New.Journalism.Review

Mac User UK (13th March issue) did a comparison review of Quark 8 versus InDesign CS4.

IMHO this seems to be a neat summary of the state of play. It's good to have competition in DTP. Mac User had more than a few criticisms to make about the Quark 8 clunky interface (no surprise). Also it states that InDesign CS4 is not a big upgrade, so CS3 users may want to stay put.

I don't think the full review is on the Mac User site, but I have a scan of the article from the magazine that I can email to anyone who wants it,. Just drop me an email (see my About Me page for email address). 

Blog buzz:
Which is the most talked about DTP package on the blogs – it's  "Quark (in Blue)" Versus "InDesign (Red)"

Keyword popularity across the Blogosphere

This chart illustrates how many times blog posts across the Blogosphere contained the following keywords.

InDesign vs. Quark

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“Quark Strikes Back” reads the dramatic headline on the cover of  MacUser magazine (6 June 2008) It says: “We didn’t expect to feel like this, XPress 8 seems like a product that will get people excited about DTP once more.”

A few years ago the canteen at Quark HQ in Denver had one dish on its menu -  humble pie. The bar around the corner served two cocktails – ‘Total Screw Up’ and the rather sickly-tasting ‘Zero Market Share’.

But fed up with its poor diet, Quark admitted that the release of versions 6 to 6.5 were, frankly, pants and that it had become more than a little arrogant in its dealings with customers.

But now the world has changed. Quark 8 has got a makeover and actually looks and feels like a 21st century bit of software. Indeed, it has more than a little passing resemblance to its great rival, InDesign CS3. This may prove rather handy for those of us who teach both.

Will this be enough? Only time will tell. But it will have a job in winning the hearts of many newspaper and magazine publishers in the UK.

More reviews and opinions:

CreativePro: First Look Quark  8
Random Quote: “For many established designers, it’s probably too late to generate much
excitement. But it seems as if this version of XPress is targeted at
new users as much as old ones, and there is a steady flow of new designers entering the market who are taking a fresh look at the tools available to them.

PlanetQuark: Quark 8 (and 7) features
This links through to comprehensive rundown of new features in X-Ray Magazine. The boss of Quark says that version 8 is the best ever – [well, it should be!].

Tuaw.com: Quark 8 interface and typography
The feedback makes particularly interesting reading. StreetStealth says that Quark will “only win on price”. [I agree,  so  the message to Quark is keep those education discounts!!!!!]