Macromedia Contribute 2

An easy way for novices to update a site.

Price: £93.99

Manufacturer: Macromedia

Ratings

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Verdict

Pros:

Simple to use; Paypal integration.

Cons:
Flash Paper creation restricted to Windows 2000 and XP.

Verdict:
A good business alternative to multiple copies of Dreamweaver.

Nik Rawlinson, Personal Computer World 01 Oct 2003

Macromedia is savvy enough to know that no company can afford Dreamweaver on every desktop. Half the people who tinker with a website don't need to know what goes on behind the scenes, and most developers would rather keep it that way. Contribute hooks up with Dreamweaver-created templates and provides a word-processor interface through which 'content contributors' can add new content to existing sites.

New in this second release is a beefier SFTP connection for secure uploads, better handling of imported Office documents, and a Paypal wizard that allows non-pros to build shopping carts on a corporate site.

This is the first application in which we have seen Flash Paper, a low-grade alternative to Adobe Acrobat. Flash Paper renders anything 'printed' to its rendering driver, or inserted 'as Flash paper', as a zoomable, scrollable Flash file. It's an easy way to retain formatting in a Word document while shrinking down the file size. However, it can be confused by a Powerpoint presentation with transitions. Files can be printed, but there is no option to search them, and as they can only be created under Windows 2000 and XP it won't unseat Adobe yet.

Contribute 2 is subject to product activation, but unlike Microsoft, Macromedia allows two simultaneous installs. It also lets you deactivate at any time, install it somewhere else and reactivate on a new machine.

Contribute 2 builds on a competent offering and, at this price, it's worth the upgrade.

Contact: Macromedia Store 0800 169 8216
www.macromedia.com/uk

System requirements: