ewisoft maybe better and easier the CSB 5

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I haven't tried this one yet but I plan to.

http://www.ewisoft.com/

If it works as well as says it should be easier and more full featured the CSB was. It's also not to expensive.

Comments? Anyone try it?

Pat Jr.

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My concern....is the company big enough to stay around for several years, several updates?
But it certainly looks interesting.  Would be worth a test or two!

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Hi this one got my interest on first glance. I checked out the forum it is very sparse but I was excited to see it had a site map view and an integrative shopping cart program. Then I found the shopping cart is only linkable to pay pal and I don't see that it creates a directory. I share Sam's concerns about who they are and if they will be around. Something I didn't like was all the fill in the form areas for each and every aspect of each and every section of the site. It seems to me like it would be more work and not less. There is a free template builder program that you can download and looking at that there were so many fields to fill in that it again seemed like more work not less. But I am not a template fill in the blank type of a builder and for those that are this one really has it down to that. I am now comparing with both Cute and Site Spinner. Having to create a template mini piece by mini piece may not be the quickest option out there when there are those that you can free form create without pop up boxes to select the available options. I did see that you can use Word to edit text but that is standard in other programs as well. I think this might be a good program for inexperienced web builders but after checking out the demos I don't know if I would buy it. I didn't see a free trial. If they had that I might give it a quick spin.

Still it is a good find and a new option thanks for sharing!

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Hello,
Following up on my first reaction to the trial.
It felt “clunky” when it started up and there was some “wizard” stuff I don't usually like before an actual editable page came up. Right off it had me frustrated. The template page comes up with a header, side bar , and a main body area. In the header it shows a dummy logo that is a bitmap. OK so I figure I'll try something easy, I stick in a different bitmap for kicks. Some clicking around  and a dialog box pops up with a field for the logo graphic, small folder you click on to hunt around for the file. OK all changed, commit the changes. BAM logo is huge on the page. Yea, OK I'll grab a handle, resize the graphic and all will be good. After bouncing back and between the dialog box and the huge graphic it dawns on me that the graphic needs to be pre-sized to fit the header. While I don't think this is unreasonable, it is PITA. I did try an image in the main body area and you can resize the graphics in that area. At this point I closed the program and went back to other work, so much for a diversion during my coffee brake.

I only spent a few minuets with the software and I know that is not enough time. I'll have a go at it again to see if I can warm up to it.

Best of Luck,
Pat Jr.

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Hi Pat, That is interesting and I hope you keep us informed of how you like it. All the wizards were what discouraged me. When I looked through the help and how to files I just thought it looked like a lot of clicking and searching just to get something to be bold or move to the right or any number of other small things in order to work on any aspect of the site, it seemed to have to be in one of the designated template sections like header, header 2 header 3, side bar, side bar link 1, etc etc.. and just remembering what each thing is designated as would be a challenge for me lol. I am not a big fan of fill in the blanks template software in general but I can see why some would like it.

Well good luck and I for one will be looking forward to hearing more about your experience with it. 

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Commenting on comments...have not tried software yet...

Generally speaking, I personally do not mind the fill in the blank type definition. This often leads to more personalization (YES!) and less "all look alike" type sites.  And once you have basically defined YOUR look (my purple and green) your pages would have a standardization that would be difficult to achieve in another manner.  Even CSB has this ability (Editing Page Layout you can choose borders, font, colors, heights, widths, link colors, bullet styles, background images and colors in each border, and far more!) to pre-define your STYLE. As long as you can come BACK to this to TWEAK the settings as necessary, this DOES sound like something I would like....  I spent quite a bit of time tweaking this forum before we began using it.



(PatJr.....      During the loading of this post a minute ago, your SIGNATURE came scrolling across the top of my window with no posts above it.  Thought my website had been hacked to put a stock ticker type statement on the top of the page!  You scared me for a second there.)

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second go at ewisoft. well this went much better. I found a work around for the bitmap problem I had. all I had to do was go to the insert logo thing and when the files came up, right click on the thumbnail, open it in ifanview, resize it, save as png or jpg, then select that file and there ya go. Worked great.

As for editing pages, all I have tried, and can do anyway, is simple stuff like add a picture, make some text, fiddle with the alignment, that all went well. I am exploring the navigation features. They are something of a mystery right now but it looks like it's tied into the template you are using.

My second impression of ewisoft, it seems to be “full featured” and uses up to date web site coding with html and css It's a steeper learning curve then CSB at least to get started.

Best to all,
Pat Jr

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I gave up on ewisoft

It looks like a good bit of software but I do want something that will run on my Linux box. So I am trying to learn Kompozer, the software formerly know as Nvu.

Best of Luck,
Pat Jr

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Hi Pat, I am not familiar with that one.. I will have to go give it a check. I hope you let us know how you like it. Maybe under a different title so we can find it easier.. Thanks for letting us know. If you have time to answer, may I ask, what was it that made you give up on it?

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Mostly it's the $89.00 I aint got right now.
ewisoft does seem like a nice program.
Since I am trying to use as little M$ software as possible I am trying to learn new stuff like Linux and the software that works with it. Good thing for me that is getting easier and easier everyday. There is a lot of Linux frindly software now compaired to only 2 or 3 years ago. It is still a tiny "market" so there are few big compaies interested in Linux. Oh, sorry, difted off there.

If you want a copy of kompozer you can get one for free at
http://www.kompozer.net/

if you have a Linux box I would suggest a try at extensions for kompozer and add the bluefish extrenal editor,
http://bluefish.openoffice.nl/
it has a very handy tag editor

I also posted under the Nvu thread,
http://samisite.com/forum/index.php?topic=186.0

So, did ya get the deal on Swish?
I have read that it's a very nice program.

Toodeloo,
Pat Jr

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oh my gosh swish! I forgot thanks for the reminder.. I went to las Vegas for a while -- so I have an excuse. lol Thanks for letting me know - I was wondering if it was how the program operated.

I don't know about the swish as much as I would like it I don't see myself with the time to explore it right now


back to thinking about it gee thanks! lolol

TC Pat