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Author: Robert L. Vaessen e-mail: |
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Dreamweaver CC: I'm currently using Dreamweaver CC. I resisted for many years, but I've finally gone and done it (in 2019). I've paid for the 'Creative Cloud' (otherwise known as the 'Dollar Suck') version of Dreamweaver. Yes, I broke down and purchased/began paying for the 'Subscription' based version of the software. I originally purchased Dreamweaver MX back in May of 2002 (Made by Macromedia back then). I upgraded to Dreamweaver CS5 and then C5.5 a few years later (The software was acquired by Adobe in 2005). Often, but not always, I purchased the annual updates. Eventually, Adobe decided to stop updating the CS version of Dreamweaver, and they opted to create this 'Creative Cloud' version. It's software built around the 'Subscription' based model. I don't like the fact that I have to pay an annual fee, regardless of whether I want to upgrade or not. I wonder what would happen if I stop paying the subscription fee? /Answer: The application will stop working at the end of the service period - Yes they can turn off the application whenever they want. You have a 'License' to use the product, you don't own the software you've installed on your computer. It's their software - Not yours. If you stop paying, you get nothing. Kind of like renting software. Guess how I feel about renting things? Learning HTML, and creating rich and appealing web sites, can be a difficult endeavor. In October of 2019, I finally updated my web design work horse. I upgraded from Dreamweaver CS5.5 to Adobe's latest version of Dreamweaver. My last major upgrade was in May of 2011. This switch from Dreamweaver CS5 to the CC version is quite a major shift. It's up there with my transition from Dreamweaver MX to Dreamweaver CS5. I've been using Dreamweaver (various different versions) since at least 2002, and I find it to be the best tool for my needs. I really like the ability to view and work in a WYSIWYG interface, while simultaneously having the code view available for any tweaking or hands-on coding. With my awesome 30" monitor, I can even display both views in a vertical orientation. Aside from the more powerful features (which I'm not knowledgeable enough to use), CC has several features that the novice coder can appreciate. Adobe stopped selling perpetually licensed 'disk' based licenses back in June of 2013. With the introduction of their Creative Cloud (CC) version of software, they started selling 'Subscription' based licenses. In other words, you know longer owned the software that you paid for. From that point forward, you are simply purchasing or paying for 'Access' to the software. If you stop paying, they cut of access to the software - I despise this model of software, and honestly think that it's criminal... So, why did I opt to purchase/pay for the CC version of Dreamweaver? Well, it's a long story, but in the end they won out. There's just nothing that comes close, and the CS5.5 version stopped working under Apple's latest OS (macOS 10.15 Catalina). Apple stopped supporting 32 bit applications in October of 2019 (with the release of macOS 10.15). With the OS upgrade, Dreamweaver CS5.5 stopped working, so my options were - Pay for the subscription version, or use something else. While I've got plenty of other HTML editing tools at my disposal. There is simply no comparison (on the Mac) when it comes to the power and flexibility of Dreamweaver. I simply couldn't find anything else that does everything I want and need. So, despite the fact that despise the 'Subscription' based model of software, I broke down and bought an entire year's worth of licensing up front. That helps reduce the cost some, but paying approximately $250.00 for the software is a significant amount of money for someone who isn't making a living by writing/maintaining web pages as a hobby. I've been using Dreamweaver (various different versions, going back to MX version (I purchased DW-MX in Feb of 2003) by Macromedia (before Adobe acquired Macromedia in 2005)) for some time now, and really appreciate some of it's more powerful features. It's a world class champ when it comes to editing HTML tables. With a tool box full of things I've yet to use, I'm sure I'll be learning more about HTML and CSS in the future. Hopefully, Adobe can avoid some of the other issues they've induced by their refusal to recognize case sensitivity. |
