QuarkXPress 5 or InDesign 2? - Graphic Exchange magazine

N ewsViewSonic packs Ø-Touch autotuninginto Multimedia LCDViewSonic’s Ø-Touchauto-tuning technologyis now available inits 15” VE150m LCD.Ø-Touch monitors reactautomatically tochanges by running acycle to read the signaltiming, count thedots in one line, andmeasure the video level. In the process,horizontal/vertical size, centering, andclock sampling phase are optimized, pluscontrast is adjusted to linearize gray scales.The cycle compensates for video card driftand jitter, and can even compensate for intentionallymisadjusted monitors.The ViewSonic VE150m is a 15-inchLCD with a new “super-slim” 1.3-inchbezel design. With a contrast ratio of 300:1and 1024 x 768 true resolution, it deliversedge-to-edge precise images, minimalglare and color richness.The estimated street price for the View-Sonic VE150m is $789. To find out more,visit www.viewsonic.com.Apple releases QuickTime 5 andQT Streaming ServerApple has now introduced QuickTime 5, anew version of its software for creating,playing and streaming audio and videoover the Internet. At the same time Applealso released the QuickTime StreamingServer 3, its new version of the standardsbased,open source, streaming server. Appleis also demonstrating a preview versionof QuickTime with support for MPEG-2and MPEG-4 encoding.QuickTime 5 includes a new DVcodec for enhanced speed and quality; italso allows content creators to design custominterfaces for the delivery of theirQuickTime content.Apple’s QuickTime Streaming Server 3includes Skip Protection for protecting thequality of streams from disruptions on theInternet. Coupled with Mac OS X Serveron a Power Mac G4, QuickTime StreamingServer 3 lets users start up a streamingdigital video channel with support formore than 3,000 concurrent streams.QuickTime 5 can be downloaded fromthe Apple website at www.apple.com/quicktime/download.Microsoft gears up $400 million campaign to launch Windows XPIndustry estimates call for Microsoft to pour at least $400 million into television advertisingand other publicity for the updated operating system, Windows XP (“eXPerience”),which is due to be released October 23rd in consumer and professional versions.According to Microsoft, Windows XP Professional has a more intuitive, taskbaseddesign, with a user interface thatconsolidates and simplifies common tasks.Windows XP Professional uses a full 32-bit architecture, allowing more programs tobe run simultaneously. XP Professional alsoprovides a wizard for publishing files andfolders to an Intranet, integrated supportfor burning CDs on CD-R and CD-RWdrives, plus a DualView option for displayinga computer desktop on two monitors.In Australia and New Zealand, WindowsXP will be available only by subscription. This new payment model will eventuallybe applied to North America. The new commercial system is designed to provideMicrosoft with more consistent income from its most lucrative product. To previewthe new operating system, visit www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/preview.HP invades digital printingmarket with short run 6600Hewlett-Packard Company has just announcedits entry into the commercialprinting market with the introduction ofthe HP DigitalPress 6600, a digitalcolor printingpress designed forshort run, personalizedprint jobs.The DigitalPress 6600 can print up to six process colors,including custom colors and high-fidelityprinting. It uses no plates, and nofilm, operating on liquid electro-photography(LEP) technology, which combines adigitally powered laser imaging systemwith the use of ultra-small ink particles anda liquid transport system.The HP Digital Press 6600 is availablenow in the United Kingdom and Spain. Itis expected to ship in the U.S. this summerwith a base model at an estimated price ofunder US$200,000.Corel supports OS X with specialproduct offering through AppleCorel Corporation has announced that itwill be launching a full complement of designtools for Mac OS X this summer andfall. The company will introduce the upcomingreleases for Mac OS X by providingApple customers with the opportunityto select Corel’s current design tools whenpurchasing hardware from the Apple onlinestore.Products to be included in this offeringare KPT 6, Bryce 4, Corel Painter 6 andCorel KnockOut 1.5. These titles, featuredat a special Apple end-user price, will beavailable with all Apple hardware.This special promotion will be followedthis summer and fall with the launch ofMac OS X optimized applications: Bryce5, Corel Painter 7, CorelDRAW 10 forMacintosh, Corel KnockOut 2 and KPT 7.Visit www.store.apple.com or call 1-800-MY-APPLE for further information.38 Graphic Exchange

