CorelDRAW Upgrade Protection Program Is Ending

[Bobby H]

Corel's Upgrade Protection Program for CorelDRAW users is being "retired," starting next week, March 8.

For anyone not familiar, the UPP grand-fathered holders of CorelDRAW perpetual licenses into an annual upgrade policy whose renewals cost less than the subscription-based product. Originally it was priced at $99 per year for annual renewal. For awhile the UPP was available as an option for those who bought new $499 perpetual license copies of CorelDRAW for an additional $149 per year. The UPP option was removed from the $499 non-subscription product some time back.

Existing UPP subscribers will have their licenses transitioned to CorelDRAW 365 day subscriptions once their existing UPP term ends. There will be a brief period between that term end where the subscription-based product will be available for free to UPP subscribers until March 7, 2023. After that their UPP subscriptions will be renewed into CorelDRAW 365 Day subscriptions at the previous UPP price for one year. On March 7, 2024 the subscription renewals will cost the full price, $249 annually or whatever Corel will be charging at that point.

Users can log into their CorelDRAW accounts and change their renewal types from automatic to on-demand to avoid the auto-renewals. UPP Users who bow out of the program will supposedly be able to use the last version of CorelDRAW they downloaded during their final UPP term. I think that means many of us UPP subscribers will be able to download CorelDRAW 2022 and continue using that if we cancel out of the subscription-only version. That could mean odd scenarios like running CDR 2023 next year and then reverting to CDR 2022 if balking at a $249 price to for CDR 2024.

Yeah, it sounds a little confusing. In the future it may just be easier buying the $499 "full" version once every few years if Corel manages to survive.[/B]

 

[Notarealsignguy]

So in English, what does this mean?
I have X7, am I safe? I bought some upgrade that I think you are talking about about a year ago but never installed it. I don't trust buggy ass Corel and X7 works fine.

 

[Bobby H]

Old versions of CorelDRAW shouldn't be affected, provided Corel doesn't turn off the activation servers for them. If you haven't been paying the $99 per year or $149 per year renewal fees for Upgrade Protection then this policy shift on the UPP wouldn't apply to you. CorelDRAW users who have been staying up to date with the latest versions via the UPP will have some choices to make going forward.

 

[unclebun]

Other than the obvious revenue stream of Corel365 (which they are getting from UPP subscribers), it appears to me that the practical reason they need to change the software and subscription has to do with new cloud based services. When I look at the feature grid for the new products, it is some kind of collaboration cloud feature that requires this. Do people really use this? Why do we have to pay for it in the general product? This is also a complaint I have with Microsoft Office 365 and Adobe products, which are also subscription only. Are there really miillions of people who need to collaborate with others scattered over the globe in their design projects? Obviously we all are in the sign industry where you design something and make it in one location. How often is something designed by committee such that it needs cloud collaboration tools? In what industry does this happen? Do they use Corel Draw?

 

[Notarealsignguy]

Other than the obvious revenue stream of Corel365 (which they are getting from UPP subscribers), it appears to me that the practical reason they need to change the software and subscription has to do with new cloud based services. When I look at the feature grid for the new products, it is some kind of collaboration cloud feature that requires this. Do people really use this? Why do we have to pay for it in the general product? This is also a complaint I have with Microsoft Office 365 and Adobe products, which are also subscription only. Are there really miillions of people who need to collaborate with others scattered over the globe in their design projects? Obviously we all are in the sign industry where you design something and make it in one location. How often is something designed by committee such that it needs cloud collaboration tools? In what industry does this happen? Do they use Corel Draw?

The tech businesses work like this so they think everyone else does. I would assume that they are trying to expand beyond the limited commercial market and tap into the light in the loafers crowd that can not function without a phone in one hand, a bottle of water in the other (The artsy tards are a very thirsty bunch) and a mass group of like minded "creatives" there to offer moral support.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

This really shouldn't come as a surprise.

I imagine that eventually applications will be just a webview app that points to a website. Might as well be and as WASM gets better and better (and we already have programs like Maya that can run entirely in the browser) and just drop all this pretense.


unclebun, typically OEMs try to pass something that isn't quite as well liked, they also try to tag it along with something else. Convenience features are one of those things (safety is another). Ironically, even an areas that I do heavy collab with others (gitlab, github), I rarely use integrations in my IDE. I sure don't use them within my drawing/vector applications. Now with more people pushing remote work, one might could make that argument depending on how the business is structured and who really needs to be or not be in the office etc.