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BBEdit: This gem was missing from my 'Favs' page for some time. I removed it back in May of 2007. I had decided that Dreamweaver met all my needs. That was before things changed. Due to problems with Adobe products (this was back in 2011), I decided it was time to bring BBEdit back into the fold. I purchased a new version of BBEdit in October of 2011 (through the Mac 'App Store'*). At a discounted introductory price of ~$40; one thing had changed with BBEdit - They lowered the price to a more manageable target. The full version (through the App Store*/and their online store) is only ~$50.00. That's a lot better than their historical pricing of more than $100.00 for the full version. An upgrade (from version 14.x/as of 12 Jan, 2024) is $29.99. Other notable changes (made to comply with App Store requirements). Command line capability was not included in the version purchased through the App Store. You can download and add that capability outside the App Store. Additionally, the ability to save changes to files that you don't own has been removed from the App Store version. Advanced users can also work around this limitation. In my opinion, the minor changes are well worth the more than 100 new features coupled with the amazing drop in price! *Note: If you prefer (I do), you can purchase/download the full version (non-App store version) directly (I have) from BareBones. BBEdit is a high-performance text and code editor for the Macintosh, and I'm running version 14 (see above for most recent version). It's designed and crafted for the editing, searching, transformation, and manipulation of text and code (several different flavors of code/languages). BBEdit provides a vast array of general-purpose features which are useful for a wide variety of tasks, and includes many special purpose features which have been specifically developed in response to the needs of Web authors and software developers. It's an absolute must for any HTML author, software code developer and hardcore Mac enthusiasts. My needs for BBEdit no longer revolve around HTML editing. While I still use BBEdit for some of my HTML coding, I primarily use it for plain-text editing and regular expression work. It's ability to search, find, compare, replace text and handle plain-text documents is simply unparalleled. BBEdit 15 contains many new features, enhancements, and refinements to existing features. This major release offers a wide range of feature additions, changes, and refinements, including: a new Minimap; expandable Cheat Sheets; enhancements to project configuration and workflow; ChatGPT worksheets; and much more. The detailed change notes contain complete information on what is new and changed in this version. Be sure to check out all the new goodness in the release notes. |
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iWork / Apple's Productivity Applications: iWork (Apple's Productivity Applications for the Desktop) now (as of macOS 10.15) comes in two different flavors. The desktop versions of Apple's productivity software started (initially released in 2013) out with Pages 5.0, Numbers 3.0, and Keynote 6.0. The 'Legacy' versions (originally released in January of 2005) are no longer updated or supported. Up until macOS 10.15 (Catalina), the different versions could coexist on a Mac desktop. macOS 10.15 enforces a prohibition on the use of 32bit applications, so the old legacy versions of the iWork suite no longer works under macOS 10.15 (and later)). The iOS versions are built on a separate code-base, but they are document level compatible with documents created by the newer (64bit) versions of the productivity suite. Note: As of Jun 29, 2022, I have noticed that since version 11.1, all subsequent releases of these applications were automatically updated on my computer and iOS/iPadOS devices without any intervention on my part. iWork is a home productivity contender; competing against Microsoft Office and the OpenOffice/LibreOffice productivity suites. Most home users don't need the power provided by Microsoft's productivity suite, and Apple's iWork suite provides a suitable alternative to the expensive Microsoft suite. iWork applications are Office compatible (No it's not 100% compatible, but it can open, edit and save documents as Office documents), and the pricing is far more affordable than the behemoth on the block (The Microsoft applications).
