Adobe GoLive 4.0: Good Development

First-Run Foibles

This product has lots of great features, but like most first-run programs, this new Windows version has a few drawbacks. For starters, as a new adoptee into Adobe's software lineup, GoLive has an interface that sports a few idiosyncrasies. Some Adobe users may worry that the program shares little in common with the workings of other Adobe products. And because GoLive's Undo function lets you step back only one move, it can feel somewhat rigid--especially if you have second thoughts about a design move.

Although GoLive's context-sensitive Inspector palette may reduce your need to rummage through menus and dialog boxes, on smaller screens it can block the view of your page, because it always floats on top.

I was also surprised that some common Web objects--most notably Macromedia Shockwave and Flash animations--get little support in GoLive. You can still employ these objects on your site, but GoLive lacks the tools to insert them into your pages, so you'll have to do it manually. Even then, GoLive's preview mode won't display them.

Although the QuickTime editor is a great addition, the lack of support for RealNetworks' streaming media technology is odd, given its widespread popularity, particularly among Windows business users.

But I have confidence that Adobe strategists will refine forthcoming incarnations of GoLive so that it fits more closely with Adobe's flagship apps. Even as it now stands, GoLive provides elegant access to a wide spectrum of sophisticated Web tools and controls--without trading off design flexibility. If you're building a sophisticated site for business, Adobe GoLive is a compelling alternative to Macromedia Dreamweaver.