 

[binki]

Yeah, we got the nastygram as well. We have an AI subscription for $21/mo right now but we still use Corel for most work.

 

[CanuckSigns]

Yeah this SaaS stuff has gotten out of hand, our laser engravers have come out with a new web browser based software for running the machines, rather then open your design in Corel, and print to the laser directly, you need to upload the design to their cloud based storage, and it will sync directly to your laser engraver...in 10-15 minutes depending on file size and complexity. So if your internet connection goes down your machine doesn't work. The software is currently free, but I'm sure they will have plans to start charging you monthly for it, plus selling you extra cloud storage.

Who in their right mind thinks this is in any way acceptable in a production setting?!? Sure in the tech lab waiting 15 minutes to run your job allows you to get another vitamin water and check your socials, but I could have the job done and packaged up by then!

 

[Bobby H]

The change in policy, ending the Upgrade Protection Program, wouldn't bother me as much if Corel was doing more to actually maintain and improve the two applications in their "graphics suite." CorelDRAW 2021 has a number of bugs that have persisted for multiple versions without being fixed.

There are serious problems with the Font Manager utility and how CorelDRAW loads fonts. For some odd reason a lot of fonts from the Google Fonts web site don't work properly in CorelDRAW. That includes some of the script typefaces from Robert Leuschke such as Great Vibes or Italianno. Arizonia from TypeSETit is another. Even Roboto is affected. Several of the new variable fonts at Google Fonts have issues in CorelDRAW. The main bug is when you select the font in the font menu the text object gets set in default Arial. Some of the fonts even render in Arial in the preview. Meanwhile all of these fonts work just fine in other applications, like Illustrator or even Inkscape. Aside from Google Fonts I have other fonts that I purchased from MyFonts that don't work properly in CorelDRAW. Some fonts from the Adobe Fonts service are also affected. All of this points to issues in the CorelDRAW application rather than bugs in any fonts files.

With all these long-standing bugs any policy change designed to squeeze more cash out of customers really feels like it is being done in bad faith. By year's end I may just turn off the auto-renew thing and stick with whatever version of CorelDRAW continues to work (while transitioning more and more of my work over to Illustrator and other rival applications). It's not going to bother me all that much to wait several years before buying another version of CorelDRAW, that is if Corel is still around by then. $249 per year for just 2 applications (only one of which I regularly use) is too high a price even if the software is working properly. Unfixed bugs and very under-whelming new features makes a $249 per year price feel like a rip-off.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

With all these long-standing bugs any policy change designed to squeeze more cash out of customers really feels like it is being done in bad faith.

This actually illustrates why I'm a big believer of not being too beholding to any one software package. Things change and people should be willing to move as quickly as they feasibly can (not always possible for everyone, but the option should realistically looked at if one doesn't like the direction that a program is going in). Otherwise, if one is still paying for something, regardless if they like or not, the OEM has zero incentive to change.

Yeah this SaaS stuff has gotten out of hand, our laser engravers have come out with a new web browser based software for running the machines,

Ironically, can have a locally run web based program using webview (a whole lot easier on the resources compared to Electron, in the realm of 70-80% depending on what is involved, sometimes more and won't need network access) and have file I/O all done locally. I doubt that they would do that, because the benefit of having a webview app is that the logic can be stored elsewhere to protect the IP and when people aren't paying for it anymore, it no longer works.

About the only benefit (and it's a big one) is that people don't have to worry about what OS that they are running anymore for the most part (and with more and more push for cross platform, for a couple of reasons using frontend for UIs makes that easier as the UI portion is really what makes non portable code). Especially if it is browser based and not even webview based.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I read the other day that auto manufacturers are exploring subscription based programs to use options on your car. You want to put your window down, $2.99/mo but you can buy the platinum package for $4.99 and use all of your windows. Seriously though, it's gonna be a thing. Hopefully they sell chips in the back of popular mechanics to override it like they used to do with the cable boxes. 10 bucks and you got to see all the xxx you could stand. That was a big deal until the internet ruined it.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

I read the other day that auto manufacturers are exploring subscription based programs to use options on your car. You want to put your window down, $2.99/mo but you can buy the platinum package for $4.99 and use all of your windows. Seriously though, it's gonna be a thing. Hopefully they sell chips in the back of popular mechanics to override it like they used to do with the cable boxes. 10 bucks and you got to see all the xxx you could stand. That was a big deal until the internet ruined it.

Please, Toyota has been charging a subscription for remote starting for some of their 2018 and later vehicles already.

