Question for engravers using Corel X3, and specifically bitmap to vector conversion. If you were previously using v11 or v12 do you consider the upgrade to x3 worth the effort and cost ? Are the new tools and re-vamp a worthwhile bonus over v12?
Reason I ask, X3 for me is a big cost as I need a new mega computer to run X3 so it needs thought....

Simon Cork
Sheffield UK

Hi Simon
I personally think that X3 is the best in a long time. Some feature changes that might take a little getting used to (text along a path) but once you get used to it it is great. The new trace feature for most is worth the upgrade by itself.

Not to be repetative but x3 is great. The trace feature saves us a lot of time and comes "pretty close" on most logos. We have had a couple of issues when trying to trace on computers with less RAM but have upgraded those computers and the problems have slipped away.

Even one of my engraver who thinks every change I made is a bone-headed decision thinks that x3 is a vast improvement!

Thanks for the replies, all advice taken on board. Reference your comment Roy re-prices, perhaps the UK is a tad cheaper ?? I'll check out the bog standard Dell workhorse model and post the price up, just for a comparison. As a general rule with software / computers I have found that upgrades are inevitable ....eventually, otherwise we would all be in W95 territory.
I also seem to be getting more EPS files this past year, do not really know why, not a problem though, let someone else sit with a wacom pen wafting around in a sweaty grip.

Simon Cork
Sheffield UK

This spring I bought a Dell with a P4 - 2.8Ghz, 1GB RAM, 80GB HD, CD-RW drive and 17" LCD monitor for a hair over $500. It handles X3 quite well.

It's not my main design computer, just one to sit in the laser room, but I do a lot of touchups and tweaks on it using X3. My main design computer is a dual Xeon 3.2Ghz, 2GB RAM, dual 250GB RAID drives, and dual 21" monitors with a graphics card that by itself cost almost 3 times what the Dell cost. But I use that for pc board CAD, Lightwave, and a lot of other graphics work besides X3.

OK so here goes with UK prices for you yanks, not that it is an issue on this forum, just for interest. I thought, for some reason a Dell computed in the UK would be cheaper, but it is not. In fact we are an expensive country and taxes are high, though this post is non political!! Assuming $1.78 to £1 then :
Petrol is $1.66 per litre or about $7.5 for an English gallon, of which 85% is tax. A meal for two in a decent restaurant in an average town with a bottle of wine would be $75, I dread to think what central London would cost, I never go there. A decent seat for a top West End show (like a Webber production) would be $80 just for the ticket, so two people for a meal, drinks, show and taxis in the West end, take $400 with you
To heat an average house for the year, most people have gas, would be $1100. An average 4 door mid size car from a reputable European manufacturer would be $14k and a Toyota RAV 4 which I know you have over there is about $35k. For me to fly to Vegas next February, well Manchester via Atlanta return on Delta would be about $575 inclusive.
Computers, I could only just manage a very basic Dell for $500, that might have a 15" flatscreen, but for some reason Dell assume 3.5 inch floppies were never used in the UK, cos we have to pay $25 for a floppy drive. The price look good in the adverts, but they add things on, like delivery at $65, I can get a computer size box/weight next day delivery in the Uk for about $20
As for a Dell with plenty of RAM and a big screen, well it has got to be a bit over the $1k mark, but not by much
Corel X3, well I have located an academic version for £85 plus delivery at say £5 making a dollar total of $157, but for that you get no book, which I am not bothered about, because I think the Corel manuals are rubbish actually

So there you have it, if you fancy a holiday in the UK, bring some dosh

Simon Cork
Sheffield UK

Some of those prices are inline with ours, some are certainly higher. Broadway plays cost 30% more than the same ones in the West End. A high end bottle of Scotch costs about the same here, but good wine might be 2 or 3 times higher here.

Most computer companies here stopped including floppies a year or two ago. I guess they feel people mostly use CD-R for computer to computer, or have a LAN.

Many European countries charge high import duties on anything electronic. Even before all this RoHS/WEEE crap went into effect. Now with the added EU regulations on disposal of electronics, it has become very expensive for companies to sell electronics in Europe. (I manufacture electronic equipment and between CE, RoHS, and import duties, I have to charge almost double to sell over there)

For a lot of electronics we also have the economy of scale, with 5 times the population of the UK.