Whipping out a basic web page is something many people think about but then get stuck implementing. If you aren’t an HTML wizard, where do you turn? If you own a Mac, the answer is simple - there are several decent options for the aspiring web page owner.

All of the options for web design we’re going to talk about today have similar features, such as blog integration, support for RSS, photos, movies, sound, Flash and other bells and whistles. All of them come with some kind of template or templates for the beginner, though some take the features to a more advanced level than others.

iWeb

The first, and most obvious, option is iWeb. This is a program that comes installed on every Mac since iWeb 1.0 came out in 2006. This application has come a long, long way since then. If you have been ignoring it since it first came out because it had some issues then, I recommend giving it another try. This is especially true if you don’t plan to get too elaborate with your web site ambitions.

iWeb is a great basic pagemaker, integrated into the Mac OS system and pulling from various native Mac applications like iPhoto and iMovie to make fully featured web sites. While you can futz with it and get it to work on a non-MobileMe (formerly .Mac / iDisk) based web space, you will find it much easier to use for the newbie if you just use the Mac endorsed platform. If you do want to host your iWeb site yourself, you need to save the site to a folder from iWeb’s interface (not to the web), the upload that folder to your server and point your domain name to the right file inside of it.

RapidWeaver

Another good program for web design on Macs is RapidWeaver. RapidWeaver is a bit more advanced than iWeb, but not quite as hardcore as Dreamweaver or other expensive applications. If you don’t know any HTML or CSS, you can still use RapidWeaver - it comes packed with several nice templates to start from. There are also some handy books out now that give you some basic RapidWeaver pointers and can get you started on the road to basic HTML.

Rapidweaver is popular because it puts out some nice, clean, working code for you. It also works with MobileMe and other personal domain publishing sites. It also has other features similar to iWeb, like iPhoto integration. This means if you learned on iWeb and are moving up to RapidWeaver, you will already be familiar with your posting interface. At $79 it is a low cost alternative to other applications.

FreeWay

The next step up from RapidWeaver is FreeWay. FreeWay is probably my personal favorite of these first three, even with a hefty $249 price tag. It offers the most print-like interface and gorgeous print-level graphics and image editing on top of a complete, full-featured CSS and HTML tool. Coming from a print graphics and print writing background, it was by far the simplest for me to learn and use. If you have a background in programming or similar the interface and editing features of FreeWay may not be for you.

FreeWay is very much about the design itself. The entire program is arranged to draw your focus to the design, not the code. To that end, some say the code it generates is a bit messier than RapidWeaver and Dreamweaver. All I know is that it makes pretty, pretty web sites that very much appeal to the designer in me, and it is really easy to use if you are coming from the design side of things. Of note, FreeWay also integrates several iWeb features like MobileMe and iPhoto for those looking to move to FreeWay from iWeb.

DreamWeaver

Last but not least we come to Adobe’s (formerly Macromedia’s) Dreamweaver. This is hands down the most code intensive and expensive of the bunch. I have not used it since Adobe bought out Macromedia, however under Macromedia this software was quite reliable and had a reasonably fast learning curve, even for the beginning coder.

This software product has always billed itself as being for anyone, and has always offered templates, but in reality I would only recommend it to someone with actual HTML or CSS experience or the time to learn. If you are looking for something to teach yourself or “learn as you go”, this is not the software for you. You would be better off with one of the other options. Even so, if you do choose Dreamweaver you will be pleased at how reliable it is and how well it does with overall web design.

Dreamweaver has a bit of a harder time working with the built in Mac features like iPhoto, though it will if asked nicely. It also is a bit harder to get to work with the .Mac/MobileMe interface. It will handle the personal domain issues, but you have to coax it a bit. This really is an application for a more advanced user, and with a price tag at $399 it may not be worth the longer time it will take you to become familiar with it.

•••

All of the applications reviewed her were chosen because they are known to be reliable and offer more bang for your buck. Yes, there are other options out there, but I have actually tried each of these and can vouch that they do work, and work reliably. If you are going to invest time and effort into making and maintaining a web site, you should have the tools to make that not only possible, but simple, and these will do just that, depending on your level of expertise.

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Entry was posted on Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 at 6:52 am under Apple, Free Software, Mac, Mac software, Macintosh, Tips.  Print This Post

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