The versions of Pages, Keynote and Numbers (as of Nov 2020) all use a completely new file format (as of the iWork update in Oct, 2013 - Released in conjunction with the new Mac OS X 10.9 upgrade) that can work across OS X, Windows, and in most web browsers by using the online iCloud web apps. I've been using Pages and Numbers successfully (in my D&D Campaign) for online, real-time, collaboration on multiple different platforms (Mac's, Windows 10, iPads, Android devices) with very few problems (some mobile browsers/some browsers have issues accessing all the features of the iCloud hosted applications). The complete overhaul and re-design of the iWorks suite (in 2013) changed the application's look and feel, eliminated some advanced features (most of those lost capabilities have returned), and made the old documents incompatible. While there were some draw-backs to the new applications, the overall change was positive (in the long run). The iCloud integration and collaboration features have definitely become a benefit. The best part about these new applications? As of September, 2013, Apple announced that iWork, (all three applications) iMovie and iPhoto would all be available as free downloads on any new iOS devices activated since the 1st of Sep, 2013. So the desktop suite comes free with the Mac OS, and now the iOS apps are free on any new iOS devices. That's good news. That's way cheaper than the $100+ price tag for the Microsoft applications. A similar change (to the iWork suite) occurred in 2019, when the applications went from 32bit to 64bit. That had less effect, making some applications and documents incompatible, but keeping the feature set intact. In March of 2021, new versions (version 11.0) of the applications were released in a new Universal 2 format (requiring minimum macOS 10.15). Universal 2 binary format allows the applications to run on both the Intel x86-64-based and ARM64-based (Apple silicon) Macintosh computers. |
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GraphicConverter: I'm currently using version 12.1.1 (build 6485) - As of 17 May, 2024 One of my favorite pieces of software recently released an update (I'm doing my best to stay on track with all the latest updates). GraphicConverter moves ever forward. One more step towards perfection. Another product that's always getting better. GraphicConverter is an image converter and editor. A fantastic piece of shareware that is well worth the price (~$40.00). I use it to convert image formats into web standard formats; to create and edit image maps and other graphics. I've been singing GC's praises for many years now, and I'm not sure what I would do without it. The best part about GC is it's creator/author. Thorsten Lemke is completely committed to his customer base. Constantly and Continuously responding to customer recommendations and bug reports. GC is a dynamic, evolving, application. Always on the cutting edge, an absolute must in any web developers tool box. At a fraction of PhotoShop's cost (and no monthly subscription fees!), this photo editor is a highly versatile application with all the bells and whistles. On par with the 'Very Expensive' top end editors, and no 'subscription fee' required! FYI: As of versions 11.6+, macOS 12 is required to run GraphicConverter on the Mac. |
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DVDPedia: DVDPedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your movie collection. It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the movie or you can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off the movie box (it then searches the internet, and displays choices). It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a 'borrowed' feature with address book integration, the ability to play movies in full screen mode, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library. I use DVDpedia to generate HTML listings of my movies and movie reviews. The 5.0 upgrade was a paid upgrade/new version of the software. This version has been over a year in the making with lots of changes big and small to make the programs even better. What's new? Lots of new search sites including Wikipedia, Freebase and Doghouse, the Pedias' own media server built by and for Pedia users. New custom fields for broader cataloging options: TV series for DVDpedia, comics for Bookpedia and board games for Gamepedia (I may have to buy a copy now) as well as new custom fields including dedicated date fields, check boxes and multi-value fields. A 10-star rating system with half-stars; click twice on a star to make it a half. Swipe gestures for the CoverFlow and Add/Edit window to move back and forth as well as pinch-to-zoom in the Grid view. A new filter feature for the Details view and Statistics to quickly find entries with that same value. And much, much more. The 6.2.1 upgrades (free to owners of a 6.0+ license) didn't include much in the way of new features, but it does include macOS 10.12+/Monterey updates, bug fixes for online search and an IMDB search update. The 5.0 and later versions of the software are built with an all new (64bit) core, and include many improvements and bug fixes. The code was thoroughly tested for several months. The 5.0+ versions are much faster and more robust, but they kept the same familiar interface. Below are links (the RobsWorld! links) to some of the pages I created using this software. A 7.0 update (beta 306) in March of 2024 comes as a bit of surprise (at no cost to current license holders), but it brings some long awaited fixes. The update brings Apple Silicon compatability, working with macOS 10.13 or > only. Works best with macOS 11 or better. The QuickTime libraries have been removed, so you can't import related metadata from QuickTime files. The iSight barcode scanning is 'pared down' (Only working with Apple Silicon?). It's been many years since the last update, so this is a very long awaited development. Hopefully it means that there's more support and releases on the horizon. Update: 31 May, 2024 - Another DVDPedia beta version (b307) was released in May of 2024. I saw that there were notes on the update, but those were dismissed when I updated the application, and I can't find the information on the Bruji website/webpages. The updates were minor (If I remember correctly). |