Epson PhotoPC 3100Z uses PrintImage Matching technologyThe Epson PhotoPC 3100Z is Epson’s firstdigital camera to include Print ImageMatching technology. It is equipped with a3.34 megapixel CCD sensor for resolutionup to 2048 x 1536 or interpolation to 2544 x1904 pixel resolution, and its USB compatibilityenables quick and easy downloadingof images to Macintosh or Windows compatiblesystems.The PhotoPC 3100Z features a 3x opticalzoom, a 35-second web-ready video clipfeature, and built-in microphone. It willsupport memory cards up to 320MB.Suggested list price for the Epson PhotoPC3100Z is US$1,249. It can be orderedthrough www.epson.ca.Heidelberg Linoscan 2200 nowavailable in North AmericaHeidelberg is now shipping the newLinoscan 2200, a double-page (A3+) scannerwith built-in transparency unit, is fittedwith a new optical system and works with avariety of originals from 35 mm right up toA3+ format. According to Heidelberg, itachieves professional quality results using anewly-developed mirror technology, inwhich the high-precision optical system isfirmly anchored inside the scanner andprotected from vibrations.The Linoscan 2200 achieves a maximumdensity of 3.4 through its 42 Bit-BET(Bit Enhancement Technology) CCDchip. The A3+ format allows scanningof originals up to 12x 17 inch (reflectiveandtransparent)with anoptical resolutionof 800x 1,600 dpi. Thescanner comes witheither Linocolor Elite for Macintosh orNewcolor 5000 for Windows.Contact Heidelberg Canada at (905)362-4400 for additional information.Font Reserve 2.6 connected toMyFonts.com now shippingDiamondSoft Inc. has just announced thatversion 2.6 of Font Reserve for Macintoshis shipping.Through a link from the Font ReserveBrowser to MyFonts.com, the new versionexpands Font Reserve’s capabilities beyondsimply managing fonts to allowing users toeasily acquire new fonts. In addition, version2.6 enhances automatic font activationin popular publishing applications.Get more on this new release fromwww.fontreserve.com.Torque purchases DAX assetsminus PrintPlanet.comTorque Systems recently purchased mostof Digital Art Exchange (DAX), accordingto an announcement by Torque CEO SamBogoch. The purchase included most ofDAX’s network products, such as its T1 serviceprovisioning, managed FTP, Webhosting and mail services, but did not includeDAX’s recently announced file transferservice, DAX-IT.The terms of the sale were not disclosed.The acquisition does not includeDAX’s 50% interest in the e-communityPrintPlanet.com, which was spun out inMarch. DAX is still seeking a buyer for itsshare of PrintPlanet, although no specificoffers have been disclosed to date.Fujifilm reports myfujifilm.comready for general releaseFollowing its move to Hanover Park, Illinois,Fujifilm has now geared up its E-Productionsite for printers and print buyers atwww.myfujifilm.com. The website is capableof handling soft proofing, remote proofingand collaborative proofing, powered by asystem from Group Logic.The site was expected to be up and runningin June for general use. Checkwww.myfujifilm.com for its current status.WWW.CPUSED.COM• Fast Memory Upgrades • All Credit Cards accepted ~ No Service Charge •Computer RentalsNew G4 & DisplayMultimedia Dream MachineNew iBookYour Life. To Go!New TitaniumTomorrow’s Technology...Today!488 Dupont Street @ Bathurst•Open 7-Days a Week•416.533.2001© 2000 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, theApple logo, and the ibook are trademarks of AppleComputer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.Computer RentalsMac & PCDailyWeeklyMonthlyProp RentalsName-BrandHuge InventoryCompetitive RatesFor more information call416.534-2001www.brainiac.ca488 Dupont StreetToronto ONM6G 1Y7Graphic Exchange 39

N ewsSpecial ReportMajor conundrumpending: InDesign 2or QuarkXPress 5?b y J a y N e l s o nUntil recently, it seemed inevitable thatAdobe InDesign would replace Quark’sQuarkXPress as the industry’s most-usedpage layout application. However, atApril’s Seybold Boston conference, Quarkshowed QuarkXPress 5 and several newproducts for integrating and expandingQuark workflows into every other mediumwe know of. Now, we’re not so sure.For many who are struggling with thequestion of whether to switch to InDesignor upgrade QuarkXPress (or what to dowhen upgrading from PageMaker), we offerthe following thoughts.WHAT DO THEY OFFER?Here are some real-world facts aboutQuarkXPress and InDesign:QuarkXPress has been the dominantprofessional page layout application formore than a decade. Quark has sold morethan two million copies of QuarkXPressworldwide, and more than half of themare outside the United States. Service bureausknow exactly how to print from it,and your friends can help you when youhave questions about it. However, eventhough QuarkXPress 4 has been shippingsince December of 1997, many people arestill using version 3.InDesign offers smoother