In Silicon Prairie’s first Special Report for 1998, we’ll be evaluating the growing line of development tools from (www.macromedia.com) Macromedia Inc., considering how they fit together and speculating on this digital equipment might effect the future of the Web.
After a few rough starts – don’t mention Applet Ace or backStage – Macromedia is developing a coherent strategy that brings Web development into its existing line of high-end animation programs such as Authorware and Director, the company’s flagship product. There’s no doubt Marcromedia is attempting to be the broadest and most comprehensive development-tool vendor for the Web. But are they, really? Here’s what we’ll explore in the coming weeks:
– January 2. The new version of Director seeks to recast a tool used primarily to create CD-ROMs as a legitimate low-bandwidth authoring environment. Can the program thrive in the new climate?
– January 9. Macromedia is positioning its lower-end Flash program as a Web animation standard. Is MSN’s approval enough to make it a standard?
– January 16. Everyone knows all HTML-editing tools stink. Is the new Dreamweaver the first to live up to all its promises?
– January 23. Fitting all the pieces. How can these diverse programs best work together?
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Do you use Macromedia tools? (specialreport@vineyard.com)We want to know).
