ESPIRIDION  I finally got around to building my website, and I'm very pleased with the process as well as the results.

I had done the tutorials, but maybe a year ago so this was like starting from scratch.

In a matter of minutes I had the foundation for my website. In a matter of a few hours -spread across 2 days- my website was completed. I guess actual work in Freeway took less than 5 or 6 hours.

My website has:

-Perfectly aligned images and text.

-Rollover menus.

-CSS Menus.

-Contact form with anti-spam measures.

-PayPal button.

-YouTube video.

-Around 100 pages of content.

I may buy Forms To Go in the future, but everything I did was without any additional expenses.

Negatives:

-There is an Undo function, but as MEMPHISBIRD mentioned there's no multiple Undo. I simply made a copy of my work before making any drastic changes. If anything went wrong, I could use my copy. Nothing went wrong, though.

-Using the Sleek theme, when moving a menu item in the Master Page and returning it to the same position, 2 of the items would appear in wrong places. To edit those menus I had to use the Bring to Front/Send to back options, to avoid any movement.

-Freeway crashed once.

I also have RapidWeaver 4.3, but prefer Freeway. I may use Sandvox in the future just to try the most recent version, but so far I'm very pleased with Freeway Pro.  
(Version 5.4.2)

JOHN MALIS  Thank you for making such a great web tool. This is much better then any other I previously used.

Worth the price !!  
(Version 5.4.2)

BDKENNEDY1  I've been using FW Pro for 6 months and there is plenty, PLENTY of room for improvement.

While it's the best WYSIWYG web building software for the Mac (haven't tried Goldfish yet) the interface is clunky and unintuitive. Many user interface elements don't make sense such as how menu items are grouped, populating lists in a drop down box, including PHP files and I've spent hours upon hours trying to figure things out such as adding a form or editing the header.

Placing objects that must be aligned perfectly is difficult between the Master page and individual pages and sometimes FW doesn't update the changes between the two, causing me to just give up on what the problem was instead or wasting anymore time and start the whole site over again.

My biggest problem is how it handles your graphic files. Under certain situations when you have a graphic on your Master page, FW will import the same graphic for as many individual pages you have. That means when you build your site it will include the same file several times into the build, causing your FW file to balloon in size and then it takes 10 times longer to build.

The GUI is clunky and looks and feels like it was ported over from the OS 9 days even though it wasn't. It suffers from redraw problems and overall the program should probably be rewritten from scratch.

I got my site finished and doing what I want it do do eventually, but I still keep a lookout for something better. This program has been around long enough where it should be trim, tight and intuitive.  
(Version 5.3.1)

JAN13  This exiting software for development of visually stunning web pages is definitely for our design group a grizzly-discovery ! Till today we been using GoLive and of course Dreamweaver but this Freeway Pro 5 is about something else ....

Easy to use and being taken away be creative spirit definitely shows ...

The only thing which we do consider as big problem is PayPal incorporation .... Otherwise this software rocks !!!

Paypal incorporation trough plug-in or even as build-in as feature will put this app., head on with some high ranking softwares which are on market today.  
(Version 5.3)

M-RICK  Just can't import HTML correctly ! While simple softwares like Coda or Flux can open and render the HTML pages corectly ! How come if I have to redraw all the sites every time if I want to switch to Freeway ???

So I will not use, I don't have hundred hours to be loosen to redraw everything just to make them compatible with a web designing software that even can't open correctly an HTML file ...  
(Version 5.2.1)

PRLAB  I've used Freeway for at least four years. Always updated, always responsive. But why is there always a full install for each upgrade? The one thing that would make this (for me) a great tool would be automatic blogging setup, so I don't have to use Rapid Weaver. I've suggested it to them, and they're looking at it.  
(Version 5.2.1)

ABNORMAL  I have to agree with FOCUSSTUDIO. I have tried DreamWeaver and I have written my own code. Nothing comes close to Freeway when it comes to publishing professional, original sites painlessly. I use RapidWeaver for my blog, but I can't imagine using it for a website - especially one that I expect to get paid for designing.   
(Version 5.2)

FOCUSSTUDIO  I have used this application on a number of extensive projects since v.3.5. It is an easy professional tool that keeps getting better, offers fast responses and solutions to evolving web standards, and produces dependable results across all browsers.

Comparing Freeway Pro to RapidWeaver or iWeb is like asking why you should travel around the world when "you can see it all in Las Vegas" !

