't seem in my opinion to have the same user easability (is that a word?).

Whats the hook to jump over to Publisher from pageplus?

Trevor

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11 hours ago, Jennymac said:

But I can't understand why they wouldn't incorporate the functionality of PPX9 into Publisher?

PPX9, like all of the versions of PagePlus that came before it over the course of nearly thirty years, is heavily dependent upon functions which are built into Windows, and PP documents can only be opened in PagePlus. The Affinity apps were written from scratch and designed from the outset to be ‘platform agnostic’, with code for the core functionality being shared across all supported platforms, and any Affinity version 1.7 document can be opened in any Affinity version 1.7 app on Mac, Windows or iPad.

Alfred spacer.png
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.4.1 (iPad 7th gen)

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Thank you so much for explaining this to me.  I knew there had to be a good reason.  This changes my perspective greatly; however, can they not write Publisher to be a close imitation to PPX9?  I have been playing around with the beta version and so far I find myself working in PPX9.  How do you feel about Publisher? 

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9 minutes ago, Jennymac said:

I know you are absolutely right.  And both of your responses are most helpful to me for gaining a better perspective.  I guess I just am having a hard time with the idea that Publisher won't be like PPX9.  Thanks so much for your feedback.

If you will spend some time with Publisher I will bet that you will learn to love it.   It is in Beta, but when it is ready for purchase, I predict it will hit the world like a rocket.   As for me, I bought Affinity Designer three days ago, fiddled around with it and made a Christmas card design this afternoon, saved it, exported it as a .jpeg image, imported the image into Affinity Photo, fiddled some more and cropped it, saved it as an .afphoto image, and tomorrow it will be opened in Affinity Publisher for the text.    Smoooooooth.     And I have the design skills of a flea.   They just thought of everything I might want to do and made it possible.   


24" iMAC Apple M1 chip, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16 GB unified memory, 1 TB SSD storage, Ventura 13.6.  Photo, Publisher, Designer 1.10.5, and 2.3.
MacBook Pro 13" 2020, Apple M1 chip, 16GB unified memory, 256GB  SSD storage
,  Ventura 13.6.   Publisher, Photo, Designer 1.10.5, and 2.1.1.  
 iPad Pro 12.9 2020 (4th Gen. IOS 16.6.1); Apple pencil.  
Wired and bluetooth mice and keyboards.9_9

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1 hour ago, Jennymac said:

Thank you so much for explaining this to me.  I knew there had to be a good reason.  This changes my perspective greatly; however, can they not write Publisher to be a close imitation to PPX9?  I have been playing around with the beta version and so far I find myself working in PPX9.  How do you feel about Publisher? 

 

36 minutes ago, fde101 said:

This is an entirely new program, with a vision of its own.  They are just getting started.

 

14 minutes ago, jmwellborn said:

If you will spend some time with Publisher I will bet that you will learn to love it.   It is in Beta, but when it is ready for purchase, I predict it will hit the world like a rocket.   As for me, I bought Affinity Designer three days ago, fiddled around with it and made a Christmas card design this afternoon, saved it, exported it as a .jpeg image, imported the image into Affinity Photo, fiddled some more and cropped it, saved it as an .afphoto image, and tomorrow it will be opened in Affinity Publisher for the text.    Smoooooooth.     And I have the design skills of a flea.   They just thought of everything I might want to do and made it possible.   

What @fde101 and @jmwellborn said! thumbup1.gif Development of APub obviously still has quite a way to go, but I think it’s shaping up quite nicely for a first release.

Alfred spacer.png
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for Windows • Windows 10 Home/Pro
Affinity Designer/Photo/Publisher 2 for iPad • iPadOS 17.4.1 (iPad 7th gen)

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Quote

I kind of feel like a stepchild now and InDesign users are the favorite son. (...)

(...) playing around with the beta version and so far I find myself working in PPX9.  How do you feel about Publisher?

"Feel" is a good key in this matter – even technical software always is emotional, too. I totally agree with your thoughts (which also include the desire for "nothing should change"). The 'problem' is not initiated by Serif but more by first machines up to nowadays people's speed – which demands changes in all sorts of things to survive in the competition of life.

We don't need to run away from wild animals anymore, so the population increased. As consequency we create new stress to create enough food for all people on earth. Reduced: Safety > food > money > work > changes > emotions. The same happens, on a smaller scale, with software, for instance to me: Pagemaker > Freehand > Quark > InDesign > AFPublisher.

It just would not make sense if Pagemaker's programmers were still trying to update the code for today's hardware. Or it would be very expensive. Just as it would be very luxurious to drive a 1959 car in 2019 and keep it running simply because the design was so beautiful.

http://www.savethesounds.info/

macOS 10.14.6 | MacBookPro Retina 15" | Eizo 27" | Affinity V1

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Ok.  First let me say, I absolutely LOVE your Website!  It makes me sad that we don't hear the click of typewriters or the needle scratching on records.  I incorporate those sounds when I make little movies and what-have-you.  I can't believe I am actually meeting someone with the same love for old sounds.  I also appreciate your feedback regarding my post.  While you have a point, I still struggle with the fact that Publisher will be so different than PPX9.  I didn't like InDesign.  But that may also have something to do with the fact that my boss threatened to fire me if I didn't learn it.  It wasn't a requirement of the job, but he threatened no less.  I don't like being threatened.  All he had to do was ask and I would have gladly obliged.  Once you throw in a threat, you lose me.  

