I want to get Corel X4, ...questions tho.....

[::ONEBADBUG::]

Ok... so here I am... Please help me.

I want to purchase a copy of Corels X4 suite.

Can someone tell me the difference between an acedemic non-manual version VS. a ful retail style version?

Please someone clue me in on this.
Is it a functionality issue? when you pit acedemic VS. Store version retail like you would get at office max etc?

IF it is just a mtter of not having books I have no issue if I have to go out and get a pdf manual somewhere...




you dont have to read any further if you don't want....
.

a bit of my history...
For years now I have been doing all my processed graphics on...

*OK YOU CAN CRINGE NOW*

MGFX Draw6 for vector drawing and MGFX PP8 for flat editing & filtering
(MGFX = Micrografx windows3.1/95/nt) remember the days?

I have faced a fact that it is a time to come into the hear & now. Mostly due to fact nearly, no matter who versed I am in what I use now, the entire world is running in one of the 2 main formats for compatabity.. I now need to make files other can read and vice versa
AKA: Simple Compatabilty....

So a bit in my understood loop currently....
Well beyond the above
Flexisign7 pro
Onyx 5.5
and twiddling on Macromedia's 2004 MX suite....
have run countless miles of vinyl and mask cutting, all within flexi...
as well as quite a respectable distanc of printing from witin all the above programs regualess of how I built the end product... With the lastly being trial and error, with the help of the manuals and the 101 site and simply searching, Onyx' postershop 5.5.

Ok now the meat of it..

After taking nearly everyones test drive of corel, adobe and so on...

What I do know is Adobe can kiss my ass! and I know that Corel swallowed MGFX back about 7-8 years ago in the advent of PP10 when corel turned to release the CD10 suite and so far it is the most familar with, to date as to what I'm recognizing when I work with something.. Hell some/alot of the filters and setting as well as layouts are really near the same to date even here in X4!


ok... I'll stop rambling now....

 

[BoogerB]

As far as I know there are no differences other than that. You may search around the forum that they sponsor if you don't see the answer here.

I like some aspects of X4 and some of X3. X3's ability to easily change all of one color to another is 10x better than X4, I think they just screwed up something in it. X3 also has a preview of files available but X4 doesn't.

It is however great to open pdfs, ai, and eps files with. I've noticed little to no degradation and some effects are still there that weren't in X3.

 

[BoogerB]

oh, just noticed a thread about 6 down from yours...
same question
http://www.signs101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31970

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

The only difference is the price, plus you can only buy the education version if your in school or know someone that will buy it for you that goes to college. Where else can you buy the Adobe CS3 for under 400 bucks??

 

[Goatboy]

Education lacks a few things...books graphics fonts. Given your situation Id go for the full. Worse case find an older version on amazon(say version 12) and then upgrade to 14 with the manuals and clip art(some good walk thrus and tuts as well) The biggest difference is the academic lacks the current VBA and scripting functions. Most can live without em I'm just not one of them

 

[::ONEBADBUG::]

The only difference is the price, plus you can only buy the education version if your in school or know someone that will buy it for you that goes to college. Where else can you buy the Adobe CS3 for under 400 bucks??

I've done the CS3 tryout at least 2-3 times over the last year... and I don't if it's me or what But I just absolutley hate it's workflow/interface... I suppose if I were acustom to its layout it would seem more familiar or flowing but for the life of me it took me endless time just trying to do simplistic things... even mundane things like softening an edge, aligning simple text to a simple curve, let alone drawing the bezier for the curve!

I've run after effects too and had the same problems, in the work flow, adobes sowhat head scratching terminology for many simple functions... things that it took to first find and open then find the right menu, apply the oddly termed effect and then simplify it.. in the same time I could have gone into PP8, written the filter from scratch, applied the effect and exported the final edit before I could run to adobe help file for clarification!

Education lacks a few things...books graphics fonts. Given your situation Id go for the full. Worse case find an older version on amazon(say version 12) and then upgrade to 14 with the manuals and clip art(some good walk thrus and tuts as well) The biggest difference is the academic lacks the current VBA and scripting functions. Most can live without em I'm just not one of them

Hmm if its mainly an exclusion of a paper manual, a few mundane fonts and some clip art... PFFTT! I guess I just pick up a copy...

Over the years I have bought and paid for so many font sets and clip art collections.. hell I don't even use half the ones I have! And from what I've found on the tryouts is when the swallowed up MGFX the workspace as well as termiology makes mre sens to me than CS3....


