Q: Where does GLUON stand on the whole Quark vs. InDesign thing?
A: Because of our position of supporting both platforms we like to stay fairly neutral on this divisive issue. It's a little like Ford vs. GM. Both produce products that get you from point A to B. To be frank, we have had more difficulty keeping our InDesign plug-ins up-to-date than our XTensions because the process is quite a bit more involved in the Adobe case and we're just better at the Quark stuff. We anticipate a lot of leap-frogging in the future. Only time will tell which one will dominate the 2009 market...we're surely going to support both as much as possible in the mean time!
Q: Will your XTensions be compatible with Quark 8?
A: While it will be necessary to upgrade your 7.x XT's to the 8 versions, we have found the process of porting our XTensions to 8 quite smooth and anticipate full compatibility for all our products by the time it releases (rumored to be 2nd Quarter 2008).
Q: Will I have to pay to upgrade my XT's to Quark 8?
A: Any off-the-shelf XTensions bought within 60 days of the release of Quark 8 will qualify for a free upgrade. Custom XTensions need to be negotiated separately.
Q: Are your XTensions native Intel Mac?
A: All of our Quark 7.x XTensions are native Intel (Univeral Binary) OS X. All of our InDesign plug-ins run native under OS X too.
Q: When I use your XTensions, do others need your XTensions to open my documents or see the pages properly?
A: No. All of our XTensions make regular Quark boxes, guides, etc. We do have several XTensions that create colored guides which will appear as default guide colors, unless the user has the XTension or our free GuideViewer XT.
Q: Do your XTensions support the Metric System?
A: Yes. We are very careful to use Quark's own built in support for all measurement systems.
Q: Will my old XTensions work with QuarkXPress 7 or 8?
A: No. Quark 3 XTensions don't work in Quark 5 and Quark 4 & 5 XTensions don't work in Quark 6 because of sweeping OS and architectural changes. We provide reasonable upgrade pricing for all of our products.
Q: Does GLUON offer competitive upgrades?
A: Yes. If you own competitors' products, we can offer great price breaks when switching to our superior products. Also, if you are considering such a purchase, please call us first!
Q: How can I know when you come out with new versions or new products?
A: To get automated email notification of new versions, upgrades and products, we highly recommend using VersionTracker. Search for the product of interest and then ask to be notified of updates. It's a great service and a great site! Also please check GLUON's download page regularly.
Q: What if I decide to switch to InDesign in the future?
A: If you do decide to switch, make sure you don't get left in the cold with valuable XTensions you can no longer use. We have ported our most crucial XTensions to such as ProScale, Cropster and Slugger already.
Q: I think QuarkXPress is a great application. Do I need to use XTensions?
A: Quark without XTensions is great but so is a car without an air conditioner and a stereo, a guitar without a bridge, a fishing pole without a reel, a drill without bits. When you get GLUON XTensions, you magnify your speed, power and accuracy and make work in QuarkXPress a pleasure.
Q: What makes GLUON different from other XTension developers?
A: We are a licensed development company comprised of people that are professionally experienced users of QuarkXPress and Adobe products. All of our programmers have been using the programs professionally in the New York City area for at least ten years, some even going back to the late eighties. This means the end user gets XTensions written FROM THE USER'S POINT OF VIEW, XTensions that solve real-world problems with real-world solutions which will be apparent as you peruse this site.
Q: How long has GLUON been around?
A: GLUON has been writing XTensions since 1990, the year that QuarkXPress® became extensible. GLUON products were originally marketed under the ProLine moniker in the early 90's. From 1993 to 1995 they were marketed as K-Tools. In 1996 we settled on the name GLUON for the current product line. In physics, gluons are force-particles that hold subatomic particles called quarks together and transmit the "strong" force in nature. We thought it an appropriate name for strong XTensions.
Q: Are a lot of people using GLUON XTensions with QuarkXPress?
A: Yes. GLUONS are in use globally. Our products are owned by all kinds of users, from small design shops and magazine publishers to international ad agencies. We try to stay in touch with GLUON product users so that we can continue to supply XTensions that fulfill real-world needs.
Q: I've heard funny things about XTensions. Are GLUON products stable?
A: Yes, GLUON products are very stable. They are tested and used everyday by every member of GLUON and most importantly, our customers. Based on the number of tech support calls we get (very few), we'd say our customers agree. You need XTensions, believe us!
Q: I've heard about people having XTensions custom written. What kind of custom stuff do people order?
A: We receive different types of custom orders from around the world because sometimes people have specific needs for one of our existing products. In other words, they want it to do something more than it already does, or they want it to behave differently. This is not surprising, given that most businesses have at least some unique needs. We write custom XTensions to fulfill those needs. In some cases we write stand-alone applications.
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