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I've always wanted to try Sketch after reading so much positive praise. But I'm on Windows and I doubt the Sketch team have the resources (or interest) in produ

I've always wanted to try Sketch after reading so much positive praise. But I'm on Windows and I doubt the Sketch team have the resources (or interest) in producing a Windows version. For those of us on Windows looking for an alternative to Adobe Illustrator, here are two possibilities. Neither of these match Illustrator feature-for-feature, but they're perfectly capable for designing interfaces or web graphics. Inkscape: free, open source and cross-platform (Windows/Mac/Linux). It holds up well against Illustrator and can produce professional-looking results. If you're familiar with other vector drawing apps, the interface won't feel too intimidating. If you're a complete newbie, it might take a little while to learn the interface. Downsides: It doesn't do multi page layouts (not an issue for everyone). It doesn't feel like a native windows app and can be slow at times with large or complex drawings. Some of the dialogs are cluttered and not always clearly laid out. There are tutorials on the web (and books) but nowhere near the volume you'll find for Illustrator. http://www.inkscape.org/en/ http://www.inkscape.org/en/ Xara Photo and Graphics designer: Windows only ($90/£70). This is fast (faster than Illustrator) and well featured. The interface in my opinion is better than Illustrator in many respects. For example, to add a drop shadow, simply drag out a shadow from a shape. In Illustrator, it's done non-interactively via a modal pop-up dialog box. You can create multi page layouts (much easier than Illustrator's clumsy artboard management). Downsides: like inkscape, it has an enthusiastic community of users but nowhere near the number of learning resources as Illustrator. It produces anti-aliased images but for web graphics this can sometimes be problematic because the anti-aliasing is applied to straight lines too (so you sometimes get slightly blurry straight edges rather than crisp ones). Illustrator has solved this with its "align to pixel grid" option. There is a free trial of the program available http://www.xara.com/uk/photo-graphic-designer/ http://www.xara.com/uk/photo-graphic-designer/

tillinghast 13y ago
There's really no "I doubt…" about it. From the FAQ: "Is Sketch available for Windows or Linux Sketch relies on a lot of technology that is exclusive to OS X and the fact that no other OS provide a clear business model for software development, we're not considering supporting it." http://bohemiancoding.com/sketch/support/faq/02-general/5-windows.html http://bohemiancoding.com/sketch/support/faq/02-general/5-wi...
- tomwilson 13y ago
  I would guess its mostly because CoreGraphics would make writing this kind of application relatively easy.
  - tonyedgecombe 13y ago
    I think WPF would be the same on Windows.
- cageface 13y ago
  I'm surprised they consider OS X to be a good platform from a business model perspective. How can you build a sustainable software business without paid feature upgrades? The first review of Sketch 3 on the store is an underserved one star complaining about the way they've handled the transition to Sketch 3. The app store model works fine for throwaway impulse purchases but that seems like that's about it. Per-unit prices seem to be racing to the bottom the same way they did in the iOS app store too.
  - simonh 13y ago
    You release a new version as a new app and your users buy it again, if they want to. It does away with 'upgrade pricing', but the idea is you just reduce the base price of the app to compensate so there's a slightly lower price for new purchasers, but a slightly higher price for upgrades. It's a different simpler pricing model, but not an inherently un-viable one.
    - cageface 13y ago
      This is nice enough in theory but in practice it doesn't seem to work out so well. Just look at the ridiculous backlash the developers of Clear suffered when they had the temerity to charge $2 for a major update. You're also penalized in search results and app rankings if you have several distinct apps scattered through the store instead of one app with a long history of reviews and updates.
      - 13y ago
clumsysmurf 13y ago
Unfortunately, I can not recommend inkscape on the Mac. Their last official release (0.48.2) was Sep 6, 2011. For a long time the team didn't seem to have the resources / know-how to get a release built for Mac. There has been someone working on it to some degree, on and off, but it requires a lot of work. Meanwhile the 0.48.2 release is very buggy, which is what Mac users have been using for years. I would have to see proof of renewed dedication and follow through, over a period of time, before I recommended inkscape for mac again. This is why I have been considering Sketch, but in dismay found Sketch to be buggy also.

tillinghast 13y ago

There's really no "I doubt…" about it. From the FAQ: "Is Sketch available for Windows or Linux Sketch relies on a lot of technology that is exclusive to OS X and the fact that no other OS provide a clear business model for software development, we're not considering supporting it." http://bohemiancoding.com/sketch/support/faq/02-general/5-windows.html http://bohemiancoding.com/sketch/support/faq/02-general/5-wi...

tomwilson 13y ago
I would guess its mostly because CoreGraphics would make writing this kind of application relatively easy.
- tonyedgecombe 13y ago
  I think WPF would be the same on Windows.
cageface 13y ago
I'm surprised they consider OS X to be a good platform from a business model perspective. How can you build a sustainable software business without paid feature upgrades? The first review of Sketch 3 on the store is an underserved one star complaining about the way they've handled the transition to Sketch 3. The app store model works fine for throwaway impulse purchases but that seems like that's about it. Per-unit prices seem to be racing to the bottom the same way they did in the iOS app store too.
- simonh 13y ago
  You release a new version as a new app and your users buy it again, if they want to. It does away with 'upgrade pricing', but the idea is you just reduce the base price of the app to compensate so there's a slightly lower price for new purchasers, but a slightly higher price for upgrades. It's a different simpler pricing model, but not an inherently un-viable one.
  - cageface 13y ago
    This is nice enough in theory but in practice it doesn't seem to work out so well. Just look at the ridiculous backlash the developers of Clear suffered when they had the temerity to charge $2 for a major update. You're also penalized in search results and app rankings if you have several distinct apps scattered through the store instead of one app with a long history of reviews and updates.
    - 13y ago

clumsysmurf 13y ago

Unfortunately, I can not recommend inkscape on the Mac. Their last official release (0.48.2) was Sep 6, 2011. For a long time the team didn't seem to have the resources / know-how to get a release built for Mac. There has been someone working on it to some degree, on and off, but it requires a lot of work. Meanwhile the 0.48.2 release is very buggy, which is what Mac users have been using for years. I would have to see proof of renewed dedication and follow through, over a period of time, before I recommended inkscape for mac again. This is why I have been considering Sketch, but in dismay found Sketch to be buggy also.