.. and no, I do not work for these guys, but let's get real !  
(Version 5.2)

CROBERTS  After several months of using this program, I decided to ditch in favor of RapidWeaver 4 and CSSEdit.

While these programs are probably not as powerful or professional as FW Pro, the program simply doesn't work for me, particularly its interface. I really had to struggle through the poorly-written tutorials for FW, and it was a long time before I felt confident trying much of anything. I also really hated the awful resolution in editing mode.

With RapidWeaver, it's much easier to get started (like in a day), and the far-superior tutorials for their Theme SDK make it much easier to develop custom style sheets - at least for me.

I have some but not a huge amount of DTP experience, but found that the scattered interface of FW didn't really help me much when it came to finding a logical workflow for getting things done.

Overall, I think the DTP paradigm for web design may have seen better days, and I'm actually enjoying web page design rather than dreading it now that I've switched to RapidWeaver.

Perhaps some day when I'm more a power designer I may come back to Freeway, but even then it's overall layout paradigm seems a thing of the past.  
(Version 5.1.3)

DANA SUTTON  There is room in the Mac world for a wysiwyg Web page creation program that is cheaper than Dreamweaver, has an easier learning curve, and is a LOT less buggy. Such a program would stand in about the same relation to Dreamweaver as Pages does to MS Word. But l you can get the entire iWorks suite for approx. a hundred bucks, which places it in reach of "the rest of us." But look at the high price of Freeway Pro. Surely this is a case of developer's self-foot-shoot. A lot of potential customers probably conclude "ah heck, I might as well put another hundred bucks on top of this and go for Dreamweaver." How clear are the developers about what market they're aiming their product at? Greedy, greedy.  
(Version 5.0.2)

ESPIRIDION  A few questions for Ian (SOFTPRESS SYSTEMS).

Is the upgrade from Freeway 4 Pro to Freeway 5 Pro $99? Am I reading this correctly? And this is the same upgrade price for 3.5 users?

http://www.softpress.com/store/pricelist.php

I just want to understand this upgrade policy. Maybe it will be better for me to use 4 Pro which I recently purchased, and wait for an eventual version 6 or 7 release. And then decide whether to stay with Freeway or look elsewhere.

If I'm understanding this correctly, then for me it was a mistake to purchase Freeway 4 Pro, and maybe it was a bigger mistake to recommend it so much.

Of course, at the time of my purchase there was not even a hint that version 5 was coming out.

So, am I understanding this upgrade correctly? Is this the way "Softpress does takes care of its users"?

Thanks in advance for your reply.  
(Version 5.0p2)

DOKODEMO  I didn't buy this during the promo because I have been an owner of Freeway Pro since version 3. However I do want to mention that I was disappointed that when I upgraded to an intel imac and transferred all my apps that Freeway Pro 3 wouldn't run at all on an intel, so it was a forced upgrade. In fact Freeway Pro was the only one of my pro-apps that wouldn't run or didn't have a patch for intel machines. After months of irritation at having a totally useless piece of expensive software on my HD I finally coughed up the money to upgrade to 4. I think it would have been more palatable if the upgrade was more like $50.00 than $99.00.  
(Version 5.0p1)

SOFTPRESS SYSTEMS  Softpress is a company that develops, markets and sells the Freeway family of products. We aim to provide excellent technical support and customer service. We also listen to our users.

Softpress is not, and has never been, a company known for “gouging” our users. Our prices for new software are well below what would be expected for the quality of our products and services. We do not regularly demand money for upgrades (like many in the industry). We do however maintain our software and offer free upgrades to sustain older versions of Freeway for extended life spans, as early adopters of both Freeway 3 and Freeway 4 can attest.

Last week, to coincide with Macworld and to get feedback from our users, we launched a Beta version of Freeway 5. In conjunction, we are now offering a free upgrade to 5 for all users that purchase after January 1st, 2008. We’re very excited about the new features, and we’re sure you will be too.

Some users who purchased Freeway in the last few months of 2007, including those who have commented here, have expressed their view that we had somehow tricked them into buying when we knew a new version was on the way. People that purchased here at macZOT! got Freeway at 60% off the retail price, which is even lower than our regular upgrade pricing from 3 to 4.

Freeway 5 will not be released until at least March, and that would backdate the free upgrades on release to a minimum of two months, which we believe is fair. Those who have complained, seek to penalize us for offering our existing and potential users a “sneak peek” at our new software, which makes it difficult to receive and apply the feedback we need.

