Martin belatedly discusses Xara Xtreme Version 4, "the world's fastest graphics software" Abashed, I dug it out of the pile and looked at it again, and it was even nicer than I remembered. So what is this Xara Xtreme? According to the Xara Website, “Xara Xtreme is quite simply the world’s fastest graphics software, with truly flexible illustration tools and revolutionary photo handling. It will form an integral part of your creative workflow, whether it’s vector drawings, DTP designs, photo compositions or Flash animations for your website.”I haven’t tested every graphics software package in the world, so I can’t verify that part of the company’s claims. It is quite fast at tasks that feel much slower on other graphics packages I’ve used. As for the rest of the claims: yes, it really is that versatile. It may even be more versatile than described, since it now has integrated the 3D-extrusion and Website creation tools that used to be sold separately.The best part is the low price. It does cost money, unlike The Gimp, but it doesn’t cost much money: Xara Xtreme is $89 and Xara Xtreme Pro is $249. Don’t take my word for it: I’m more of a programmer than I am an artist, even though I’ve done some painting and photography. Instead, try it yourself: there are 30-day trials at the Xara Web site. Software Development