Wow, iWeb 09 sucks, am I the last to realise this?

[Ramius]

So I´ve had my Macbook for a little over a year, and I still discover new things about it. Yesterday I thought I should check out iWeb09.

I thought that hopefully a company like Apple was able to create a good program for making websites. I myself run two websites I´ve created with Wordpress, and more and more I like these template-based sitekits.

But holy hell! What a crappy piece of software. Is there something I´m not getting here? Something I don´t understand?

Theres not much you can change about those themes. The input for new posts in blog is RIDICILOUS (typed right?) and the options are extremely limited.

Basically it just throws a some posters in your face, and lets you edit the text. Posters that arent really competeting with the minemalistic approach that the internet is taking in designs.

Shouldnt Apple be ashamed about this? Is there any good interviews with the creators of iWeb? Has nobody confronted these people? No good journalists?

 

[maflynn]

Mostly because many people actually like iWeb.

What are you trying to do with it? Just ranting about how it sucks fails to convey your specific complaints.

iWeb is a simple application that allows users to create fairly simple but yet very nice looking web sites. Its quite integrated to other apple technologies making the building process very easy, i.e., easily integrate iPhoto images into your site.

If you're looking for something that's more flexible and powerful, then drive rapidweaver or even dreamweaver. Better yet based on your rants, perhaps Coda would be a better fit as you can hand code your sites just the way you want them too.

Just because iWeb fails to provide the tools you want it too, or have the flexibility you wished doesn't make it a POS. In fact its quite a popular application and many people I know use and like it, so there's no need for them to rant to apple about how bad it is. Its quite inline with apple's philosophy of providing easy to use but polished applications.

 

[Hmac]

I like iWeb 09. I maintain two websites (pretty casual) and it meets my needs completely. I especially appreciate the ease with which I can update the sites, one click from within the program.

If I needed more power, I'd go a different route, but I think it's a great program for the casual would-be website designer.

 

[aristobrat]

Basically it just throws a some posters in your face, and lets you edit the text. Posters that arent really competeting with the minemalistic approach that the internet is taking in designs.

Exactly!

IMO, the basic gist behind iWeb is to easily allow people that know nothing about website publishing/templates/WordPress to easily their own site by just dragging media from iMovie/iPhoto into predesigned templates ("posters"), editing a few things, and then clicking the Publish button.

If you don't like the pre-designed templates, start with a blank page. Nothing's more minimalistic than that.

 

[Ramius]

WOW. Talk about a bunch of fanboys.
I wouldnt even think users on here would be so ignorant to the crappyness of this program. I was wrong.

The reality is, that these kinds of programs fools users into thinking what they are doing is web development. And with the Apple logo underneath all sites, they think that the designs are modern and considered highly of.

You are simply fooled by these programs. Countless reviewers have dissed this program, and not without reason.

For users who want to create a website quickly, Wordpress and blogger are ten times better options. This cant compare to nothing. This is dirtware.

And who said anything about iLife having to be simple and produce unproffesional results?

Compared to iPhoto or iMovie, the potential is far inferior in iweb. In iMovie, with some dedication, you can produce movies with great results.

 

[aristobrat]

For users who want to create a website quickly, Wordpress and blogger are ten times better options. This cant compare to nothing. This is dirtware.

IMO, Blogger and Wordpress are aimed at entirely different type of user than iWeb is. If you don't agree with that fine, .. doesn't make someone a fanboy for having an opinion that's different than yours.

And I doubt you'll find anyone here that thinks iWeb is the best HTML editor for the Mac, or hasn't seen some user that's created a monstrosity of a website in iWeb. The point is, it's a USEFUL program for a certain type of user. And some users go freaking nuts with it. And some don't.

And who said anything about iLife having to be simple and produce unproffesional results?

Again, New Site > White > Blank.

Doesn't start any more minimalistic, simple, or unprofessional than that. Clean, white page. Not even a freaking Apple logo. Believe it or not, not every Apple user wants a CMS with threaded comments for their website.

 

[Hmac]

Really looking forward to iLife10. I'm hoping for some more cool templates for my websites so that I'll be able to start a high-level web development company.

I don't know why people think web creation is so hard. It takes me about 20 minutes to get a very cool site put together with iWeb.

 

[anjonjp]

WOW. Talk about a bunch of fanboys.
I wouldnt even think users on here would be so ignorant to the crappyness of this program. I was wrong.