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CDPedia: CDPedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your music collection. It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the artist, album, or track. You can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off a jewel case (it then searches the internet, and displays choices), or you can import lists of music from iTunes. It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a 'borrowed' feature with address book integration, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library. I use CDPedia to generate HTML listings of my music. The 5.0 upgrade was a paid upgrade/new version of the software. This version has been over a year in the making with lots of changes big and small to make the programs even better. What's new? Lots of new search sites including Wikipedia, Freebase and Doghouse, the Pedias' own media server built by and for Pedia users. New custom fields for broader cataloging options: TV series for DVDpedia, comics for Bookpedia and board games for Gamepedia (I may have to buy a copy now) as well as new custom fields including dedicated date fields, check boxes and multi-value fields. A 10-star rating system with half-stars; click twice on a star to make it a half. Swipe gestures for the CoverFlow and Add/Edit window to move back and forth as well as pinch-to-zoom in the Grid view. A new filter feature for the Details view and Statistics to quickly find entries with that same value. And much, much more. The 6.2.1 upgrade (free to owners of a 6.0+ license) didn't include much in the way of new features, but it does include macOS 10.12+/Monterey updates, bug fixes for online search and an IMDB search update. The 5.0 and later versions of the software are built with an all new (64bit) core, and include many improvements and bug fixes. The code was thoroughly tested for several months. The 5.0+ versions are much faster and more robust, but they kept the same familiar interface. Below are links (the RobsWorld links) to some of the pages I created using this software. A 7.0 update in March of 2024 comes as a bit of surprise (at no cost to current license holders), but it brings some long awaited fixes. The update brings Apple Silicon compatability, working with macOS 10.13 or > only. Works best with macOS 11 or better. The QuickTime libraries have been removed, so you can't import related metadata from QuickTime files. The iSight barcode scanning is 'pared down' (Only working with Apple Silicon?). It's been many years since the last update, so this is a very long awaited development. Hopefully it means that there's more support and releases on the horizon. |
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Bookpedia: Bookpedia is a great little application for cataloging and displaying your book collection(s). It's list of features is impressive, and it keeps getting better with every update. The database is capable of generating statistics, you can keep track of multiple collections, you can easily add titles by typing the name of the author, book, or isbn number. You can scan the barcode (using your iSight camera or a barcode reader) right off the book cover (the application searches the internet, and displays choices). It has customizable HTML export capabilities, a borrowed feature with address book integration, and many more features which make an awesome addition to your software library. I use Bookpedia to generate an HTML listing of my favorite books. The 5.0 upgrade was a paid upgrade/new version of the software (The new version only runs on Intel architecture machines and it requires Leopard or better as an OS). This version has been over a year in the making with lots of changes big and small to make the programs even better. What's new? Lots of new search sites including Wikipedia, Freebase and Doghouse, the Pedias' own media server built by and for Pedia users. New custom fields for broader cataloging options: TV series for DVDpedia, comics for Bookpedia and board games for Gamepedia (I may have to buy a copy now) as well as new custom fields including dedicated date fields, check boxes and multi-value fields. A 10-star rating system with half-stars; click twice on a star to make it a half. Swipe gestures for the CoverFlow and Add/Edit window to move back and forth as well as pinch-to-zoom in the Grid view. A new filter feature for the Details view and Statistics to quickly find entries with that same value. And much, much more. The 6.2.1 upgrade (free to owners of a 6.0+ license) didn't include much in the way of new features, but it does include macOS 10.12+/Monterey updates, bug fixes for online search and an IMDB search update. The 5.0 and later versions of the software are built with an all new (64bit) core, and include many improvements and bug fixes. The code was thoroughly tested for several months. The 5.0+ versions are much faster and more robust, but they kept the same familiar interface. Below are links to some of the pages (the RobsWorld link) I created using this software. A 7.0 update in March of 2024 comes as a bit of surprise (at no cost to current license holders), but it brings some long awaited fixes. The update brings Apple Silicon compatability, working with macOS 10.13 or > only. Works best with macOS 11 or better. The QuickTime libraries have been removed, so you can't import related metadata from QuickTime files. The iSight barcode scanning is 'pared down' (Only working with Apple Silicon?). It's been many years since the last update, so this is a very long awaited development. Hopefully it means that there's more support and releases on the horizon. |