Freeway 5 is not yet ready and not for sale. When it is, it will be a wonderful tool for home users and professionals alike. It will empower users and save their precious time. It will be solid and fully-featured, in part because of the users’ opportunity to test it and offer feedback.

There will be an announcement about upgrades from version 4 to 5, probably around the release of the second beta. Again, you will see that Softpress does takes care of its users. Until then, please feel encouraged to use the Freeway 5 Beta, enjoy it and let us know what you think.

Ian Schray

US Marketing Manager

Softpress Systems Ltd

http://www.softpress.com  
(Version 5.0p1)

ESPIRIDION  I agree with GRYPHONENT.

I purchased my copy about 6 weeks ago. I'm definitely not paying for an upgrade at this point. I would be very disappointed with SoftPress if they don't come up with a sensible upgrade option for recent purchasers.  
(Version 5.0p1)

GRYPHONENT  Great, I purchased FreewayPro on 19-Dec-07 and only three weeks later they release version 5, allowing only customers who purchased AFTER 1-Jan-08 a free upgrade. It's business practices like these that put software companies like Softpress on my blacklist. Surely somebody at the company must have known about this and could have issued some form of statement 2-3 months in advance. That's called best practice and customer service.  
(Version 5.0p1)

TFINDLAY  This product is solid and powerful. I have been using it for several years and am a very satisfied customer. It just keeps getting better and better. Support is timely and reliable. More actions are being developed all the time which make for a continually expanding feature set. There is also a very helpful and active community of Freeway users who are always there to lend their expertise.   
(Version 4.4.1)

WHAT THE?  this application rocks. With support from other 'onto it' users and support from Softpress. With developers writing Actions for it, a lot free some commercial.... this is a great applicaton for making great websites.

******  
(Version 4.3.3)

FRODO_LIFE  Freeway 4.1.2 is everything but Flawless.

I’m a freeway user for several years and FW 4 is the worst pieces of software I have seen been released by any software developer. It is ridden with bugs and inconsistencies and very unstable.

And this all after taking 3 years time to develop version 4

Ridicules

wait for version 4.9 ot buy version 3.5 which was excellent for the time.  
(Version 4.1.2)

MACERICG  For us "older boys" who got on board with the desktop publishing revolution in the late 80's, but left school (and extra free time) long behind when the internet exploded, Freeway is a godsend.

Granted, I could learn HTML and buy a copy of Dreamweaver, but right now my QuarkXPress skills are 80% of what I need to run Freeway and build wonderful websites. It works just like a page layout application, and it is sophisticated in terms of the technologies it supports.

Add to that that this program is more compatible with native Adobe file formats than GoLive and Dreamweaver, and you'll see why many people believe it is well worth consideration.

And besides, the whole "learn HTML" argument is really getting old. It harkens back to the time when Mac users would get grief about not having command lines in their OS like DOS. The Mac is all about ease of use, and spending time designing rather than technical operations. Freeway follows the Macintosh concept wonderfully.  
(Version 4.1.2)

MACSTERDAM  Another great update. Absolutely flawless. If you want a true WYSIWYG webdesign program, this is the one to get. Webdesign the Mac way. Fantastic support too!  
(Version 4.1.2)

VASILIS  They should replace the Pro with Amateur. If you look at the code of their own site you'll see why. Table layout, no separation of markup, style and behaviour whatsoever. If build sites with this app you rip off your customers.

For less than half the price of this app you have a great text editor, a good book about structured markup, a good book about css and a good book about JavaScript. That's a good investment.  
(Version 4.1.1)

MARC NOTHROP  FYI as of 4.1, the Freeways are universal.  
(Version 4.1)

TIM27  If you're going to spend as much money as this, then you might as well purchase either GoLive or Dreamweaver and get more features and better CSS support.  
(Version 4.0.4)

ANONYMOUS  In Spite of the "pro" tag, if you're planning to develop xhtml/css sites, it's likely you'll balk at the inline styles that Freeway creates off the shelf. My testing was too limited to check wether or not it could actually produce correct external stylesheets, so i won't press the point, but i'm really wondering if the comparison with Desktop publishing tools has any meaning beyond marketing aimed at folks who would never want to look at code with a six ft pole.

