Xara

I have used Xara for many years and its always been a good programme. A while ago I purchased Xara photo and graphic designer. As usual it was up to its normal high standards. Some time after purchase, perhaps a year I started receiving notices asking me to upgrade. I didn't need to upgrade what I had was more than adequate so I ignored it and requested the niggles to stop. They didn't stop. Nor could they be stopped, they kept telling me I could upgrade which I did not want to do. No matter how many times the box was/is ticked the demand to upgrade is always there. In itself this niggle is tolerable but then they started to get nasty. Asking for a previous item I had used suddenly spirited me off to a page of flags where I was asked to select my country. Doing so it then asked me to upgrade once again. It does this constantly, denying access to the things I wanted when initially purchasing the programme. Items I had been using - tables, call outs and other items etc suddenly were no longer available. Frankly this is bordering on or is fraud because had I known when contemplating the purchase that it was full of crippleware if I did not upgrade and give them more money,. I very simply would not have purchased it. As I said, I had always been happy with Xara products but it strikes me that times must be getting difficult and they are going for "cake and eat it". Gimp which is a free programme is better. I would not recommend a Xara product as long as they are playing this game and if you buy it be prepared to compulsorily upgrade or lose use of it.