I am one of the first to criticise Apple when I feel that is appropriate. Check out my other posts and you will see that. However, in the case of iWeb, I feel that you are unnecessarily over critical. I quite like the ease with which I am able to create websites with this software and am certainly under no impression that what I am doing is web development. Neither am I under the impression that this is the best web creating software out there. iWeb is well designed and more than adequate a level for it to be part of a group of software entitled 'iLife'. I stress iLife not iWork.

 

[iBunny]

I use dreamweaver for something much more flexible and powerful.

That being said, iWeb rocks. It has allowed my wife (like most Mac users), who know nothing about computers, to easily create a fast, nice looking Web site.

My wife does not have the ability, time or paitence to learn HTML, much less design a nice looking Web Page. So iWeb rules for what its purpose is

 

[glasscity]

I believe you've missed the point that people are trying to get across. It may be a horrible little program for what you and many other people want to do with it, but for those that don't know much of anything about websites, but they would like the satisfaction of building one themselves, it works, and it works well for them.

It's not made for you.

 

[vistadude]

This thread is hilarious. The 2 posts above mine got it right.

So I´ve had my Macbook for a little over a year, and I still discover new things about it. Yesterday I thought I should check out iWeb09.

I thought that hopefully a company like Apple was able to create a good program for making websites. I myself run two websites I´ve created with Wordpress, and more and more I like these template-based sitekits.

But holy hell! What a crappy piece of software. Is there something I´m not getting here? Something I don´t understand?

Theres not much you can change about those themes. The input for new posts in blog is RIDICILOUS (typed right?) and the options are extremely limited.

Basically it just throws a some posters in your face, and lets you edit the text. Posters that arent really competeting with the minemalistic approach that the internet is taking in designs.

Shouldnt Apple be ashamed about this? Is there any good interviews with the creators of iWeb? Has nobody confronted these people? No good journalists?

 

[Punker]

iWeb is great for people who have no clue (mostly) about web design, web development, programming. If you need more options, use a CMS (joomla, drupal, wordpress, etc.) or get Dreamweaver and build your own website.

Its like complaining because notepad is too simple. There is a reason for that.. If it doesn't fit your needs, go for Ms Word or another one.

 

[maflynn]

WOW. Talk about a bunch of fanboys.
I wouldnt even think users on here would be so ignorant to the crappyness of this program. I was wrong.

And you're a troll

Seriously just because it doesn't fit your needs does make it a POS. People like it and use it. iWeb fits apple's model of easy, simple applications for the user. You want something that's more flexible and powerful find another tool because iWeb was never designed for anything but making simple static web pages.

 

[Ramius]

IMO, Blogger and Wordpress are aimed at entirely different type of user than iWeb is.

Great point! But unfortunatly, this is not the _right_ user to target with such a program.

This is a minority-user compared to those using CMS services like Wordpress. Apple are fools not realising this.

Yes you can create websites with ease, but guess what - you can with Frontpage 98 too.

Apple has never treated their users as idiots. You guys are saying its created for people with no clue at all, but what Apple are doing is to decieve these users from the real trends of the internet. Everyone is doing something else and Apple is on the other side, banging this old drum with iWeb.

iPhoto and iMovie do not treat users as idiots. Even professional photographers (like myself) can accomplish advanced and professional tasks in iPhoto, the same way you can do it in Photoshop. If im gonna make a simple news report in video, I can do this highly professional job, with ease in iMovie. All while using the same techiques as its done in the business currently.

But with iWeb? You´re being left outside in the rain. It SHOULD be CMS-based.

Apple should have created iWeb as a tool full of templates, with easy access functions to personalise the design. Lets face it, creating your own theme in Wordpress is not so easy as it could be. This is THE hole in the CMS-business that Apple should have filled with iWeb. Being an offline program.

 

[jonbravo77]

iWeb is a great tool to create small professional looking websites. If you don't like it use something else. I've used Frontpage up to the 2003 release and that is a very good program, but for those who want a easy to use tool iWeb is perfect.

And thanks for assuming that those who use iWeb and like it are ignorant.

 

[MrBrekke]

Great point! But unfortunatly, this is not the _right_ user to target with such a program.

This is a minority-user compared to those using CMS services like Wordpress. Apple are fools not realising this.

Yes you can create websites with ease, but guess what - you can with Frontpage 98 too.

