Msews

Happy Holidays,

I was interested in whether or not anyone has purchased the upgrade to EQ 8. I have had EQ 7 for some time & haven't used it a whole lot 'cause I didn't think it is user friendly. I believe that they have made changes and I wondered if anyone thought the new version was more intuitive. Being a computer person never helped when trying to grasp their logic.

Thanks for any info,
Min

eparys

I did and think it was a waste of $$. I do not like it and I agree with you - it is not user friendly. Things that were accessible in 7 are not easily accessible and the design process requires many more clicks to get it done, I have gone back to 7 for most of my designs

patricej

8 does take some "getting used to" if you are coming up from a lower version.
i haven't decided yet whether i like it more, less, or the same as 7.
i need more time with it.

quiltingshorttimer

I upgraded from 7 to 8 and while I've been swamped with holiday stuff, DH health issues and floor installation plus work, I do like what little I've had time to play with. I find the tool bars much more "obvious" and they are labeled so you aren't guessing. i like that all my stuff (except fabric manufacturer saved fabric swatches) got automatically transferred. i like that I still have EQ7 just in case! The manual (which i bought for 25% off on CyberMonday) is Much more user friendly and I also bought their EQ8 lesson book but haven't had a chance to walk through yet. I did not that the design and block draw books I bought for EQ7 (and really liked) can be used with EQ8--just the screen shots won't match. oh, one other thing I like is the different ways you can pull blocks in the library.

coffeecozy

I got the EQ8 upgrade. I enjoyed using 7 but it did take a while to figure out where things were hiding in the menus.
8 is much easier with simple logical menus and an explanation on how to use them in the sidebar.(I haven't even gone through the included lessons yet)
I did find that a taking a class for 7 had really helped me to get going with it and although I can use 8 well enough already I will be looking for a class with it just to see if I can learn even more.

NanaCsews2

So glad I came across this question. I have been wondering for some time if any upgrades would make having EQ7 worth all the money spent on it. I am doing a lot of designing and embroidery but for my personal taste, the EQ7 and Stitch have not been what I was looking for. I can use it easily enough, but I had to uninstall Stitch as it served no purpose for my needs. I spend way too much time on EQ7 to get very little done. I did my research, purchased it, and came up with conclusion quite quickly it is not for everyone. No refunds after purchase according to Electric Quilt Company. Another item to pass down to grandchildren hopefully. Dig deep into all info you can find on EQ7 and the upgrades before making the purchase to see if it is exactly what you are looking to use. Thanks Msews for posting and for all the responses here. I thought it was just me not understanding, but I read here that it is not.

dunster

I got 8 and have found that it has quite a few enhancements over 7 that I really like. I've never had much of a problem with the user interface. I am having to get used to a few changes in 8, but I am very glad I got it. The main improvement I've seen so far is that if I start coloring a block, then decide to add a line or two to its structure, I don't lose the coloring I've already done.

pchp

I bought the upgrade and am glad I did. I never had time to become more than a beginner with EQ7, but felt that after one weekend with EQ8, I'm ready and able to take further steps. Like some others mentioned, I bought the lesson book; I've only worked through the first (multi-part) lesson chapter, but I felt like it took me much further than the introductory lessons I had with EQ7.

romanojg

I'm not going to. I have EQ7 and have only used it a couple of times and plan on selling it. Even if I were to keep it I don't see the validly of paying to upgrade something I don't use. This year I'm going thru my house, not just my sewing room and getting rid of things that I don't need or use anymore.

Msews

Thank you everyone for sharing your EQ8 upgrade experience. I think that I might wait a little while before paying the $99 to upgrade. BTW I wasn't aware of the lesson books. I purchased my EQ7 from AQS. I probably slept through that part.

Thanks again,
Min