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I started using Adobe InDesign back when it was the really brand-new upstart competitor to QuarkXpress.
I had been using QuarkXpress 3.1 as my page layout program at that
time, and was getting tired of feeling that Quark was never going to be
updated to "current day" standards. (Or at least current year 2000
standards!), I really felt that it's newer versions did not offer me
any reason at all to upgrade, especially at the prices that Quark has
always wanted for their software.
So, when Adobe announced InDesign 1.0,
and promised that it was certainly not just a beefed-up PageMaker, I
was all for it. But version 1.0, after trying it diligently many times
was just not flowing smoothly for me. I was not ready to give up on
Quark quite yet.
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So,
I put InDesign 1.0 on the shelf and continued producing quality work
with QuarkXpress 3.1. But, I really wanted a program of the same
caliber that would work natively with Mac OS X, which had become very
usable when Mac OS X 10.1 shipped. With the release of OS X 10.1, I
changed my daily OS over to Mac OS X for good - and I wanted to banish
everything that was Mac OS 9 only from my computer! But I couldn't do
that - because of Quark. I still needed that piece of software far too
often to be able to do that just yet. Inside of 3 months it became the
only holdout on my PowerBook that was not Mac OS X ready.
QuarkXpress
certainly has been maligned in the past few years, hasn't it. Everybody
has wanted a "Quark Killer" application to replace it - why? Simple -
because it was ignored, and allowed seriously good competition in the
marketplace to capitalize on Quark's severe shortcoming. Adobe stepped
up to the plate with a new version of InDesign, version 1.5. And in my
opinion, they hit a home run.
Adobe InDesign 1.5 was extremely different than it's predecessor. The best part was it was a FREE UPGRADE!
Adobe gave everybody that had believed in them and purchased version
1.0 an awesome upgrade, no charge! I tried it out under Mac OS X and
was startled at how powerful it had become - every item that was a
shortcoming to me before with version 1.0 was fixed! Suddenly, I had no
issues to overcome - it worked.
I
started converting documents from Quark, and learning the new program
on the fly - even to the point of feeling bold enough to create a new
manual with a deadline using the new program. It worked, and worked
well! It even made creating PDFs simple, no longer requiring Adobe
Acrobat Distiller to put copies of my work on the web or to distribute
to another department to print. PDFs have become one of the most
important communications means we have here at OWC. Between Mac OS X
creating PDFs on the fly, and InDesign working with them, it has become
so much easier to communicate clearly with customers.
Adobe InDesign 2.0
has only added to my respect toward this program, without any problems
or complaints. I can't imagine going back to using Quark at all, even
though a person who writes reviews for us here at OWC is trying to talk
me into playing with their new version 6 rewritten for OS X. There is
just no reason for me now. With the ability Adobe InDesign 2.0 has to
use native files I create in Adobe Photoshop and have created for me in
Adobe Illustrator, it has me hooked!
Check out some of the items
I have created using Adobe InDesign, all of the files in PDF format
were done using InDesign. Every one of the manuals you receive with OWC
products are produced in house, from photography to printing, we do it
all. And I couldn't do my job without Adobe InDesign, it is open on my
machine every day. I can say that about 3 Adobe products, Photoshop and
GoLive being the others. I am by no means an InDesign expert, but I do
know when a product makes me more productive, and this certainly is one.
Don't just take my word for it, give it a try - FREE! Adobe has a 115MB download of a 30 day trial version of InDesign available by clicking here. We also sell the full retail version here at OWC.
1-800-275-4576