Most of the diag is going to be sent via internet now as a way for auto makers to skirt having to make it available to 3rd party shops. This actually ties into just about any repair situation (including medical, one reason why med expenses are so high, a $500 motor goes out, hospital has to pay for a new operating table). Military has to deal with the same situation. Farmers have long wait times instead of just being able to fix things themselves. I have had a lot of offers for my 80s era JD tractor that actually go well beyond what it's book value is.

We will own nothing and be happy. It's a brave new world out there.

As far as little black boxes, if there is a way that they can skirt around the law. For instance, digital tuners used to get around it by saving for "racing vehicles" only. Not for highway use. Yea right, most did it for highway use but that was on the customer's end, not on the OEMs (at least in theory, some performance places have been busted as well).

 

[unclebun]

The change in policy, ending the Upgrade Protection Program, wouldn't bother me as much if Corel was doing more to actually maintain and improve the two applications in their "graphics suite." CorelDRAW 2021 has a number of bugs that have persisted for multiple versions without being fixed.

There are serious problems with the Font Manager utility and how CorelDRAW loads fonts. For some odd reason a lot of fonts from the Google Fonts web site don't work properly in CorelDRAW. That includes some of the script typefaces from Robert Leuschke such as Great Vibes or Italianno. Arizonia from TypeSETit is another. Even Roboto is affected. Several of the new variable fonts at Google Fonts have issues in CorelDRAW. The main bug is when you select the font in the font menu the text object gets set in default Arial. Some of the fonts even render in Arial in the preview. Meanwhile all of these fonts work just fine in other applications, like Illustrator or even Inkscape. Aside from Google Fonts I have other fonts that I purchased from MyFonts that don't work properly in CorelDRAW. Some fonts from the Adobe Fonts service are also affected. All of this points to issues in the CorelDRAW application rather than bugs in any fonts files.

With all these long-standing bugs any policy change designed to squeeze more cash out of customers really feels like it is being done in bad faith. By year's end I may just turn off the auto-renew thing and stick with whatever version of CorelDRAW continues to work (while transitioning more and more of my work over to Illustrator and other rival applications). It's not going to bother me all that much to wait several years before buying another version of CorelDRAW, that is if Corel is still around by then. $249 per year for just 2 applications (only one of which I regularly use) is too high a price even if the software is working properly. Unfixed bugs and very under-whelming new features makes a $249 per year price feel like a rip-off.

One of the new features of Corel365 is supposed to be integration of Google fonts

 

[rjssigns]

If i'm not in the classroom I rarely use Adobe anything.
Adobe and their rolling upgrades are a PITA for students. TypeKit issues have been unreal lately. Not sure what they did to "F" that up but they did and a fine job.
Text has to be converted to outlines on every project or it will fail at the RIP
PDF's from 2022 Ai can no longer be placed in an existing document or it will fail at the RIP.
These are all traceable to the 2022 upgrade. We know since we did testing with "vintage" 2021 Ai and Ps.
At this point the issues are related to the Indigo. Which causes all sorts of grief since the advanced class uses the Indigo exclusively.
Haven't run the roll fed or UV flatbed yet.

I own Flexi Pro 12 which should take me into and past retirement. I would still be using Flexi 8 point whatever but it wouldn't drive my new printer.
Started producing client work with Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo. Software works a treat and is dirt cheap with free upgrades.
While that may change at some point I think Affinity products are a great deal.

Learning curve to be sure but it's not huge with Designer as a lot of functions and hot keys are identical to Illustrator.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

One of the new features of Corel365 is supposed to be integration of Google fonts

That wouldn't be a surprise, but this would be me being the cynic and tin foil hat person.


I do think that this seemed to have started when they started offering Mac versions as well. If I'm I'm not mistaken, they had to get Apple's help in that regard to that, which makes me believe that they didn't hire on any mac centric devs (I would have suggested that they would have gone with something cross platform (Qt or such) and that way, it's code once run everywhere, sure they may have to redo Windows, but they are already having to do one from scratch as it is)

I would still be using Flexi 8 point whatever but it wouldn't drive my new printer.

I don't know if you would have been able to, I think they cut off the servers to that a few yrs ago.

Started producing client work with Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo. Software works a treat and is dirt cheap with free upgrades.
While that may change at some point I think Affinity products are a great deal.

