JAmedia wrote:

MS gave over 21/2 years notification of pulling MS Publisher

21/2 is 10½, which I’m pretty sure isn’t what you meant! The usual way to express ‘two and a half’ in numerals is to put a space before ‘1/2’, like this: 2 1/2.

I suspect you actually wanted to type ‘2½’ but didn’t know a quick and easy way to do so. I like the web page at https://symbols.typeit.org for such situations, and I find myself using it quite frequently.

You are correct (edited it now)  thanks for the link, that is useful.

It was a surprise that MS was giving over two years notice for end of life for something most of us though had died years ago.
The reason being is that people with 365 licences won't be able to open their .pub files when publisher stops in October 2026 as it is a cloud based system.

Those with a stand alone perpetual publisher will be OK, but Publisher went to 365 in 2013. So you will only be able to open MS publisher files that are still using the 2010 version of Publisher (ie one that is 15 years old)   So the only option is looking like Libre Office depending which version of MS Publisher files it supports or convert them app to EPS or PDF.

This is the same problem users of Affinity V1 and V2 will have in 15 years...

The problem Canva affinity.studio users have is they don't have a perpetual license... it is free or subscription. Either can change what you get (or not) at any time. So like the MS Pub 365 users they could have files they can't open.

MS gave over 21/2 years notification of pulling MS Publisher

21/2 is 10½, which I’m pretty sure isn’t what you meant! The usual way to express ‘two and a half’ in numerals is to put a space before ‘1/2’, like this: 2 1/2.

I suspect you actually wanted to type ‘2½’ but didn’t know a quick and easy way to do so. I like the web page at https://symbols.typeit.org for such situations, and I find myself using it quite frequently.

I'm confused about all the posturing about licenses and shutdowns and such. MS Publisher just closed its doors, and no one is whining the blues about a major outfit shutting down a program forever. What's with that and v3? At least v3 works. So does v2. Will it shut down? Who knows? Keep guessing.

Something else will come along. It always does. Kinda like busses. There's always another one a few minutes away - until there isn't and we find a new bus stop.

Meanwhile, I like v3. I like v2, too. I don't care if either or both shuts down tomorrow. I have things more important to me than a pile of ones and zeros. I'm sure you all do, too.

Edited to add: In any case, software will come along - just like a bus - to replace what you're complaining about. Or not. Who knows? No one.

No one is complaining about MS Publisher going because most thought it had been discontinued over a decade ago. There have been no updated in years (and before that only every 2-4 years) In the last 15 years it was only to move it to Office 365.   The last up-data, now I have looked, was 5 years ago.

Most users were not non-professionals who had been upsold the MS Office bundle with it in or, most I saw, had a "borrowed" corporate licence for their MS Office.   The Cooperates didn't use it much, it was just part of the bundle with things they did want.  Their professionals used other things like Quark and Aldus Pacemaker.

BTW MS gave over 2 & 1/2 years notification of pulling MS Publisher.  They didn't freeze the website, close licences and say there will be a notification in a month.

As @DCR mentioned, most Printers didn't like it or, as I have seen on many printers websites, didn't accept MS publisher files at all. 
Most of the professional world thought MS Publisher had gone over a decade ago, and it was only a few amateurs using it at home on old PC's

Also, no other programs could import MS .pub files. I believe LibreOffice does now, though I don't know which versions, but no professional programs do.   There is no MS Pub viewer (unlike word and excel)

As for is Canva's affinity.studio being Affinity V3, yesterday I had an email from Serif (Europe)  saying " This isn’t a version three. It’s something else entirely. An all-in-one, customizable app, combining photo editing, vector design, and page layout in one smooth, powerful space. "

So according to Serif   " This isn’t a version three. It’s something else entirely  so that is sorted.  This is Canva's affinity.studio V1

MS Publisher just closed its doors, and no one is whining the blues about a major outfit shutting down a program forever.

Because no one will miss it?

Because printers cringed when a client said their project was in MS Publisher?

Because people are glad it is gone?

Because MS Publisher gave "Publisher" a bad name?

A lot of the people still using MS Publisher fall ill into Canva's target demographic.

I’m guessing you mean they don’t fit well into the target demographic, rather than suggesting that they become unwell!

https://www.reddit.com/r/Affinity/comme … r_offline/

Reportedly, Affinity v3 (or whatever you want to call it) will stop working after a year offline.

