Adobe upgrades layout software

Software maker Adobe Systems on Tuesday released the next version of its InDesign page design and layout software, an area in which the company is fighting to grab market share from leader Quark.

Version 2.0 of InDesign, written for the new Windows XP and Mac OS X operating systems, includes numerous enhancements such as support for XML Web functions and tie-ins to Adobe's Photoshop software.

The support of software developers is seen as crucial for acceptance of Mac OS X. Analysts have said they expect upcoming releases of OS X-tailored products such as Photoshop to help push adoption of the new operating system.

Adobe earlier this month unveiled OS X versions of GoLive and LiveMotion, which are Web authoring and animation products that compete with software from Macromedia.

OS X compatibility could give Adobe at least a temporary edge over privately held Quark, which dominates the layout software market with its XPress package. Late last year, Quark began beta testing version 5.0 of QuarkXPress, including a version tailored for OS X. The final version will go on sale this quarter, according to a Quark representative.

InDesign 2.0 is priced at $699 for the full version, or $99 for those upgrading from the previous version.