Cheap Softpress Systems Freeway 4 Express (Mac) (Software) (Mac OS X) Price

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Customer Reviews of Softpress Systems Freeway 4 Express (Mac)

Almost false advertising... Half star or less!
Freeway 4 Express is probably not the software you're looking for if you already have a website that you are looking to maintain. It uses a proprietary format and DOES NOT ALLOW THE IMPORTING OR EDITING OF PREXISTING HTML. <
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>This is highly significant if, for example, you already have a web site that you are looking to make minor changes to. Since you cannot import the pre-existing web pages into the software for editing, you are forced to RE-CREATE every page in the site. For smaller sites this might not be a problem, but my site contains about forty HTML documents. Redrawing each individual page is not an option for me. <
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>Additionally, documentation is extremely frustrating, since the software is bundled with a manual for Freeway PRO (the $279 version). This manual will take you step-by-step through functions and activities that ARE NOT PRESENT in the Express version of the software. You'll spend, as I did, hours of wasted time trying to do a simple task (like import pre-existing HTML for editing) only to discover on the technical support website that the feature you're trying to use is not available in the version of the software you purchased. This is asinine. It's like trying to navigate New York with a road map of DC. Who wants a manual for a piece of software they didn't buy? <
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>Personally, I am extremely aggravated that none of this is listed on the box. The fact that Freeway 4 Express does not edit web sites that already exist should be clearly evident on the EXTERIOR of the package. You should not be forced to purchase the software, open it (making it non-returnable), before discovering that it does not perform the tasks you specifically bought it to accomplish. <
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>I recommend NVU. This is a completely free software that allows editing of all forms of HTML in a WYSIWYG manner. Unfortunately it is somewhat buggy, but it's also $99 less than Freeway 4 Express-- and lets you do the most basic web editing task: adjust pre-existing HTML.

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Excellent Program for the Money
I had been using Adobe Pagemill but didn't want to spend $400 (GoLive) for a new Web design program for OSX. I only need to update and re-design my Web site every now and then, and I am not fluent in html. Freeway 4 Express is great. I tried the free trial of GoLive and was just overwhelmed...Then I tried the free trial of Freeway 4 Express. It didn't take any time at all to get a page designed, and I added a few fun effects that I didn't have with Pagemill. A great buy for the money if you just want to drag and drop and maybe use a little html.

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Flexible, easy-to-use software and a good value for the money!
I have written an in-depth review of "Freeway 4 Express" for the local Macintosh Asheville Computer Society (M.A.C.S.) -- complete with screenshots (one is interactive) and example graphics. Here is the text version of that review... <
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>Freeway 4 Express <
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>Ratings: (5 possible) <
>Features: 4.5-Clicks <
>Ease of Use: 4.5-Clicks <
>Documentation: 3.5-Clicks <
>Value for the Money: 5-Clicks <
>Overall Rating: 4.5-Clicks <
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>Requirements: Mac OS 10.2.8 or higher. <
>Version Reviewed: 4.0.3 <
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>Pros: <
>* "Graphics", "Graphics Extra" and "Navigation" FAST Packs are built in! <
>* More flexibility in text and photo effects -- in addition to the included FAST Packs! <
>* Handy new "back / forward" tool. <
>* New "Preview" feature. <
>* New, versatile "Site Panel" lists how many bytes a page consists of, how many files make up that page and can change into a "Page" Panel -- without any workspace clutter! <
>* The "Compare/Upload" now works as it's supposed to. <
>* Handy Contextual menus. <
>* "Group" feature allows Groups within Groups. <
>* Handy blue triangles on top-left and bottom-right corner of objects, indicate which part of that object will be seen on a Web page. <
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>Cons: <
>* Can't enter a color code, in order to create an exact color used in another program. <
>* Cannot name customized colors (Was in previous version). <
>* Cannot rotate Grouped objects. <
>* No Mirror and Skew tools (Was in previous version). <
>* No Text Styles (Was in previous version). <
>* Thorough documentation requires downloading the 3.5 manual. <
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>Company: Softpress Systems Ltd. <
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>What Is It? <
>Freeway is the most flexible, good value for the money, web page design program I have ever used -- and you get to work in WYSIWYG (pronounced WIZ-ee-wig, which stands for "What You See Is What You Get"). This means, items on your web pages, such as a title or picture, will be seen by visitors to your site, in the same location, size, etc., as you created them. <
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>Yes, there are other programs out there but they all seem to come with some sort of "baggage"... The text-based (non WYSIWYG) programs are much more powerful than Freeway but, even though I know how to write programs, I don't want to have to tackle HTML, with all its variations and quirks, just to create a good looking web page. The other WYSIWYG programs are too expensive, too difficult to use and are over-bloated with features which I will never use. <