Which pretty much means your v3 "license" is only good for as long as their servers let you use it, if you let it connect to the Internet periodically.

Also amusing that VS users are complaining about Affinity v3 not being a perpetual license when VS is pretty much in the same boat.  As it requires Internet activation, if VS's servers are one day gone, you aren't going to be able to use it either.

I completely understand your team’s position on staying with V2. The format shift is a real consideration, especially in a multi-user setup. I’m curious where you’ll head next if you move on from the Affinity ecosystem — sounds like you’ve got some interesting projects running.

There will have to be a lot of thought involved.  I have only just persuaded some to think of moving off MS Publisher thanks to MS finally dropping it.   This may have been the final trigger for Canva, A lot of the people still using MS Publisher fall ill into Canva's target demographic.

Regards
Chris

Thanks — appreciated! I’ll gladly share how it goes once the book’s further along. I’m testing how well the new unified workspace handles mixed content — images, text, and layout-heavy pages — and so far, it feels stable and intuitive.

I completely understand your team’s position on staying with V2. The format shift is a real consideration, especially in a multi-user setup. I’m curious where you’ll head next if you move on from the Affinity ecosystem — sounds like you’ve got some interesting projects running.

Thank you for your professional and polite replies. They’re rare these days, and I truly appreciate that.

Kind regards,

Chris

I would be interested in your experience in affinity.studio (it isn't Affinity Studio, the A is lower case)

The ‘a’ in the logo is lowercase, and (like all domain names) ‘affinity.studio’ is lowercase, but Affinity is written with a capital ‘A’ everywhere else on the site.

https://affinity.studio

@JAmedia;

Experience always adds a valuable perspective.

I’m well aware of how these transitions can unfold behind the scenes. Still, I tend to judge by how the tools perform in real-world use, not just in financial filings or boardroom plans.

Either way, I think we both agree it’ll be interesting to watch how this plays out for the creative community itself.

At the moment, I am using Affinity Studio to create my new book, and I have to say, I like what I see so far.

As I wrote earlier: forward, ever forward!

Good luck with the book. I would be interested in your experience in affinity.studio (it isn't Affinity Studio, the A is lower case) 

I do a lot of non-fiction: Four magazines a year (two column with lots of pictures)   and multiple books, all not fiction.  Fortunately, I don't write most of it!! :-)  I am hoping to had editing over to someone else and concentrate on writing and documentary videos.

We had been standardizing on Affinity V2 However as affinity.studio is a completely different file format we are not moving to that as most of our people want to stay on V2.    Had there been an Affinity V3 (with three apps) we would have moved to that.

We are now contemplating our next move which won't be to Canva.

Experience always adds a valuable perspective.

I’m well aware of how these transitions can unfold behind the scenes. Still, I tend to judge by how the tools perform in real-world use, not just in financial filings or boardroom plans.

Either way, I think we both agree it’ll be interesting to watch how this plays out for the creative community itself.

At the moment, I am using Affinity Studio to create my new book, and I have to say, I like what I see so far.

As I wrote earlier: forward, ever forward!

@JAmedia,

That’s fair

I’ve seen the filings, too. My interests are more in how all this plays out for creators in real workflows, though.

That’s where it really matters.

They make very interesting reading,  not just the numbers.
That, and other things, will dictate how things are played out if you can read and understand what the documents are saying.
It is a bit like reading an estate agents blurb and knowing what it actually means,

My own Mar-Comm manager had worked for some multinational companies and could translate the meanings. We had both been involved in buyouts and mergers in different capacities. Software engineering in my case. 

I hope you get what you are hoping for, and as you are a Canva subscriber already I expect you won't be disappointed.  Whereas those who moved from Adobe (and subscriptions)  won't be going anywhere near Canva (or their subscriptions)

.

That’s fair

I’ve seen the filings, too. My interests are more in how all this plays out for creators in real workflows, though.

That’s where it really matters.

My view comes from hands-on use of both systems over time, not just theory, .

My view is neither theoretical nor being a user. 

You need to examine the evidence.
A login at Companies House helps.

I appreciate your take. I wouldn’t quite call the two subscription models identical, though — their structure, audience, and purpose differ once you look a little deeper.

My view comes from hands-on use of both systems over time, not just theory, so I’ve seen where each one shines and where it doesn’t. But you’re right, the next 12 months will reveal a lot about how creators adapt. It should be interesting to watch.