Apple has never treated their users as idiots. You guys are saying its created for people with no clue at all, but what Apple are doing is to decieve these users from the real trends of the internet. Everyone is doing something else and Apple is on the other side, banging this old drum with iWeb.

iPhoto and iMovie do not treat users as idiots. Even professional photographers (like myself) can accomplish advanced and professional tasks in iPhoto, the same way you can do it in Photoshop. If im gonna make a simple news report in video, I can do this highly professional job, with ease in iMovie. All while using the same techiques as its done in the business currently.

But with iWeb? You´re being left outside in the rain. It SHOULD be CMS-based.

Apple should have created iWeb as a tool full of templates, with easy access functions to personalise the design. Lets face it, creating your own theme in Wordpress is not so easy as it could be. This is THE hole in the CMS-business that Apple should have filled with iWeb. Being an offline program.

iWeb is easy to use and give most of the users what they want and need.

I like it but i can not use it for most of the pages i create. that is why i use a css/html editor for serious work. iWeb is for home use and is not intended for professionals doing web site creation for a living.

but hey iWeb works great. just the other day i put together a site just to try.
i even put it on one of my spare domains just to test it. if anyone is interested here it is http://ccgirl.tv

you need to stop complaining and realize that it is not a pro app.

 

[vansouza]

As for me, a total not tech not webby kind of guy, iWeb saved my bacon... and helped me to create my lover' site... www.usheroes.us... with out it there would be no site... period... but as I said consider the fact that the site is not a complex web destination... just a big thank you to the Troops...

 

[chill.]

wordpress is to iweb as drupal/joomla is to wordpress, if you want a real cms you should look at drupal. each has its own target audience

 

[TheQuestion]

Great point! But unfortunatly, this is not the _right_ user to target with such a program.

This is a minority-user compared to those using CMS services like Wordpress. Apple are fools not realising this.

Yes you can create websites with ease, but guess what - you can with Frontpage 98 too.

Apple has never treated their users as idiots. You guys are saying its created for people with no clue at all, but what Apple are doing is to decieve these users from the real trends of the internet. Everyone is doing something else and Apple is on the other side, banging this old drum with iWeb.

iPhoto and iMovie do not treat users as idiots. Even professional photographers (like myself) can accomplish advanced and professional tasks in iPhoto, the same way you can do it in Photoshop. If im gonna make a simple news report in video, I can do this highly professional job, with ease in iMovie. All while using the same techiques as its done in the business currently.

But with iWeb? You´re being left outside in the rain. It SHOULD be CMS-based.

Apple should have created iWeb as a tool full of templates, with easy access functions to personalise the design. Lets face it, creating your own theme in Wordpress is not so easy as it could be. This is THE hole in the CMS-business that Apple should have filled with iWeb. Being an offline program.

The average web user and pretty much the average mac-user has no clue what CMS is. They just "want it to work". Apple can do that easier with iWeb's approach than the direction you are suggesting. It is Frontpage, but with an Apple-ized twist. Just like Pages is Word with an Apple-ized twist. Why would Apple do anything more for an entry-level application?

 

[Hmac]

The average web user and pretty much the average mac-user has no clue what CMS is. They just "want it to work". Apple can do that easier with iWeb's approach than the direction you are suggesting. It is Frontpage, but with an Apple-ized twist. Just like Pages is Word with an Apple-ized twist. Why would Apple do anything more for an entry-level application?

Why would the average guy need or want anything more than a simple, drag-and-drop application?

 

[Yamcha]

I have to agree, but I think iWeb is essentially for noobs only, but its pretty much useless if you want to use it to code a website..

 

[Hmac]

I have to agree, but I think iWeb is essentially for noobs only, but its pretty much useless if you want to use it to code a website..

Yes, it's designed for noobs who don't give a flying (rip) about coding a website and have no need to.

iWeb is a quick, simple, and cheap way for Joe Consumer who knows absolutely nothing about coding, and has ZERO desire to learn it, to get a very nice looking website up on his server space literally in an hour or so. It works extremely well for noobs looking at noob websites...and that is the nature of the internet.

 

[Darth.Titan]

wordpress is to iweb as drupal/joomla is to wordpress, if you want a real cms you should look at drupal. each has its own target audience

That analogy makes no sense whatsoever.

 

[chill.]

That analogy makes no sense whatsoever.

how? the analogy is one of scope big to small, wordpress for bloggers (small scope) to iweb for simple personalized websites (smaller scope), drupal for heavy duty cms (large scope) to wordpress for bloogers (small scope)