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>I've been using Freeway Express since Fall of 2003 and even with this new version, I still find it easy, flexible and nearly effortless to use. Currently, the M.A.C.S. website consists of 45 pages, 179 graphic items, 237 URLs (web addresses), countless text boxes and consumes 10MB of web space! Keeping track of all this manually would be a headache! I trust Freeway and it carries out every task just as it should. Remember, when a program, such as Freeway is well written, it makes our job easy, but behind the scenes it must do a lot of work to make us look good. If I change the name of a web page, Freeway will automatically change that name in every link which references that page within my document. Because of HTML's limitations, when Freeway uses my page name as the file name, it will remove the spaces in file names and truncate them to the correct number of characters. <
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>If I add a graphic or title to a Master Page, Freeway will automatically display those elements in any web page I assigned to that Master Page. It manages all of my components so well that Freeway will even present me with a list of all the graphics, URLs and fonts used. With the click of a button, Freeway will show me where I used a specific graphic. I can instantly verify any URL, including my site, to see if that web page is still valid. I can even have Freeway automatically change my used font -- change Times to Verdana, for example--throughout all my web pages! <
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>Keep in mind that all of this is in the Freeway 4 "Express" I'm using now. There is a bigger brother, Freeway 4 "Pro", which is even MORE helpful. <
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>The Interface <
>If you've been using a previous version of Freeway, the most obvious change is the Interface. The layout of palettes and tools has been redesigned and rearranged, making the entire work area more efficient and friendlier. <
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>I like the way the Inspector palette automatically expands and contracts, according to which type of object you select -- text, graphic, edit mode for text or graphic, etc. <
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>In version 3.5, I used to keep my "Site" palette on the right side of the screen and its size to a minimum. (The "Site" palette shows all your web pages and their associated text and graphic objects.) In version 4, this is called the "Site Panel" and is permanently attached to the left side of the screen. At first, I didn't like the idea of dedicating an entire column of workspace to a list of my pages and their associated text and graphics pieces. <
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>I also didn't like the idea of not having a Tools palette --as in Freeway Express 3.5. Instead, there is a "Toolbar" across the top of the window which contains your "Select" and "Zoom" tools as well as some other quick-access features. Two of these items, which I often use, are labeled "HTML" and "Graphic". I found it a bit confusing at first whenever I reached for these "tools", because they look like menu icons. In fact, each is a pop-out menu. However, simply clicking on either one, as you would normally do with any other "tool" icon, WILL select that tool. <
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>After working with this cleaner, simpler interface for awhile, I find it friendlier and easier to work with than in the previous version. As for the new "Site Panel", if the top of that column is clicked, the contents of the column will change from listing all your Master and regular pages (and their associated objects) to listing all contents of the "page" you are currently working on (and the pieces which pertain to it). This column can also be resized horizontally or closed completely, providing you with even more valuable workspace. A quick double-click on the column's right edge will instantly snap it back to its previous width. <
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>The Toolbar also has a Forward and Back button -- just like a Browser. How many times, while I was working in Freeway Express 3.5, I had wished for this type of feature. Sometimes, you end up jumping through your pages checking things or trying to locate something. Then, once you find it, you can't remember which page you wanted to go back to. With this feature, a few clicks will take you right there! Thank you Softpress! <
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>More Graphics Features! <
>Probably the most flexible and fun feature of version 4 is the expanded graphic elements you can apply to photos AND text. In previous versions, text was limited to fonts and colors. If you wanted to edit a photo, you had to buy the "Graphics FAST Pack" add-on (more on this below). However, in this new version you simply highlight your text (maybe it's the title of a page) and there, in the Inspector palette, are a handful of new treatments with nearly an infinite number of combinations! Outline, Emboss, Shadow, Lighting and Scatter are the main options for text effects. Within those main options are controls for Opacity, Offset, Color, Specular, Diffuse, Angle, Thickness, and whether the border is straight, wavy or spiked, etc. With imported images you have additional features such as Glow and Blur. <
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>Keep in mind that all these effects are "non-destructive"! This means you can apply one or several effects to an object and later change any aspect without removing all the effects and starting over. <
