VERDICT A modern makeover and new Flash authoring capabilities put a real spring in the step of the old timer.
QuarkXPress is one of the few truly revolutionary applications. Twenty years ago Quark took the simple hands-on approach to DTP pioneered by PageMaker, grafted on some high-end control, and reinvented the publishing industry. For over a decade QuarkXPress ruled the world of commercial print design but then threw it away and allowed Adobe InDesign to seize its publishing crown. Winning it back will demand something special – which is exactly what Quark is promising for this new release. The slogan for QuarkXPress 8 is: “Revolutionizing Publishing. Again.”

VERDICT With its enhanced interface, support for transparency and new collaboration features, QuarkXPress 7.0 is the best release in years.

At one time QuarkXPress had the world of high-end publishing virtually to itself. However, those days are long gone.