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11 hours ago, Jennymac said:

I think we can all agree that Serif PPX9 is a pretty outstanding application. 

No, I have never heard of Serif or PPX9 before getting Affinity software and frequenting this forum. Here (and also many areas of the globe) professional publishing is InDesign and Quark Xpress.

11 hours ago, Jennymac said:

So I suggested he load a Mac shell so it still looks like his Mac OS and he doesn't have to sweat the change so much. 

MacOS is not a look. It is a consistent system how things work.

11 hours ago, Jennymac said:

My point is...  Why fix something that isn't broken? 

Codebase is so old that it will break sooner or later. And new professional approach will lure InDesign and Quark Xpress users more easily.

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In Re: to loading a Mac OS Shell, I did it once.  I realize that Mac operates totally different than Windows.  It is much more stable, to begin with.  But there are apps not available for his Mac that Windows does offer.  Plus a new MacBook is out of his price range but he can swing a new laptop with Windows.  It is just a way to help him not have to struggle with learning a new system.  His MacBook is really old (2 gigs of ram and no room to upgrade it).  

I am thankful that Affinity is upgrading it's codebase to flow with the changes.  Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo hit the ground running...  But Publisher not so much.  I am just surprised.

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18 hours ago, Fixx said:

No, I have never heard of Serif or PPX9 before getting Affinity software and frequenting this forum. Here (and also many areas of the globe) professional publishing is InDesign and Quark Xpress.

Would you be willing to try it?  It is only $19.99 for the full app.  Either 64-bit or 32-bit.  You can generate Kindle Ebooks with it (not just static but interactive ones, (just Google the Kindle Plugin for Page Plus 9,) and so much more. 

It is the best $20 I have ever spent.  It isn't anything like Microsoft Publisher, and it really is more like a true DTP application.  You can do layers and graphic editing (I love their Cutout Studio).  It will let you work with EPS and SVG files, and import and edit pdf files, as well.   It also has pdf form creation functionality.  It isn't InDesign, but it offers almost as much, and a few more bells and whistles.  I love their autoflow feature for inserting large amounts of graphic files with just the push of a button.  You can link your text boxes, do intricate page sizes, N-up....  Different master pages, also different layouts in a publication.  Crop marks and imposition as well. Plus merge. AND it comes with Avery label templates, which I didn't find in InDesign. 

I had to do a very complicated layout for miniaturizing a book, which took me forever to figure out.  (I bind books and wanted to make a perfect replica of a full size book.)  Scanning the book wasn't the problem.  Printing front and back on miniature pages and making sure the right pages are printing front and back, and then setting up my crop marks for cutting.  That was my problem.  It was very tricky.  Once I got my foundation file set up, I could do a 218-page book in under 30 minutes.  I couldn't have done it so easily without their stellar asset manager.  After all the pages were cut and folded and ready to be bound, it was absolutely perfect.  

Here is the link to purchase it...  https://www.serif.com/en-us/

I don't think they have it for Mac, if you are on Mac.  Which you probably are.  But if you can swing this, please try it.   Thanks so much for your feedback.  I appreciate it that you took the time to read my post and respond.

 

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I also bought PagePlus to have all functionallity that Publisher and Designer doesn't have yet, considering the price is very good. It's an amazing software. Nevertheless I found a big bug in PagePlus that is important to me (I work with printed forms, invoices, etc.). If you use the arrows to move a line using a nudge distance of 1mm, after 38 keystrokes the distance is altered by 0,01mm: 1, 2, 3,..., 38, 39,001
It is a big lack if you need presition. I tried changing the units to inches and it works ok, but I need to work in mm.
Sadly PagePlus has not more updates :(

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4 hours ago, elmonopascual said:

I also bought PagePlus to have all functionallity that Publisher and Designer doesn't have yet, considering the price is very good. It's an amazing software. Nevertheless I found a big bug in PagePlus that is important to me (I work with printed forms, invoices, etc.). If you use the arrows to move a line using a nudge distance of 1mm, after 38 keystrokes the distance is altered by 0,01mm: 1, 2, 3,..., 38, 39,001
It is a big lack if you need presition. I tried changing the units to inches and it works ok, but I need to work in mm.
Sadly PagePlus has not more updates :(

I don't think I have ever had to use my nudge feature that much.  What if you save it, close it, and reopen the file?  Do you think it would reset back to 1 mm?  Maybe that is a stupid question.  I wonder if you can change that in the preferences?

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Hi Jennymac. Thank you for your answer. You can configure the nudge distance in Options/Snapping.

I've tried to do what you say but when I open again the file, the position of the line (or shape) still remains in 40.001 (the 0.001 appears on 40th keystroke, not in 39th.).

Anyway, PagePlus is a great software and I'll keep using it to things like color separation, imposition, data merge and other things Publisher has not implemented yet.

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