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Studio MX 2004 First Look

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There aren't many prodcuts I use every day, but Macromedia Studio MX is one of them. So when Macromedia let me know that MX 2004 was on the home stretch, I couldn't have been happier. Here's a quick run-down of each application. Be warned that the software I have been using is all still in beta... Stuff could still change. I'll post real reviews once the golden master ships (it's not fair to review beta software).

Studio MX 2004 in general

This release features a new look and feel. It's called Halo, and it has been used throughout the product. Incidently, its also been adapted for use on Macromedia.com. The cool part of Halo (technically called MX Elements) is that you can use the standard elements yourself in the Studio products. I haven't quite figured this out in Dreamweaver, but it's easy enough in Flash and Fireworks. I've been promised it is in Dreamweaver though.

Across the board, the 2004 release is focusing on a few things:

• Standards - Full unicode, CSS, XHTML support across product line.
• Integration - You can edit images in Dreamweaver, make HTML in Fireworks, and author sites in Flash. This isn't "toss the file back and forth" integration. It's real.
• Accessibility - Flash has much better accessibility features, and Dreamweaver makes the ones it had a lot more apparent. If you work for the government, or a major company, this is a must.

The pricing is the same, but if you want Flash MX Pro instead of the normal Flash, you'll have to cough up an extra $100. Not a bad deal though since Flash MX Pro retails for $699 (Studio sells for $899).

Note, Freehand MX has not been updatedóit typically does not follow the same release schedule as other MX products.    Next Page (2/4)


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