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Quality of HTML: Dreamweaver 8 Assuming that the average person doesn't know a thing about HTML, the software needs to be able to do all of the thinking for the user. I've used Frontpage for about 2 years, and from time to time there have been errors in the html coding it produces, especially when doing lists. Since I know very little about how to clean it up, the only solution I had was to wipe out the page and start from scratch. Frontpage also still uses the bold and italics tags which are being phased out. Dreamweaver 8, although very new to me, clearly has a smarter html brain behind it. Lists, tables, and other intricate layouts "feel" more confined when you are creating them, but that's because Dreamweaver want to know exactly what you doing to ensure proper coding. It also uses the strong and em tags for the effects of bold and italics, which is the proper method. Without question, Dreamweaver 8 writes cleaner code and is more prepared for the future world wide web. |
Out of the Box Friendliness: Frontpage 2003 Thanks to Microsoft's huge grip on the computer industry, nearly every person with a computer has used Microsoft Word. As a result, Microsoft Frontpage 2003 will immediately appear somewhat familiar due to its similar layout to Word. When I first got the program, I was able to blindly start up a page, paste in pictures, and build a basic site. Even the navigation and links came fairly easily. Dreamweaver 8, however, is still a mix of buttons, options, and menus that I find myself constantly getting lost in. This will obviously change with experience, but at the moment I still am searching for each option I want to use. I did make this site with Dreamweaver's ready made CSS sheet, but as you can see I still have broken links and other part I still don't knwo what to do with. The edge goes to Frontpage 2003 for this one. |
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Respect in the Field: Dreamweaver 8 I suppose one of the best ways to really know the quality of a program is ask people that actually work in the field. A restaurant owner will be able to tell you the best food suppliers, a doctor will know the better hospitals, and a computer geek will know the best HTML program. In my experience, I have never heard anyone say that Frontpage 2003 is better than Dreamweaver 8. Dreamweaver 8 appears to be the standard, and preffered program field for a reason, and that should carry a lot of weight. |
Expandability: Dreamweaver 8 The average person will probably want a basic website for personal use, or maybe basic advertising, but space for expansion is always an important factor. With experience, everyone usually wants to be able to do more, so the program needs to have the ability to serve growing needs. In this case, Macromedia blows Microsoft out of the water. The common method of buying Dreamweaver 8 is in the Studio 8 package which included Fireworks, Flash, Contribute, and some other programs I have yet to explore. This suite allows a user to add all types of bells and whistles to their site if so desired. More importantly, Dreamweaver 8's interface is designed with these other program in mind, so using them together is easy. To insert the graphic above of Frontpage and Dreamweaver, all I had to do was double click on the area and Fireworks (a program for designing web graphics) opened up. I worked within Fireworks, and when I finished the picture was automatically inserted in my webpage. |
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Online Community Help: Tie The online communities backing programs can be a huge help later down the road when one needs some troubleshoot or is just looking for new themes. During my time with Frontpage 2003, I found Microsofts search page very easy to use and their database covered just about any topic I searched for. A quick google search also brought up a range of free and paid theme providers, which made creating a site with a professional look very simple. Dreamweaver 8's community is something I am still exploring, but it seems strong so far. Given that it's the industry standard, I am also assuming that its depth will be as strong and Microsoft's. At this point, I can't declare a clear winner. |
The Verdict: Dreamweaver 8 When someone is accustomed to something, it usually is pretty hard to get them to change. However, after just a few weeks with Dreamweaver 8, I'm eager to learn more and make the full transition. Based on the categories reviewed, it also is a clear winner. For the lay person that wants to create a serious website and has some time to learn, Dreamweaver 8 is the answer. However, don't count Frontpage 2003 out. For a person such as myself that is comfortable with computer and has time to dig through a 600 book, Dreamweaver 8 is ideal. But if you don't have the time to teach yourself from a book and just need a simple site, Frontpage 2003 can give you that. For example, if my mother wanted to build herself a site, I wouldn't even try to teach her Dreamweaver. The familiarity of Frontpage's interface is a huge help for those that are already uncomfortable in front of the computer screen. Frontpage's price is also much lower, which shows that Microsoft knows it's shooting for a different market than Dreamweaver. Consider what you want to do before you make the purchase. |
The Project
Advanced HTML editors are becoming more and more in demand as the average jane and joe wants to get a piece of the internet without taking in depth html classes. Microsoft Frontpage 2003 and Macromedia Dreamweaver 8 are currently two of the biggest players in the field. I have used Frontpage 2003 in the past, but decided to take Dreamweaver for a quick test drive to see how it measured up. I have basically taught myself Frontpage, and I used the book Dreamweaver 8 Training from the Source by Khristine Annwn Page to learn the basics of Dreamweaver as fast as possible. At the time this webpage was published with Dreamweaver 8, I had only made it through the first 3 chapters of the book, which put me at page 108 out of 590. Keep in mind that I made this page with little or no knowledge about HTML.