integrationwith Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Itstype handling is superb. Its other featuresare very sexy as well. InDesign supportstwenty languages, while Quark requiresthe separate $1,700 QuarkXPress Passportapplication, which supports ten languages,and six more at an additional cost.Although it shipped in August of 1999,very few professionals are using InDesignfor production.THE CHALLENGESQuarkXPress will never work as smoothlywith Adobe applications as Adobe applicationswill work with each other. For example,QuarkXPress doesn’t show high-resolutionpreviews of Photoshop or Illustratordocuments. Quark will always be forced tochase Adobe technologies as they evolve(PDF, PostScript, OpenType, etc.), whileAdobe has the “inside track” and a headstart in applying these technologies to itsproducts.InDesign has a huge amount of industryinertia to overcome if it wants to be aserious competitor to QuarkXPress. Its reputationso far is that it doesn’t quite workas advertised, and this may be a difficultreputation to reverse. There are billions ofQuarkXPress documents currently in use,with more being produced every day, andInDesign does not always convert them accurately.WORKFLOW ISSUESThird-party XTensions for QuarkXPressare the “glue” that make profit possible formany companies’ workflows. The use ofcritical XTensions makes it very difficult tomigrate to InDesign. (Similarly, becauseclever companies use Apple’s AppleScriptto automate workflows, they are unlikely toswitch to Windows.)Plug-ins for InDesign are being activelydeveloped, but this is one more piece ofthe already-complex workflow puzzle thatfor now may rule out InDesign for profitseekingcompanies.RESOURCESAdobe is a giant, publicly-traded company.This past quarter, it had $70 million profiton $329 million revenue (all figures U.S.dollars). Most of its revenue is generatedby sales and upgrades of Photoshop, whichessentially has no competition in the marketplace.Its main products—Illustrator,Photoshop, Acrobat, GoLive, PageMaker,InDesign, FrameMaker, After Effects, Post-Script, and type-related products—all pullfrom one pool of software engineers, and,judging by each product’s embarrassingfailure to support new features in otherAdobe applications, it seems that the developmentteams do not always communicatewith each other very well.Quark is privately held, and thereforedoes not make its financial reports public.However, two years ago when Adobe’sstock was underpriced, Quark offered tobuy Adobe outright, and it had the moneyto do it. As a private company, Quark canmake immediate, drastic changes as requiredby the marketplace. It can alsoquickly release free product updates withoutconcern for shareholders’ objections.THE FUTURESome people believed that Quark’s futurewas dim when Tim Gill, Quark’s founderand the heart-and-soul of QuarkXPress, retiredfrom the company last year. We worriedthat QuarkXPress would die a slowdeath, being milked for as long as possible,then discarded. However, at April’s SeyboldBoston conference it became apparentthat Quark has several very strong developmentteams taking QuarkXPress indirections we would argue it should havetaken years ago, boldly developing broadnew applications such as Quark DigitalMedia System, avenue.quark and QuarkActive Publishing Server that help youpublish your new and existing content inalmost any media imaginable. It appearsthat Quark is as vital and inventive asever—they’ve just been quiet about it.QuarkXPress 5 is currently being betatested by dozens of large installationsworldwide. Quark says it will ship when itsusers say it’s ready.Adobe has been working on severaltechnologies to help use content acrossmedia, and time will tell whether its upcomingproducts will provide enough encouragementfor QuarkXPress users toadopt an all-Adobe workflow. Adobe’s PDFlooks as if it will become the preferred fileinterchangeformat, but currently has seri-40 Graphic Exchange

ous problems with spot colors, color management,and overall reliability of PDFdocuments. However, Apple’s new MacOS X uses PDF as its underlying graphicsformat, and many printing houses areadopting PDF as their standard, so PDFdevelopment is sure to grow.WHAT SHOULD I DO?If you must make a decision soon, we suggestcontacting Quark and Adobe for referencesof companies that are successfully usingtheir products. Ask for ones with profilessimilar to your own. Then talk to themabout their experiences. This may be theonly way to discover your own “truth”—atleast for now.Jay Nelson is the publisher and editor of DesignTools Monthly, a monthly newsletter headquarteredin Boulder, Colorado. For a free, complete issueplease visit www.Design-Tools.com or emailGX@Design-Tools.com. Reprinted with permissionfrom Design Tools Monthly May/2001.Epson Stylus Pro 10000 deliversfast 44-inch wide