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CNET Editors' review
Freeway Pro is a Web site design and maintenance tool that offers professional-level features without requiring any coding knowledge.
Freeway's Mac-style, multipane interface should feel familiar to users of other design programs, with its simple toolbar, a list of your site's pages in a pane on the left (including master pages), a main window showing the current selected page, and numerous floating palettes for formatting and settings. Less experienced Web designers will find a lot to like here, including Freeway's customizable templates, WYSIWYG and drag-and-drop editing, and the way the app handles everything code-related in the background, from integrating shopping carts to optimizing images and dynamically managing links. More experienced web designers will like the improved upload abilities (with support for SFTP and FTP-SSL) and how Freeway puts a premium on creating standards-compliant code (including fast CSS-based menus).
With its comprehensive feature set and numerous tutorials--including several related to building sites for iOS devices--Freeway is a solid all-around Web design tool for pro users regardless of skill level. More casual users might want to check out the lower-powered (and cheaper) Freeway Express.
Publisher's Description
From Softpress Systems:
A purpose-built page layout application for the Web, Freeway gives you all the legendary ease-of-use and features that launched the desktop publishing revolution.
Quickly and effortlessly lay out your website, embed images and content, then publish your work as clean, standards-compliant HTML, and upload to your server, to .Mac, or to a folder. Freeway's smart about publishing - it'll only upload only your changes, saving you lots of time.
Let Freeway handle the heavy lifting.
Multimedia is a snap: embed Flash, QuickTime, YouTube content and more in seconds. E-commerce? Freeway comes with a free solution that allows you to make everything catalog pages right through to your shopping cart.
With excellent free and responsive telephone and email technical support, Freeway is the tool of choice for serious web designers, or anyone who wants to express themselves on the Web.
You supply the creativity. Freeway handles the code.
Freeway 5.5.1 is a paid-for upgrade available from the Softpress store.
What's new in this version:
- Fixed a localization error in the Simple Site Search Actions
- Fixed a JavaScript error in the Showcase Action
- Fixed a problem that caused the Freeway Shop Actions to fail Link Verification
- Dialogs no longer use 100% CPU time
- The Check for Updates menu item is available when Freeway is registered.
- In OSX Lion version 10.7.3 Freeway no longer draws icons outside the bounds of the scrolling list that contains them.
- Switching to ... See all new features
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All versions:
4.2 starsout of 94 votes
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Current version:
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"$230..???? on what planet these people live ????"
Version: Freeway Pro 5.5.6
Pros
??????????
Cons
PRICE,price, price
Summary
what is their justification to charge $230 for this piece of software ?
is it really so good and superior to Dreamweaver ?
In this age when everything is done thru drag-n-drop, this company still lives in the 1998-2003+ era.
Sandvox and RapidWeaver also handle Desktop Publishing style of web design pretty nicely.
This "review" is not a review, but I guess a paid advertising. -
"Great intuitive and very capable web design program."
Version: Freeway Pro 5.5.2
Pros
InDesign like capabilities, very flexible, can handle simple to complex layouts. Excellent online community of users who offer even more support.
Cons
None to speak of.
Summary
For print designers looking to get into web design, this is one of the best Mac web design programs out there. Much simpler than Dreamweaver (and half the cost) and better than some of the others such as Rapidweaver and Sandbox. Excellent tech support, both from Softpress and one of the best online forums and support groups out there. Don't need to know any html to work with Freeway. I highly recommend the program.
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"Does a great job... I have no reservations."
Version: Freeway Pro 5.5.2
Pros
Extremely robust set of "actions" easy and ready to use.
Cons
Needs more video tutorials (for dummies like me).
Summary
Senior discounts and student discounts and well worth it if you have to pay the full price.
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"Superb, Mac-like, does what it says on the tin."
Version: Freeway Pro 5.5.2
Pros
Simple to use, great tutorials.
Cons
Designing response boxes requires additional download, and rather poorly implemented. Everyone needs this, and needs it to be simpler. Needs direct access to the html for folk who understand it, and wonder why something isn't working as expected.
Summary
I've used GoLive and Dreamweaver. This is what I now use, I recommend it with the above reservations.
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"Great Mac web design software"
Version: Freeway Pro 5.2.1
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
Really nice job. Easy and intuitive for the most part, with great documentation. Could use better third party support for functions that are not available from the developer. Much easier than Dreamweaver. -
"Both Freeway and Flux need a lot more work..."
Version: Freeway Pro 5.1.1
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
To add to what "ylon" has previously stated - Freeway, IMHO, needs more work. I have tried it. Put out a couple of sites... but the program was painfully slow. Had it's share of bugs and problems.
Flux suffered from similar problems.
Both programs are a start to filling the gap in this market... however - they both require a lot more work... serious work: you're back to Dreamweaver! For someone who just has the odd or occasional website to put up every now and again - both Freeway and Flux are the ideal choice - you won't do it in a hurry - but both interfaces will guide you through (even if they have their faults). -
"Wish I could like it..."
Version: Freeway Pro 5.1
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
I really have wanted to like Freeway and have tried it multiple times for some serious work, but I just can't use it. It is not native Mac OS X enough nor does it provide sufficient functionality.
The real crown jewel right now for the all around Dreamweaver killer is Flux. I really think that The Escapees have something great in the works with that and really can change the game with what they're doing. -
"Awesome, and it works just like they claim it does!"
Version: Freeway Pro 4.3.3
Pros
For starters, not having to have a real working knowledge of HTML is great! Talk about drag and drop-easy web designing! WOW! Features galore, and it didn't cost me an arm and a leg! It completely took away the anxiety of having to code, and put enjoyment (a.k.a. 'FUN') in its place to get down to the real deal of designing, not programming! It's perfect for the MAC! Thank you for changing the way I work, and play!
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"Great product, but not very import friendly"
Version: Freeway Pro 4.2.2
Summary
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
This program is very easy to learn and works great without much hassle. What I would like to see improved is the import of html designed with other programs. I had a lot of pages I needed to import and this was very frustrating. Even basic html pages with minimal of graphic and frames do not import well. Also I wish there was a better selection of templates. -
"Still requires serial number and 100% CPU use while..."
Version: Freeway Pro 4.2.2
Summary
...waiting for it!!
This review was originally posted on VersionTracker.com.
Unbelievable. Total incompetence. Not only do you need to enter your serial number to download this update, but you then need to enter your serial number into the application itself again or it will not run.
But WAIT, there's more... While waiting for you to enter your serial number, with nothing on your screen but the window for entering your serial, Freeway decides it needs 100% of your CPU, constantly, just waiting for your serial, that's all. The fans on my MacBook Pro went NUTSO!
Well done Freeway! By the way, did you fix any bugs in this mammoth 55MB update? How about publishing a list of changes.
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