The team at Corel is hard at work on the first Service Pack for CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5. In addition to answering to the main feedback we have receive since the launch of X5, we will be adding a few new things to this release. One of the extras included with Service Pack 1 that we will release over the summer (sorry, I cannot give a firm date) is a great enhancement to Corel CONNECT. As you know, Corel CONNECT is a new application that was introduced with X5 to enable you to find the different graphical components that you want to use in your designs. With the version of CONNECT we shipped at launch, you had the option to search your local hard drive, a local network as well as the DVD that came with CorelDRAW Graphics Suite. With the version that will be included with Service Pack 1, we will be extending the concept of "searching for the stuff you want to use in your designs" to the next level by adding the capability to search online sites as well. Instead of typing long explanations, here is a small video to show it (it is available in HD on YouTube):
With Corel CONNECT included in Service Pack 1, we will be adding the integration to search three major online photo providers: Flickr (only for creative commons content), Fotolia and iStockPhoto. We are looking at additional services that you would like us to integrate with Corel CONNECT in the future, and I will follow-up with you once the Service Pack 1 has been released to get your feedback and better understand the services you would like to have added.
Jack, have you reported your issues and provided your files to the technical support team? Before switching back, give SP1 a try when it is released later this summer.
I am a longtime CorelDraw user (beginning with ver 8 and most recently ver X3) and recently moved to the Win 7 OS and CorelDraw X5. I am seriously considering moving back to Win XP and CorelDraw X3 however, because my experience with X5 has been a complete disaster. I have the ability to open several files edited in X5. They contain the same number of bytes as before, but when they are opened I get nothing but a blank screen within the X5 window. I also have had repeated unrelated crashes (never had a problem with X3). Also, there appear to be problems with just saving files CorelDraw files (at times nothing is saved) and problems with file path and descriptors during exports to 'tif' files from CorelDraw. At this point X5 is largely unuseable for me because I never can be sure when I will lose a file. How about a hot fix or service pack to correct the current batch of serious problems before adding more functions. I have never seen a major piece of software with such numerous and serious bugs. I imagine tha tthe changes MS put into Win 7 are the root problem and also imagine that MS is less than forthcoming in making the details available to competitors, but that does not change my current need for workable graphics software, for which X5 does not currently qualify.
Thanks,
Jack