I guess if you want to create pro sites the best solution is still a text editor... Much less hair-tearing than with wysiwyg tools (and that's including the forthcoming Drreamweaver 8)  
(Version 4.0b)

MACSTERDAM  At last, the long awaited Freeway 4. This preview is an absolute teaser. Great new interface, stunning new features, deceivingly simple yet extremely powerful. All the long awaited new features are here. Thank yo, thank you, thank you. Can't wait for the final release. It has to be said that this preview is somewhat crash-prone but that's what previews are for. I for one am absolutely happy with this release!   
(Version 4.0b)

ANONYMOUS  Certainly a good application for those that need the basics without any hassle, but it certainly is not worth 249 bucks. More like 30 at the most.  
(Version 3.5.12)

T  Good app. Been using Freeway ever since I got a free version with a magazine, back when I ran Mac OS 8. Current version is still good but needs an update soon to make it more Mac OS X-like. I know the company still has a lot of OS 9 users out there and they want to keep compatibility. But it would be nice if the app went Cocoa and made use of some advenced Mac OS X features. Still, this is the only non-techie website design tool for the Mac platform and it does so very Mac-like. I love it because I can get the work done. While I applaud webdesigners who can make those very slick websites using those industry standard webdesign apps, I'm not one of those persons who is comfortable with those tools. I am creative, but just not very technical. I like tools that keep it simple for my mind, but it does mean that I am unable to deliver the fancy stuff. There are lots of persons like me, I believe, who need a DTP-style website design tool. True, this app can't let you get into the gut of the beast, the html code, but some people don't want to. For those people, this app is your only choice. For others who need real coding, just walk away.  
(Version 3.5.12)

ANONYMOUS  Crap. Well not crap persay. But could stand for a little update. I mean shesh some real CSS support like NOT sticking all of the css into the htmlso pages load much faster and use the same style sheet. And maybe a little cocoa for all of the basic stuff like fonts and color.

It is good, but it needed an update a year ago.  
(Version 3.5.12)

ANONYMOUS  3.5.12 is the latest version, but is not a new version! I have been using it after purchasing it mid October 2004.  
(Version 3.5.12)

MACSTERDAM  Can anyone tell me what's new about this? This has been out for some time now! Otherwise a totally brilliant piece of webdesign software.  
(Version 3.5.12)

WINCO  Fan-bloody-tastic! What a great application, especially for those of us who are not at all technically literate and need a 'click-and-point' solution. It's actually fun to use this and see your website develop before your eyes. I say "click-and-point", but it's much more clever than that. It's a WYSIWYG DTP product. Then converts to HTML. It does not take very long to get up and running producing your own website. The instructions are okay. Could do with improvement. Well done to the development team for creating this. Their online Knowledgebase is good too. Trial it. Go on. You will buy it for sure.  
(Version 3.5.6)

µø˜˚´¥  A thousand buttons, a half-dozen functions. No html view. Lousy import of existing pages.

My advise is to use Mozilla and Taco (both free) or, if you must use a "pro" WYSIWYG , make the jump to Dreamweaver. This thing is all bells and whistles.  
(Version 3.5.6)

MICHAEL MCMILLAN  Freeway is a wonderful application which anyone interested in web design should have. It uses an intuitive DTP-type approach to let you concentrate on the content and appearance of your site and when you are happy, Freeway builds the HTML code for you, and can even manage uploading your pages to your site, only changing those which have been modified.

The feature list is large and all are useful and powerful. Infact, Freeway comes in two versions, Express and Pro. Naturally Express has a reduced feature set but even then it is a hugely powerful piece of software - my biggest reservation with Express is that it is TOO cheap, by which I mean people might assume it must be less powerful than it is to be released at such a reasonable price! Pro has the complete set of features and is exactly what it says - a professional grade app - but is still accessible "for the rest of us."

Freeway is exactly what Macs are all about - a pleasing, rewarding end-user experience that lets you achieve the highest quality results. Add to that customer service which is, without a word of exaggeration, second to none and you have a package which I cannot recommend enough.  
(Version 3.5.6)

EDGAR JUNIOR  Freeway is the best piece of software for building web sites.Be sure.  
(Version 3.5.6)

NCIANCA  Inconsistent use of keys, such as control to zoom (instead of contextual menu). No way to view/edit the html for the page. Switching between tabs looses the postion on the page you are editing. Very modal when setting up items, such as a list for a menu. Menu items are enable for things that can't be applied to the currently selected object. I could go on.... I feel that this product falls short for web developers and might just be to complex for non-developers, for whom a tool like Create might be better. This tool has potential, but the lack of an html editor for the document (not just snippets) is a big missing piece.  
(Version 3.5.6)

AVI COHEN  simply the best tool  
(Version )