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>* No more "FAST Packs"! (yay!) The Softpress "Graphics", "Graphics Extra" and "Navigation" FAST Packs are now built into Freeway 4 Express and Freeway 4 Pro! (The "Navigation Pack" allows you to create pop-out menus for your Web pages.) This means you get even more text- and graphic-manipulation features for less money. Here is a list of the graphics features. Maybe they should be called "modules", because each has a number of specialized controls and all of these are IN ADDITION to the graphics effects I mentioned above: <
>Duo Tone <
>Fade <
>Fill Master <
>Photo Frame <
>Photo Magic <
>Posterize <
>Scan Lines <
>New Features <
>Advanced Fade <
>Blur <
>Chroma Key <
>Hue Rotate <
>Impress (Emboss) <
>Linear Blur <
>Saturate <
>Sharpen <
>Solarize <
>Watermark <
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>Why do all these graphics features matter?... By having these options within the Freeway program, you won't have to launch and switch back-and-forth between Freeway and Photoshop (or some other graphics program) whenever you want to adjust a photo or add some flare to a title. If you don't own Photoshop, Freeway has just saved you even more money. You'll find that most of the text designs and photo re-touching you want to perform can be done just as well within this one program. <
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>More New Features <
>* Handy Contextual menus. <
>* Softpress added a handy "Group" feature. Groups within Groups are possible and each object and group can be moved within the larger grouped area. Very flexible. <
>* Handy blue triangles on the top-left and bottom-right corner of each object, which indicate which part of that object will be published (seen by a visitor to your website). If an object sticks out past the edge of a page, while you're working in Freeway, these blue triangles reposition themselves automatically and let you know which part of that item will be cut off and not seen. <
>* New "Preview" feature allows you to test your pages without using a Browser. Although you can still use the "Preview in Browser" menu option, this new feature lets you check your web page a little faster. <
>* The "Site Panel" now lists how many bytes are in a page, as well as how many files make up that page. This information is displayed to the right of each page name. <
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>Upgrading from Freeway 3.5 <
>Since I was previously using an older version of Freeway Express, the documentation instructed me to make a complete backup of all current web-related files, graphics, etc., before opening my current file with the new version of the program. I did this, but did not have any problems using those older items with the new Freeway 4 Express. Still, it would have been foolish to upgrade without a backup first--just in case. . . <
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>A Lack Of Style <
>Although the new version of Freeway is cleaner to work in, more powerful and easier to use than its older counterpart, some features were dropped from the new version. <
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>* One feature I really miss in the new Freeway Express is its lack of Text Styles (Style Sheets). After bringing my old Freeway web pages into the new program, I decided to give the entire site a new look. Among other things, this meant a change to ALL my page and article titles as well as any subtitles. In Freeway Express 3.5, I gave each title and subtitle a Text Style. Then, whenever I wanted to change the font, size, color, bold, etc., of any of these, I would simply change it in the Styles palette and ALL those titles or subtitles would instantly change throughout my entire site. This is the way it works in the new Freeway 4 "Pro" version. Since my Freeway 4 "Express" no longer has this option, I had to manually locate, highlight and change every instance of every title and subtitle! If you have several web pages and you want to keep all your text consistent, without doing a lot of work, you may want to purchase Freeway "Pro" instead of "Express". <
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>Instead of removing Text Styles and Color Naming from the new Freeway Express program, I wish Softpress had removed the "HTML Markup" feature. I consider this to be an advanced function (not for beginners) and I would have no problem with it being available only in Freeway 4 "Pro". <
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>* When I created the M.A.C.S. website in Freeway Express 3.5, I also created a few custom colors and gave each a name. Because Freeway 4 Express does not offer colors "names", all of the names I had used were gone. Only the "Pro" version offers this feature now. <
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>* Although Freeway "Express" does still offer custom "colors", another feature I discovered missing is the ability to specify a color by its hexadecimal color value. This number can be used between various graphics programs, such as Photoshop and Freeway, to provide a consistent color when designing text and graphics. <
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>* Mirror and Skew tools have also been removed from the new "Express" program. (They're only available in "Pro" version.) <
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>Comments <
>* LIGHTING: Freeway 4 "Pro" has a "Global" lighting property and when it is OFF, each object can have its highlights and shadows in a different direction. In Freeway 4 Express, however, this option cannot be turned ON and OFF -- it's permanently ON. This means, all the shiny and shadowed areas on the text and graphic objects, which use the "Lighting" option, will have a same "Angle" and "Altitude". So, if you want a large text title to have a shiny area on its left side and a shadow on its right -- that's fine. However, if you then decide to have a graphic design, a photo or another title with a shiny side on the top and its shadow on the bottom, you cannot do it. All the objects on that page will have their highlights and shadows on the same side. (Lighting on another page can be different.) <