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Logoist: I first purchased Logoist (From Apple's App Store) in January of 2018. Logoist is a Mac OS X application for creating high quality textual graphics, headings, logos, icons, web site elements and buttons. Thanks to its multi layer support (just like Photo Shop and other high end layout applications), creating complex graphics is no sweat. This software allows you to create awsesome title graphics for print or the web. Create catchy headings and other text graphics. Generate attractive buttons and cool titles to make your web site look stylish and professional. Various logos and icons can be easily created to enrich your brochures, flyers and postcards. I've put together a page with a few samples (my own designs). If you'd like to see more samples, you may find the developers website provides more and 'better' examples. Note: The 5.1.1 Update brought 'AI' generated images to the tool (which I haven't tried out yet). Ufortunately, my iMac is not compatible with the VectorAI functionality. Minimum requirements call for a Mac with an 'M' chip, my iMac is built on an Intel processor, not one of the Apple designed 'M' processors. If I had to choose between these two applications (Art Text and Logoist), I would likely choose Logoist. It's a better design tool. It's less buggy than Art Text (version 3 introduced some stability issues), and the interface is easier to use. I stopped updating Art Text on the 1st of May, 2020. Update: As of 04 Dec, 2022. I've upgraded my version of Art Text to version 4 (I'm at version 4.3.1 (1017)) as of 19 Oct, 2023) - In addition to numerous updates since the initial release, they've added animation to the mix, so I'd like to evaluate those new features. |
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Transmit: An FTP tool that does it all. Anyone who publishes web pages eventually needs a way to upload their pages to a web site. I've found that stand alone FTP tools are the best for this task. Transmit has a clean and easy to use interface, and some really nifty features, like the ability to resume a transfer that's been interrupted, advanced site synchronization capabilities (with simulation mode and reporting capabilities), Amazon S3 integration, sync your favorites using Dropbox, drag-to-dock sending, creation / use of transfer droplets, column views, quick navigation side-bar, multi-connection transfers, built in compression, a built in text editor, remote file editing using local editors, and secure transfer (in various different flavors) capabilities. Check out the Panic.com Release Notes for Transmit. |
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Safari: Apple's default web browser for OS X is way ahead of the pack. Apple's browser contains a plethora of incredibly powerful features, and this release moves the browser forwardn for all users of Apple products (Note: Apple made a version of Safari for Windows (ver 5.0 - 5.1.7) from 2010 through 2012). The Safari web browser uses technology developed under the 'WebKit' OpenSource project: <https://webkit.org/project/> Battle of the browsers. Chrome vs FireFox. Those are your choices right? Wrong! Think different! Think Mac! Safari is a fast but full featured browser. It performs like a pro and limits your exposure to nasty tracking tricks. This new version of the browser has a redesigned/modified user interface, designed for use with macOS 12 and iOS/iPadOS 16 (and beyond). It includes new tab groups and a customized sync feature (across Apple devices) and enhanced security features. There are other browsers that have more robust security features, and I have been known to use these other browsers (for various reasons). Some of the other browsers that I use: LibreWolf, Brave, and if I have to (for 'telework' purposes): Edge. The full release version of Safari is a powerful workhorse - Featuring tabbed browsing, URL snap-back, a powerful but elegant bookmark implementation (with built-in import capability), Google, Yahoo and Bing search integration, built-in pop-up blocker, extensive privacy protection, multiple standards (HTML 4.01, HTML 5, XML, XPath, XSLT, XHTML, DOM, CSS, CSS3, ECMA Script, Proxy Support, SSL, TLS, JavaScript, QuickTime, and others plug-ins and extensions (all plug-ins are throughly vetted for security reasons), Built in sandboxing for each tab - If one tab locks up, the entire application doesn't stop working. Top sites - A visual representation of your top visited sites. Safari Reader mode - banish all those annoying sidebars and adds. Expanded support for HTML 5 and the new JavaScript Nitro Engine implementation - Makes Safari the fastest in the pack. Safari 17 introduces numerous new webkit enhancements. Support for new image formats, greater compatability with other browsers, API updates, the ability to convert webpages into apps, improved privacy features, different profiles for users, improved search, password/passkey features, and more. |
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Author: Robert L. Vaessen e-mail:
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