The nice thing about newer programs, if done correctly, they are already designed for modern computers as well. In the older programs, there is code that is from the old days that is just bloat and just kept on being added to (Windows itself is a prime example of this). Features are actually more like hacks to get them to work correctly (that could be solved by doing a re-write, but no one wants to do that). I think I had heard on here that some people think that how Adobe did the new larger artboard was in a hackish manner, because of issues with exporting that they seemed to have traced back to Ai, not necessarily their target program (may or may not be the case, I have no experience in this regard, going only be what I read/heard, so take that for what it is worth)

Learning curve to be sure but it's not huge with Designer as a lot of functions and hot keys are identical to Illustrator.

This is what I think gets people. Ironically (and I was guilty of this a time or two as well), there are features that may be in the new program, but implemented in a different way, sometimes radically. Because of that, some people think that the feature doesn't exist, when it really does. Of course, what really gets me is that those that learn how the feature is implemented, but says that it's a bad way and thus shouldn't exist. That may be a UX concern, but that definitely isn't a feature parity concern as that is really does the feature exist or not.

Now all of this is moot if the user doesn't really want to change. There has to be that desire to change and willing to push forward.

Of course, I do think another stumbling block is investment already into the previous program. A lot of people want to push forward because of that previous investment as well. Thing is that money is gone. All that one is really doing is sending good money after bad. "Either change with the times or the times change you."

 

[Jim Hill]

I purchased Corel X-8 back in 2017, and it works fine for the type of work I do. I understand that I do not get any upgrades, and I am fine and can live with that.

My question is do I now have to do anything different, or can I continue to use X-8?

Thanks for your reply Jim

 

[WildWestDesigns]

I purchased Corel X-8 back in 2017, and it works fine for the type of work I do. I understand that I do not get any upgrades, and I am fine and can live with that.

My question is do I now have to do anything different, or can I continue to use X-8?

Thanks for your reply Jim

Since X6, have to deal with the activation server (plus, I don't recall if you are able to deactivate when you switch to a new computer, so the activation count is only going down as well), which means that they can get you there as far as staying with X8. Either the activation count will get you or them shutting down the server will. That to me is the biggest thing to have to "worry" about. If the computer is connected to the internet, may get msgs every time you open it. One user on here was complaining about that (I think even said that one msg said that their install wasn't kosher, even though he had it verified from Corel that it was). Now I could be remembering wrong, it has been a couple of yrs (if not more, time seems to have no meaning anymore), so take that for what it is worth.

 

[Jim Hill]

If you were in my position, what course of action would you take?
Not sure if I should just take the monthly payment plan or not because no matter which way I go they still have the control over my future in business.

Jim

 

[WildWestDesigns]

If you were in my position, what course of action would you take?
Not sure if I should just take the monthly payment plan or not because no matter which way I go they still have the control over my future in business.

Jim

I'm the last person that you would probably want to ask. I go "scorched earth" when a vendor does something that I don't agree with. I got rid of Ai when they went subscription. Got rid of Windows when M$ added in telemetry and forced updates (no, I didn't go get a Mac either). While Corel came with my embroidery program of choice, I saw the writing on the wall with Corel when they started using years in their naming schema (most programs that do that are very quickly to go subscription based (yearly naming or put in 365)), so I never got too dependent on Corel. Ai had more of a sting, but I wasn't totally dependent on the .ai format either.

Here is the thing, if the software is buggy as well (the last version that I had was X8 and I never installed it, X6 was the last version that I used, X5 I had most experience with) and has gotten so with future versions, I wonder about the stability that it is going to have for your business down the line. That would be a con that I would think about and how much I would be concerned about that. And I would have to be worried about the future of Corel in general unless things change from what I am hearing, but I'm going on hearsay, so take that for what it is worth.

I tend to go with programs that I have options. I can get further into that if you want, but I'll leave that for right now, as for a variety of reasons, it is dependent on what one is willing to do.

In all honesty though, if you are going to with one of the bigger names that has support with other programs that you depend on (production machines, especially the more sophisticated ones, I don't consider cutters to be that, possibilities exist more with those compared to say wide format printers), your going to have to deal with a subscription cost, more likely anyway. I would first see what all I need, what seems to be more stable for the long term (or however long you need it to be) and after that, see what bargain you can get.

I am a firm advocate though of not being beholding to any one software, otherwise, if one is in too deep with any one software, no matter what OEM does, have to stick with them until the bitter end.

 

[Jim Hill]

WildWestDesign:

I appreciate your comments and I will put some thought into everything you said.

I am now 75 years old and still working every day, but at my age things can change very fast.
I do use a wide format printer and my version of Corel X-8 works find for me.

Thanks for your advice Jim