Macromedia MX 2004 Software Now Available

Serp... the CSS is now more easily worked with by using the CSS panel, rather than having to either open a window everytime you wanted to edit the css, or open the actual css file.

However, it pains me to say also that this version is now slower than the last! Okay, I have a 400Mhz G4, but I'm not the only one! :(

I am reckoning that MM's attempt to get the lovely anti-aliased text in DWMX 2004 has blinded them... I don't care about anti-aliased text inside what I'm working on! I actually like the effect of being non-aliased and then going into Safari and seeing the fruits of your labour aliased correctly.

However, the interface is a hell of lot better/intuitive/logical. Anyway, back to testing in it (and saving up for a g5 to run it :( )

EDIT:

Actually, I think it's MM's labour in trying to make CSS render correctly within the app rather than just in your browser, that's slowing the whole thing down. Whilst we need css rendered correctly (rather than having to constantly go to the browser to check small css changes), I'd rather it not be at the cost of speed.
 
So the time you waste waiting for the program to catch up with you is made up by the time you save with the better interface and lack of need to go to the browser to check on CSS.
 
Probably levels itself out to be equal... but it is annoying watching that beachball a bit too often :(

All of my designs/development are gonna be 100% CSS/standards based (if possible) so this is something I'm gonna test the over then next few days.

Hey, the demo is free for 30-days, so I might as well test the hell out of it for free (works finally slowed down for a bit as well). If the pain is too much I won't be purchasing though.
 
Ok, here's my deal:
I own Fireworks and Dreamweaver, version 3. I am borrowing Fireworks and Dreamweaver MX. I don't use Dreamweaver anymore, but I use Fireworks quite a bit. Only about a third of my use of it right now is for the Web, all the rest is graphic design (for fun, and nothing for print yet). I like the way Fireworks uses vectors, but I'm sure I could get used to Bitmap editing. How do Illustrator and Photoshop work together? Do you make a vector in Illustrator and then import it into PS where it turns into an uneditable bitmap? I have the demos of Fireworks MX2004, Freehand, PS and Illustrator, and I'm going to test them out. I have some $$$ owed me from my Dad, so I figure I'll use that to get whatever program I decide on. Right now I'm leaning toward PS and Illustrator, but I think I'd only use about 10% of PS's capabilities, so is the extortionate price worth it?
I guess what I really want to know is what software/softwares are best suited to what I want to use them for?

Oh, and there is no demo of Freehand MX2004 yet, does that mean it doesn't exist? Does Studio MX2004 ship with just plain Freehand MX?

And one more thing, I know Photoshop 8 is coming out this fall, but has anyone heard anything about Illustrator 11 yet? Version 10 was released a year and a half ago now...
 
You won't need Illustrator for vectors unless you use them heavily and need a nice suite of tools for them. PS does basic vectors.
 
Freehand was updated from 10 to MX a couple of months ago. An MX 2004 version probably won't be out til... 2004?

I paid for the upgrade, but you really need to be of a Freehand persuasion (i.e. someone who has consistently used it for a while) to get to grips with it compared to Illustrator.
 
i like dreamweaver. but thats all i use (at work) so it would be kinda silly for me to buy the whole damn works. but according the the macromedia site dw alone is $400 smackers. what the hell?

anyone have a good, less expensive alternative for a weekend web warrior?
 
Yeah, learn HTML and hand code :) Trust me, it rocks :D
I know my way around Fireworks really well, so when I tried Freehand, it was really quite intuitive. I guess my question is, what is the point of using Freehand if Fireworks is vector based?
I tried to make something simple in Photoshop, and not only couldn't I figure out how to apply a stroke, I couldn't change the fill on a simple rectangle. It gave me some crap about "This layer not being directly editable". If that is a sample of what I'll be running into...
Well, I guess it is the classic "learning a new program" problem, I'm just not used to it :)
 
Originally posted by uoba
Freehand was updated from 10 to MX a couple of months ago. An MX 2004 version probably won't be out til... 2004?

I paid for the upgrade, but you really need to be of a Freehand persuasion (i.e. someone who has consistently used it for a while) to get to grips with it compared to Illustrator.
Click to expand...

According to macnn an update just came out http://macnn.com/news/21079
 
It's only a 0.1 update (making it 11.0.1)... still the same MX 11 that came out a few months ago.

Incidentally, you have to jump through a few hoops to get this update, including getting a new serial number and activate your product!
 
My results so far in Flash MX 2004:

The interface is almost identical except a few more specialized pallettes and updated graphics.

Unless you are really into integrating Flash with video or are advanced user that requires a touch better database or XML connectivity my recommendation is to wait 18 months for MX 2005.

The responsiveness is just as slow as Flash MX on OSX. I can't bring myself to support poor support for the Mac.

I took the money I had set asside for the studio upgrade and bought myself Coldfusion MX..... for PC :< as the Coldfusion version for the Mac is in just public beta and is not offered for sale. Another bitch towards Macromedia support for Mac! How long has OSX been out and they still don't have a version of CF for it??!!!?

On other issues:

At one time I used the CSS dialouge box in Dreamweaver, but over time I have found it easier to edit it in HTML view. Not worth an upgrade just for this.

Fireworks is the fastest and most intuitive web graphics editor around. If you are needing advanced graphics for print you should get Photoshop and Illustrator.

Freehand is identical to Illustrator and Fireworks does what Photoshop, Illustrator, and Freehand do on, but on a smaller scale. Fireworks is not built to handle large 300 dpi images for print. It somewhat can, but it will be a struggle. I have a hunch that they will beef up Fireworks or come out with a new but similar product soon to compete with Photoshop.

Freehand MX 2004 will probably be out in the summer of 2004. They will likely offer a small fee upgrade for it if you own studio. Unless they pull something out of a hat, it won't be that much of an upgrade. The only reason they include it the studio is to keep the software alive and squeeze a little more money out of you. Hardly anybody would buy it otherwise - they would just get Illustrator.

For the web get the Macromedia Studio. For Print get the Adobe Design Collection. If your not sure if you might need software for print in the future you may be better off with Adobe as a safe bet, but it will cost you more time to get the same results for web projects.

Just my 2 cents. Also.... if you aren't happy with Flash MX 2004 or any of the other Macromedia Products for Mac feel free to drop them a Bug/Feature request:

http://www.macromedia.com/support/email/wishform/

I know I do...... often......
:(
 
I give up, I can't use MX 2004, it's molasses. I really tried to use it, but couldn't stand the rhythm I had created with my drumming fingers whilst waiting for that damn beachball. :(

To be honest, perhaps apart from improved standards and some CSS niceties, I could not justify spending the (increased) upgrade costs MM have employed. Maybe when I get my G5 in year 2444 I'll have another go (or on a boring Sunday).
 
Do you think that the retail (CD) version will be better than the demo or are they practically the same??

One thing that did look a little more promising was using DW on the Panther beta at a recent Apple roadshow I attended. It did seem sanppier but then I didn't rey it with my website.

I should learn to handcode but I don't do web stuff enough (only my companies one) to justify the time and I have a bad enough problem with the English language. ;)
 
The demo version is in fact the full version (you can simply activate your demo version with a serial, purchased on-line)... so, I'm afraid this is the speed we are getting.

As you say, maybe Panther will give it that speed gain?
 
I wonder if GoLive will now be up to speed with Dreamweaver?! I've been playing with the Dreamweaver 04 trial and it's not worth the $$ yet.
 
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