January 31, 2018
Mr. Tom Gores, CEO
Platinum Equity
360 N. Crescent Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Dear Mr. Gores
Today I logged on to the live contact person on your QuarkXpress web site. This was about 7:30 am, PST. I thought you were still based in Colorado and after not getting the information I needed texting asked to talk to someone. The phone listed didn't work but suddenly my phone rang and Connie, the person I was texting online, was on the phone.
I explained that I had purchased a new iMac that had QXP 10 and that it didn't seem to work with my new new MacOS and I wanted to know how much it would cost to install the new version on both my iMac and MacBook Pro. I knew a license covered two devices. The cost of $185.00 seemed reasonable but I had had nothing but trouble upgrading since Quark stopped sending out installation discs. When she said that she would send me the validation code I asked her to wait but she said that would take 15 - 30 minutes but that it would be a simple process.
It isn't. I called her back and literally begged to have her help me install the new software. No matter what I did it wouldn't download, then entering a bunch of code numbers it had information that was wrong and would not let me correct it. I read her what my screen was saying and all she could say was that she would have to put in a work order and someone in the technical staff would help me get the installation done.
After an hour of waiting I called her again and said I give up. I want my money back. She assured me they would call me soon, that she would put in another work order but they were helping others. I noted that if there were that many problems with the software maybe I didn't want it after all.
I have used InDesign, taught myself how to use PhotoShop and Illustrator but Adobe in their infinitely greedy wisdom stopped selling their software and force you to pay a yearly fee that amounts to double or triple what we used to have to pay. Then, they had an outage last year where their servers were down and no one could use their software nor were able to work with projects that were started. Having your own software remains one of the strengths of Quark ... that is if you can get it to install.
As I write this it has now been 5 hours since my initial contact with Quark. Luckily, should I have needed it, I would work in my 2016 version of QXP on my laptop. What is galling is that I have paid for something that I cannot use and there appears to be no one who is going to call and help with with the installation process. I have all the numbers, which are mind boggling but, for whatever reason, Quark refuses to see me and tells me that the codes I received and printed from my email from you are invalid.
I have a meeting soon and, as I pointed out to Connie, I have a life to lead as well. I have no doubt that once I leave my condo and attend my meeting, someone will call and I will be unable to get what I was told was a simple process, done. At least today.
As an aside, I should point out that I learned to use Quark 3.1 on a Powerbook 170, a laptop version of Apple's Mac series that featured a ball instead of a trackpad. I went to Otis Parsons twice to learn to use it and it was my primary desktop publishing anchor when I had my own design business. I stuck to them even after several versions of stumbling before they wrote software for Apple's 10X software. Luckily back in the early 2000's all Mac's ran their old 9.01 OS as well as the new 10.0 OS.
It was that stumble that allowed Adobe to catch up with their new InDesign that soon surpassed Quark as the king of desktop publishing.
At 72, I am a little long in the tooth to use something new. I understand Quark and have always preferred it, well, until today. My last few upgrades have been Dante's circles of hell and, finally, I have learned my lesson. I doubt I will hear from anyone today. It is a shame that a great software program has been allowed to die.
Finally, I found out today after a little research that Quark is now owned by a private equity company, your Platinum Equity that appears to be even less responsive that Quark owned by a family in Colorado. As the Brits say: "The King is dead, long live the King!
Sincerely,
Alan Krug
Palm Springs, CA 92262
KrugsStudio@gamil.com or awkrug@gmail.com
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