Quark is getting ready to launch version 10 of its landmark desktop publishing software package, QuarkXPress. And while the company remains mum on the specific details of the brand new version and the precise date of launch, it is offering a sweet deal on the new update to anyone who purchases or upgrades to version 9 from any previous version by June 30. Those users get a free update to version 10.
In its 25 years as a software developer, Quark has had its share of ups and downs, but the program has managed to retain its focus as an industrial strength desktop publishing challenger to Adobe InDesign, created in 1999, and popularly dubbed as a “Quark Killer.”
Over time, Quark has pushed to stay modern in a competitive marketplace. The new text engine in QuarkXPress 7 laid the foundation for hanging characters, OpenType, and advanced grid systems. QuarkXPress 8 brought new, more efficient design tools in conjunction with the company’s digital publishing 2.0 strategy, concentrating on design-rich, interactive content for a variety of platforms. QuarkXPress 9 added support for publishing to mobile devices as well as layout automation. Quark’s HTML5-based App Studio lets users create and collaborate on mobile interactive apps in the cloud that are built with QuarkXPress or InDesign, HTML5, and/or XML.
For now, Quark is keeping everyone in suspense about the particulars of version 10. “As someone who’s used QuarkXPress since version 3, I have to say I’m really excited about version 10,” said Gavin Drake, Quark’s marketing VP. “For Mac OS X users in particular it’s going to be a monumental release incorporating the very latest technology inside and out to deliver a transformed user experience. We’ll be disclosing more in the coming weeks.”
And just for good measure, Quark took a rare swipe at its rival, Adobe, whose subscription-only Creative Cloud software release has recently sparked a huge amount of controversy. “By the way, as this appears to be a hot topic right now, I guess I should mention that customers don’t need to worry about software subscriptions and rentals,” Drake said. “They’ll be able to purchase it (XPress) as a standard perpetual software license direct from Quark and through authorized resellers worldwide.”
QuarkXPress 9 runs on Mac OS X 10.5.8 (Leopard), Mac OS X 10.6.4 (Snow Leopard) or later. It also runs on Microsoft Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or 3), Windows Vista 1.0, or Windows 7.
Author: Jackie Dove
Jackie Dove is an insomniac tech writer and editor in northern California. A wildlife advocate, cat fan, and photo app fanatic, her specialties include Mac hardware and software, art, design, photography, video, and a wide range of creative and productivity apps and systems. Jackie now writes for a variety of consumer tech publications.