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>* TEMPLATES: Freeway 4 Express comes with more interesting templates than were included with Freeway Express 3.5 -- although none include a site map or pop-out navigation menus. My favorite templates are "Flower", because it has a clean and modern overall look and makes good use of two different flowers which change when the Pointer is "over" and "not over" a menu item -- I also like "Holiday", because of its fun look and the notebook-like, rotated Tab titles which are really the site's menu. <
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>* MANUAL: Go to the Softpress website and download the "Freeway User Guide" for version 3.5. Although it won't cover any of the new features, it's still a more-thorough reference than the version 4 documentation. <
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>* Although I found 3 reference guides, only one is specifically tailored for the program I reviewed -- "Gettting Started with Freeway Express" (64-pages). The other two, "Freeway Reference" and "Using Freeway" state that they are for Freeway "Pro" only. The "Getting Started..." guide is not as complete as I would like but it is cleanly-written, contains lots of good screenshots and is easy to understand. As an orientation to Freeway Express, which is what it was designed for, it's a very good tool. With that said, I did learn something from it... <
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>I've been using Freeway Express since the Fall of 2003. I have discovered a few tricks and shortcuts over the years but one aspect of website design was still confusing to me -- Slave Actions. I started to bypass the three tutorials contained in the "Getting Started with Freeway Express" booklet, thinking they would be boring, but I went through them anyway and I'm glad I did. The third tutorial steps you through "Rollovers" and onto "Slave Actions". By the time I was finished, I understood how they work. After reading about these features in the Freeway 3.5 manual (which I reviewed and have been using since September 2003), I still did not understand Slave Actions, and now I do. That's how valuable the "Getting Started..." booklet is. <
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>* UPLOAD: If you have an Apple dotMac website, Freeway makes it extremely easy to upload your web pages. <
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>* I found the "Compare/Upload" feature in Freeway Express 3.5 didn't work properly. It was supposed to check to see which pieces I had changed (the "compare" part) and only upload those files. However, it always seemed to upload ALL the pieces of my website -- including the M.A.C.S. movie, which I never changed and is 2.4MB in size! This means I had to spend a LOT of time waiting for my iMac to finish this 40-minute task before I could fully make use of it again. I had to schedule uploads to be at mealtime! With Freeway 4 Express, this feature works as it should. If I only change a couple items, the program only uploads those files and the whole process takes just a few minutes. Thank you Softpress! If your time is valuable, this feature alone may be worth the upgrade to version 4 -- if you already own a previous version. <
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>* TEXT FIX: The new version fixes a long-standing problem I've had... Highlight all or part of a paragraph of HTML text and apply an Indent or List type and it works fine. However, go back and apply another one of these features, without changing the highlighted text, and the paragraph above and below would be affected. Now it works as it should! <
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>* TEXT TIP: This item was in the previous version of Freeway but since I recently stumbled upon it and never found mention of it in any documentation, I thought I'd pass it along... Highlight your text word-by-word. To do this simply place the Pointer at the beginning or end of the text you want to highlight. Then, in one motion, double-click-drag. Notice that as you drag, complete words are highlighted -- not individual letters. Very handy. Actually, if you triple-click-drag, you will highlight each "line" of text and a 4-click-drag will highlight every "paragraph". This feature has been in Mac OS X for some time. Since Softpress is a Macintosh-only company, they always keep up with and implement Apple's style and functions whenever possible. This means your experience with Freeway will be similar to that of OS X -- compared to some other programs, Freeway has less for you to learn because you already know most of it! <
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>Summary <
>If you want to create your own website but don't have any specialized software, visit the Softpress website and download the trial version. It does the job. It's fun to use. It's powerful and flexible -- even the "Express" version. <
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>If you already own a previous version of Freeway, check the features list on the Softpress website and download the trial version. The new graphics features alone are worth a closer look and perhaps an upgrade. <
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>If you are currently using some other Web-creation program, you're probably working too hard. Visit the Softpress website and check out the features Freeway has to offer. If the "Pro" version is still not powerful enough for you, add a few lines or hundreds of lines of code. Also, several "Actions" are available -- some are free. If you want to dig in further, the "Pro" version can interpret your JavaScript code as Actions. <
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>In other words, Freeway offers a wide range of involvement. For beginners, it can almost be used as a "point-and-click" program. For the seasoned Webmaster, it's expandable.