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Dreamweaver MX Magic

Creative Fuel's editor, Zac Van Note contributed two projects to this book in New Rider's 'Magic' series. Dreamweaver MX Magic is a completely rewritten and updated edition, following the popular Dreamweaver 4 Magic. Hands-on tutorials and an included CD-ROM walk you through over a dozen projects for web professionals.

More details from the publisher
Order Dreamweaver 4 Magic
Order Dreamweaver MX Magic

If you already have the book, see the completed exercises in action:

Chapter 7: Breadcrumbs

Chapter 8: Search Engine

Creative Suite 3 Offers The Most Integrated Creative Toolset Ever

The hype surrounding previous CS launches made the latest hoopla about CS3 seem like more of the same for another predictable upgrade. What we got, though, is the most ambitious upgrade I have ever seen. Is it perfect? No. Is it better than the software that came before it? Yes. Is it worth the upgrade price? For pros who use it daily--yes.

All of Adobe's major software has been upgraded at the same time and it's essentially identical on Mac and Windows. Even the video software, like Premiere Pro. In my mind, the integration and overall capabilities of this suite make it the most compelling solution for anyone in print, web or video production.

Macromedia's product line has been rolled in and the transition isn't seamless, but it's really good. What designer hasn't been hoping for better integration between Flash and Illustrator/Photoshop, or between Dreamweaver and Photoshop? Isn't it nice to be able to learn one interface and use it consistently (more or less) throughout all of your creative tools?

I try not to get rolled up in the hype, but CS3 lives up to Adobe's hype. I use almost all of Adobe's software and I've been delighted with the improvements in all of the tools. There are only a handful of groundbreaking features, but there are hundreds of improvements and new features that really improve your day-to-day work.
I only have a few minor complaints. The bundles. There are too many and they are confusing. Which includes what? I'm not sure how else to bundle these, but it was hard to decide which bundle to buy and even harder to explain it to newer users.

Along those lines, I'm not entirely comfortable with the death of ImageReady and the rise of Fireworks. Most designers I know use Photoshop all the time. Fireworks is a good program, but it requires switching from Photoshop and learning new ways of doing the same things.