bit-tech Shopping: Microsoft FrontPage 2003

• Microsoft Windows 2000
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
• Microsoft Windows XP
• Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Rating: 10

Time with product: 30 Days

Strengths: Powerful tool - easy to use - good help

Weaknesses:

Summary: I love Front Page - could have used it sooner. I've been coding in HTML and boy- what a timesaver. I took one or two tutorials for about 30 minutes and then just began using it. I was doing development within the first hour of use. I see now why it is so popular.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 3 Weeks

Strengths: Split view; Straightforward - moreso than the last; Doesn't ruin code from other editors

Weaknesses: Microsoft; Some ugly 'Design' code;

Summary: I'm sure most of us have had to put up with the terror that is Frontpage at some point in the past. However, Microsoft has finally realised that people were really sick to death of the tripe we had to go through just to make a decent site... First and foremost on the agenda is the way Frontpage 2003 doesn't radically change HTML that was created in other programs by default. To my chagrin, everytime I opened a D:MX 04 file in Frontpage 2002, until I changed a few things (but I shouldn't have had to). We do now get the freedom to keep standard META tags, which is a bonus, and it doesn't - to the best of my knowledge - add annoying little META tags that pretty much limit compatability to Frontpage Add-in servers only. Another welcome change is the use of script, instead of relying heavily on Frontpage add-ins, which we should all have experienced as Devil-incarnates. Scripts are unnecessarily large, but is a much needed step forward, as now the good people of the Apple world can view [most] of the pages inside something other than IE for MacOS. As one of those - as well as a Windows user (obviously) - I find it to be a blessing. While 3 and a half stars would have been more satisfying, I'll round it up simply because this is a cosmic improvement over the, simply offensive, previous versions of what has always had potential to be great... I'm sticking with Dreamweaver for now, but as long as I have an End-User License, I'll play with frontpage 2003 from time to time...

Rating: 10

Time with product:

Strengths: Similar in style to Word. Easy to adapt learing to this software.

Weaknesses:

Summary: I found it very easy to learn how to begin to develop and edit web pages using Frontpage. After a brief demonstration from a current user, I can already appreciate the potential uses.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 7 Days

Strengths: The product downloaded to my system quickly.

Weaknesses: I don't know of any at this time.

Summary: My store front was easy to install. I'm going to be doing more with it latter. I don't know much about creating a web site, but someone will be working with me in the near future.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 4 Weeks

Strengths: Easy to use - like Microsoft wordGets the job done without too much hassle

Weaknesses: Lacks some features for advanced programmersCan't really stand up to Macromedia Dreamweaver

Summary: Good value. Good program to create a basic website with, or edit a website. Note that you can't design templates with FrontPage. Otherwise, it's a great program by Microsoft that keeps all of Microsoft's ideas and methods. However, if you even are considering doing any more than the basic web page edit/creation, go with Macromedia Dreamweaver, a much better program with more advanced features, yet still easy to use.