imagesEpson is now shipping the new Stylus Pro10000, its most powerful printer to date.The 10000 uses a new variable dropletand can create images up to 44 inches inwidth on a broad selection of media at true1440 x 720 dpi resolution. Images can beprinted at up to 231 square feet per hour atfastest settings or approximately 72 squarefeet per hour for photographic output.Epson offers the 10000 with ArchivalInk technology that enables prints to endurewithout fading or damage caused bylight or moisture. Or users have the optionof using Photographic Dye Ink for imagesthat incorporate a wider color gamut atlower cost per square foot. However thischoice must be made at time of purchase.The Epson Stylus Pro 10000 basic printingsystem lists for US$15,999. For more information,call 1-800-GO-EPSON or visitwww.epson.ca.SCREAMSAVERNEED A GREAT IDEA IN A HURRY?1. TAKE A DEEP BREATH.2. EXHALE SLOWLY.3. CALL THE CREATIVE GROUP.888.846.1668 • creativegroup.com© The Creative Group.Graphic Exchange 41

Pagemaker 7 is due this summer, promising totalintegration with all Adobe products -- and someQuarkXPress, too...Apple is ready to release a9.2 upgrade for OS 9, according to reports...Latest word from Alias Wavefront is that Mayafor Mac is slightly behind schedule but due forrelease by as early as September...Meanwhileword from Microsoft is that Office X for Mac OSX may be out by the fall...Soon to be introducedfor small to medium size printers --MetaDimension, Heidelberg’s new Prinergy-likeworkflow package that has CreoScitex’s attention...Goodnews for those who go into Webwithdrawal when they have to fly -- Screaming-Media Inc. has just signed a deal with Boeingto sell passengers in the sky broadband Internetconnection services, starting late thisyear or early in 2002...Enum, a standard approvedlast year that would amalgamate telephonenumbers with website addresses, is now intrial testing in the U.S. Invented by a Ciscoengineer frustrated by his phalanx of pager, e-mail, cell phone, office phone, home phone, andinstant messenger numbers, Enum would allow contactthrough the Internet through use of a singletelephone number...Online news services reportedthat on May 11th, tens of thousands ofcopies of a Windows XP beta version were downloadedfrom Microsoft’s Windows Beta server aftersomeone leaked the password...The Internetis blasting into outer space -- with supportfrom NASA, a consortium of engineers from MCIWorldCom, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mitre,SPARTA and Global Science and Technology istargeting the 2003 Mars mission for live testing...Wordhas it that Bluetooth, the muchtalked-about personal area network technologybacked by 3Com, IBM, Hewlett-Packard and others,will finally surface this summer in cardsfor laptops and printers...SuperDrive spawns new LaCie DVD-R/CD-RWLaCie’s new FireWire-based DVD-R/CD-RW combo drive readsand writes CD-R and CD-RW discs, and also writes 4.7GB DVD-R General discs. LaCie developed the FireWire interface and thesoftware bundle to support the drive, but the core optical drivetechnology is Pioneer’s DVR-A03, the aftermarket version of Apple’sSuperDrive, the DVR-103.The LaCie drive records 4.7GB DVD-R General Use discs at2x (2.6MBps), and provides 6x read performance for DVD-R,DVD-Video and DVD ROM discs. It will also burn CD-Rs at 8xspeed and CD-RWs at 4x speed, and reads CDs at 24x.Suggested retail price is US$999. The drive comes with an internationalpower supply, three 80-minute CD-Rs, one DVD-Rdisc, and the LaCie Recording Utilities CD package, which containsediting and authoring software for both Windows and MacOS. For more information contact LaCie via e-mail at sales@laciecanada.comor call 416-530-2545.dMACS releases digital workflow education kitThe Technical Standards Committee of Magazines Canada hasformally released the first version of its digital workflow educationkit, according to a recent announcement.The dMACS CD and Cookbook contains printed and interactivereference materials, comprised of digital workflow material,tools, industry data andadvice. Topics coveredrange from TIFF/IT-P1and PDF/X-1 to remoteproofing, copydot issues,screen resolutions, transmissionspeeds, and otherareas of interest related todistributed advertisingproduction for print. Thedisc and handbook providea comprehensive setof reference material forresearching, analyzing,planning and implementingfully digital workflows,including.an extensiveglossary and standards-compliantdigitalcolor bars.Project sponsors includeAdobe Systems, Kodak Polychrome, Fuji, KangaCom, andEmbassy Graphics. The dMACS CD (for Mac and Windows)and printed “Cookbook” are now available as a package fromMagazines Canada (www.dMACS.org) at a cost of $249.42 Graphic Exchange

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