Alternatives to CorelDraw

[jimtherev]

Hi y'all,
I've been using CorelDraw6 Suite enthusiastically for yearsnyears - bought '7 at one time and didn't like it so reverted.

But it's time to think of a replacement: W7 doesn't like it much... clunked when I installed it so I've deleted before it does any damage.

I use CorelDraw quite a bit, PhotoPaint almost as much, and OCR trace occasionally. Otherwise the rest of the package is of no interest to me.

Don't want to pay for the full suite, 'cos I'm sure there is cheaper and just-as-good out there.

Any suggestions, please?
Jim

[pen-e-h]

There is a Home and Student Version of CorelDraw X4. I bought it earlier this year from Amazon. I think it cost about £80.

Pen

[Jofm5]

Not sure if its just vector drawing your after....

Adobe Illustrator CS4 is excellent and a pricey.

Serif Drawplus SE is free but at the moment you can get the full version at the discounted price of £9.99 (DrawPlus: FREE Graphics, Illustration and Vector Drawing software download (http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/drawplus/index.asp))

[Mac the Knife]

Try the GIMP (Gnu Image Manipulation Program) - GIMP - for Windows (http://www.gimp.org/windows/)

The quirky interface is now less quirky and it is a very powerful tool indeed.

And it's free of course.

:ok:

Mac

[Bushfiva]

CorelDraw is vector graphics. GIMP is raster. A better equivalent would be Inkscape.

[oldbeefer]

I've found Serif free software to be very good FreeSerifSoftware – free software downloads (http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/)

[Dick Fisher]

For great vector work, 3D, basic photo manipulation and a speed of operation that's the fastest of any software I've used, visit Graphics Software by Xara (http://www.xara.com) for Xara Xtreme. I've no association with the company except for having spent a few hundred pounds over the years on their software. It can be used successfully for web design, print, basic 3D work and pdf production.

[jimtherev]

Thanks for your responses.

I've downloaded both Serif offerings. To my mind, neither of them can do as much as my old Corel products, but I'll play with them for a week or two. Probably, after 10 years, I speak Corel fluently and have to ferret about to get fairly simple stuff done with Serif. Seem to remember the same frustration when I was looking for a replacement for GSP Publisher.

Haven't looked at Xara yet. I'll prob. have a look once I've given Serif a fair(er) trial. Who knows, I might get to like them...

Thanks anyway, guys

[Hyph]

A second vote for Xara from me. I was once a CorelDraw user too.

Xara Xtreme is similar to CD but faster and very intuitive - in fact the first version (mid-'90s) was licenced to Corel as CorelXara.

[deltapapa]

I've also used corel for years since Corel 3 infact, now on Corel X3 - I also had the first Xara back in the 90's but I always revert back to coreldraw - just one of those programs that suits me.