QuarkXPress 9 review: first look

Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011

When Quark announced the launch of the free QuarkXPress 8.5 release, I was seriously unimpressed. Firstly it offered almost no new power, second it implied that the launch of version 9 was some way off, and third it looked like Quark was squandering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get back at market leader, InDesign.

Based on a press briefing introducing the new QuarkXPress 9, my main concerns have been answered – at least partly. (more…)

Has Quark backed the wrong horse again?

Wednesday, November 24th, 2010

It’s an exciting time for publishing, as the arrival of the handheld tablet form factor (aka the iPad) promises to finally usher in the era of wysiwyg, immersive reading alongside traditional web browsing. It looks like the digital dream that print publishers have been crying out for since they first grasped the full potential of the internet – stunning content, global audiences, revenue opportunities and minimal costs – is finally coming true.

More than this, there’s a real element of turmoil and unpredictability at the moment as Steve Jobs’ open war on Adobe and his refusal to support Flash on the market-defining iPad means that Adobe’s plans for the handheld market have hit an unexpected roadblock. In short, the future of design-intensive digital publishing is up for grabs.

All in all it’s a golden opportunity for Adobe’s main publishing rival, Quark, which last week announced the new 8.5 release of its flagship software QuarkXPress.

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QuarkXPress 8 First Thoughts

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008

I’m still waiting for my review copy of the new QuarkXPress but of course I’ve read the press release and explored the Quark site - so how does it look on paper?

 The slogan that Quark has picked for the new release is “Revolutionizing Publishing. Again.” Certainly sounds good, but what does it actually mean?

Putting aside the new “Designer-Driven Typography”– and on the basis that this seems to boil down to settings for managing hanging punctuation that seems sensible – there are two new features that Quark is pushing that could live up to the revolutionary hype: the new interface and the new interactive design capabilities.

Again it’s easy to be sceptical…

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