Looks like X4.. Thanks... : )=

 

[Techman]

it does not include VBA,, which you will need for certain plugins and other goodies..

 

[::ONEBADBUG::]

VBA?

I probably already know what it is but thought I would ask anyway sinced it doesn't ring a bell....
there are no dumb questions...
right?

: )=

 

[signage]

Visual Basics for Applications!

 

[Alan D]

It was my understanding that VBA was to be included with the accademic version, usuallt though you cannot upgrade from it and it should not be used for commercial use only those in full time education.
I will try and check the VBA issue.
Alan D

 

[::ONEBADBUG::]

Came across the below.. Kinda sound like the VBA mainly pertains to mostly making functionmacros within the program it sounds as if it is fully functional. and then probably won't let you publish, or more lkely doesn't want you to but will let you, to anything other than the machine it is localed to.. It's not to say that you cant write/publish but frowns on actully doing so as to make it into a commercial trade

So I would guess for me then.... Seeing as Signs are not the main bag, I would class me more as an over enthusiatic low end pro that knows just enough to be dangerous and make neat things, and that most of the things that I do I more or less giveaway at cost to just get rid of materials that are more or less leftovers clogging space and find a way to grace soemone with something for nealy damn free. Trust me if I were a full time sign shop I would hesitate forking out the $499 direct to corel. Just like I have done with Flexisign7, Onyx5.5 & Macromedia's Studio MX 2004... I suppose the only reason I dont want to fork it out this time points back to the way I have been doing things forever and a day... If I dont like it I would have rather spent only $100 VS. $500

So I think for this week I will be scoring eBay everyday and see if either
A) A full retail comes down the pipe and I can grab it under 200
or
B) at the end of the week if none surfaces go over to my local college and pick up a copy... I still have my student ID from last winter from a few mat classes I took for a short brush-up for algebra =

Wednesday, January 23, 2008
CorelDRAW X4 Education Edition Delivers VBA
In a previous post, you know I have been very critical about the Student and Teacher (Academic) Edition of CorelDRAW X3 because it does not include VBA (Visual Basic for Applications).

I've got good news for you. The Education (also Academic) Edition of CorelDRAW X4 does include VBA. It still has some of the legal restrictions of past versions. You can't use it to make money so if you want to buy it for your business, you are violating this restriction. It is not eligible for upgrades so you will either have to continue buying the Education Edition in the future or pay for the full version at some point. There are no printed manuals, though you could order these separately. Software-wise, the Education Edition is identical to the full version costing much more.

Even if you don't think you need or use VBA, you will inevitably find a use for it. Our friends at macromonster.com are adding new features to CorelDRAW on a regular basis and they all require VBA. You can now use CorelDRAW's built-in macros for calendar creation and swatchbook building. What school doesn't have a need to create calendars?

Why did Corel have such a change of heart with this release? Sure, part of it has to do with making users happy and this was a problem area. The biggest reason is that they were able to negotiate a new licensing contract for VBA with Microsoft and it is now financially possible to include it and still keep the price low.

If you are a student, teacher or somewhat qualified to use CorelDRAW in an academic environment, go ahead and order your Education Edition of CorelDRAW X4. The list price is $99 so it is a real bargain. Those of you in the business world who have a previous version of CorelDRAW will have to look to the Upgrade for CorelDRAW X4. Business users without a previous version of CorelDRAW will have to look to the full version of CorelDRAW X4.

 

[Alan D]

I can confirm that VBA (at the moment) is in ALL X4 releases.
Alan D

 

[knucklehead]

Just caught up reading this thread, and just wanted to say, I purchased X4 academic version a couple of months ago from Amazon, at the time I was a student in vo-tech school so I had my ID, and credentials ready, but they didn't seem to care if one is a student or not, long as you pay the 89 bucks. And as far as using it for commercial applications, really who's gonna know? I have the full v.12, and edu.X4 on the computer that runs my cutter, are the Corel cops going to investigate to see if this sign was made with my full version, or my educational version?

 

[tommythesignguy]

I just got X4 a couple of days ago. I haven't had time to mess with it yet, but, it actually highlights buttons / features and tools that have been upgraded or changed since previous versions.

 

[Ken]

www.coreldraw.com
is a great resource for you to check out.
Ken

 

[R08]

it does not include VBA,, which you will need for certain plugins and other goodies..

Oh yes it is. VBA is in all the versions.

Academic doesn't include any books or technical support and you have to be either a teacher or student of a school or similar.