CorelDRAW X4 Education Edition Delivers VBA

In a previous post, you know I have been very critical about the Student and Teacher (Academic) Edition of CorelDRAW X3 because it does not include VBA (Visual Basic for Applications).

I've got good news for you. The Education (still Academic) Edition of CorelDRAW X4 does include VBA. It still has some of the legal restrictions of past versions. You can't use it to make money so if you want to buy it for your business, you are violating this restriction. It is not eligible for upgrades so you will either have to continue buying the Education Edition in the future or pay for the full version at some point. There are no printed manuals, though you could order these separately. Software-wise, the Education Edition is identical to the full version costing much more.

Even if you don't think you need or use VBA, you will inevitably find a use for it. Our friends at macromonster.com are adding new features to CorelDRAW on a regular basis and they all require VBA. You can now use CorelDRAW's built-in macros for calendar creation and swatchbook building. What school doesn't have a need to create calendars?

Why did Corel have such a change of heart with this release? Sure, part of it has to do with making users happy and this was a problem area. The biggest reason is that they were able to negotiate a new licensing contract for VBA with Microsoft and it is now financially possible to include it and still keep the price low.

If you are a student, teacher or somewhat qualified to use CorelDRAW in an academic environment, go ahead and order your Education Edition of CorelDRAW X4. The list price is $99 so it is a real bargain. Those of you in the business world who have a previous version of CorelDRAW will have to look to the Upgrade for CorelDRAW X4. Business users without a previous version of CorelDRAW will have to look to the full version of CorelDRAW X4.

Share

OEM Versions of CorelDRAW Also Lack VBA

A little while back I told you a number of reasons to avoid the Academic version of CorelDRAW. The main reason being that it lacks VBA.

After I wrote that post, it was brought to my attention that OEM versions (most, but not all) also lack VBA. This means if CorelDRAW was supplied with your computer, you probably don't have VBA. Where it can also bite you is that some vendors will illegally sell the OEM version and claim it is the full version. So if the deal you find on the "full" version seems too good to be true, then it probably isn't what is being promised. Make sure to get it in writing that VBA is included.

I've seen a number of reports from users lately that they can't record macros or work with existing add-ons for CorelDRAW. All of this is because they got a version of CorelDRAW without VBA. So even if you don't think you need it, you may be in for a rude surprise when you find something that could really help your workflow isn't going to work for you.

So that you have some current pricing information, the upgrade lists for $179 (in the US) and sells for $159.99 at Amazon. The full version lists for $399 US and sells for $279.99 at Amazon. There may be lower prices out there, but if they are much lower then you are probably not going to get what you are being promised.

Share

Beware the Academic Version of CorelDRAW

I got an e-mail last night from someone asking why they were unable to get the Jigsaw Puzzle Creator add-on to CorelDRAW to work. I noticed that the e-mail came from someone with a .edu e-mail address and asked if he was using the Academic version. Sure enough, that was the problem.

Just so we're clear, the special version is called CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X3 Student and Teacher Edition. It is created so those in the academic community with limited budgets can still afford to work with CorelDRAW. Most of the popular software packages are available in Academic versions. Anyone who is a student or teacher, and can prove it, is eligible to buy. The package retails for $99 and sells for only $79.99 at Amazon.

Now let's talk about why it truly costs less and why you shouldn't be buying it. There are no printed manuals included. Obviously Corel can save money by not having to print the books and the decrease in the box weight helps on shipping costs. The hidden trap is that VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) is not included. It is a Microsoft product and Corel has to pay licensing fees to include it. So by leaving it out, they save a few more bucks on this special edition. This is what bit the person posing the e-mail question to me. For the most part, this eliminates all plug-ins and add-ons for CorelDRAW from working!

There are also some legalities about the Academic version that are often overlooked. You can't use it to make money. How many people are buying it to save money that are truly going to be using it for their business? My guess is that a large percentage of sales would violate this rule. The Academic version is not eligible for upgrades. So when you realize that VBA is not included or that you shouldn't be using it, you must buy the full version.

From time to time I hear grumbling about the "high cost" of CorelDRAW. The people who tend to complain the most are those using it to run their business. They have machines costing tens of thousands of dollars being run entirely by CorelDRAW...which costs $399 for the full version before discounts. Sure sounds like a bargain to me.

So before you run out and buy the Student and Teacher Edition, think about how you will be using it and what is missing. If you own any previous (non-Academic) version of CorelDRAW, you are eligible for the upgrade. It lists for $179 and sells for $159.99 at Amazon. For those of you who have been using an Academic version or if you are simply a new user, you'll need the full version. It lists for $399 and sells for $306.99 at Amazon. I just hate to see users who can't realize the full power of CorelDRAW because they decided to save a few bucks and thus missed out on all the cool stuff that VBA brings to the table.

Share