Please Suggest...

Sirtovin

Sirtovin

Senior Switcher Tech Guru
I just brought Dreamweaver MX (Academic version for Mac) I want to design web sites... (I am learning how to do this...)

I am a switcher... but I don't know what kind of software I need to focus on since I am new to developing websites etc...

Could you all please... please just suggest what programs I need to look into without going crazy on the money consumption and tell me briefly what each one is for... Thanks.

I miss Banner Maker Pro... and My Typeartist...

Also please try and keep the software to OS X... thanks.
 
Hey!! I'm a switcher, too and also bought Dreamweaver MX academic. The other programs I use are: Fetch (for FTP uploading), Fugu (for SSH uploading to secure servers), Corel Graphics Suite 11 (acad. version of course :) Use mostly Corel Photopaint). That's all you really need!! Oh... and of course you should get the newest Mozilla and Internet Explorer versions, so you can make sure your websites look the same on both. Email me if you need any tips!
info@fsaerospace.com

fsaerospace.com
hhfamilymedicine.com/test/
fs2004.net
quadrivial.de
quad.budape.st:8080/
edrich.de
cuiso.org
jbdlawyer.tripod.com

see ya!
- pbmac
 
Can you get an Academic version of Photoshop ? if so that is all you need graphics wise.
RBrowser is great for ftp. sftp, ssh etc. (but there is a built in FTP client in dreamweaver) .
 
I make a living designing and producing websites and other web content (banners/html emails/etc), and the tools I need are relatively few.

You already have Dreamweaver, so I won't suggest BBedit (it's for generating HTML/CSS/PHP/Javascript code, not WYSIWYG). But try to learn html if you're serious. WYSIWYG programs are not the best thing for making websites - they are full of unneccesary, or worse, proprietary code that is not compliant with anything but a few select browsers *cough* internet explorer *cough*

So what else is there?

1. A solid ftp program to upload your stuff to servers. Try Fetch and Transmit - they're the two I've come to like the most (both have OSX trial versions)

2. Graphics creation. This is the real heart of design. Nothing else comes even close to Photoshop. If someone tells you it does, they don't know how to use Photoshop. Period. Since you seem to be able to get academic versions of software, this is a steal. And it comes with Imageready for making animated gifs and optimizing your graphics. A fine little program.

Also, Adobe has one of the best academic discounts around. And stay away from Corel products. Their Mac implementation is flakey at best.

3. A wide array of browsers. The previous poster was right, you need to get the most popular ones and test your site in all of them. Even different versions of the same browser act differently, X and classic, Mac and PC. You need to look at it with everything to make sure it works for everyone. And to be able to tweak the site for the browsers, you have to know HTML.

The rest is all optional. So the only significant purchase required is Photoshop. Browsers are free (any that anyone uses anyway) and you can use Transmit forever without paying for it (send 'em the dough if you like it and use it though).

That's all you need.
 
Originally posted by gigi
Can you get an Academic version of Photoshop ? if so that is all you need graphics wise.
RBrowser is great for ftp. sftp, ssh etc. (but there is a built in FTP client in dreamweaver) .
Click to expand...

Yup. And it's about a third of the price of the retail version. A steal.

And, just so my conscience is clear, you know that you're not supposed to use academic versions of software to generate income, right? They're for learning.

There. I said it. I feel better now,
 
bbedit.

that is like notepad for windows but far better. there are two versions, lite (free) and full. you can find that and ANYTHING you need from www.versiontracker.com

bbedit is my favorite. when i don't need dreamweaver or want to write the codes manually, i use that. have a look.
full has also ftp!!

maybe carbon emacs would be nice as well (always versiontr.) that's freeware and got released yesterday ;)

here more names: you get all from versiontracker.

toy viewer - for smaller picture editing and scaling than PSH, it's fast.

MacGIMP - also www.macgimp.org . .. that i the open source version of graphic impage manipulation (very much like photoshop but free). if you dont need photoshop really a lot that's a FREE alternative.

rbrowser lite is enough, that's free. Use a hotmail or any other trashmail acocunt registering there (hint).

taco html editor. just codes (no wysiwyg)

exColor. chooses the hexa colors.

little button maker. does easy and fast buttons (can be useful sometimes for simple buttons) .

looks like right now i have only those.

well, for small budjet take these : bbedit (lite if you dont need ftp), rbrowser lite, MacGIMP (or FINK and GIMP) . they are the essentials :p

those others are mainly small freeware that can be a sympatic addition... have a look yourself in all hte candies you find in versiontracker, i'm sure you find something i forgot ;)
 
oh yes browsers...

better test on more of them.

so currently ---- chimera 0.60, ie 5.2, omniweb 4.something, iCab. i had mozilla and opera but i didn0t like them so they are trashed. i test also on konqueror .. and as a bad person never on windows :p unless i have anti-windwos scripts..
 
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