• Recommend:
• 0 Comments

Homestead Broadens Horizons

Free Web site builder extends support for browsers that can't use Java.

By Glenn McDonald, PCWorld   

In an effort to broaden the reach of its Web page creation service, Homestead Technologies Wednesday launched the beta version of its new Homestead Express editor.

Homestead Express is a Web page editor that requires no downloads or software to install. Like its more powerful older sibling, the existing Java-based Homestead Editor, Express uses a template process for creating personal or group Web pages on-the-fly. But because it eschews Java, Express can be worked through a variety of browsers that don't support the technology.

"We wanted to open up the Homestead service to more people, and the Express editor is a good way to do that," said Homestead founder and Chief Executive Officer Justin Kitch. "WebTV doesn't support Java, and AOL users have to install IE4 or Navigator 4 to use the current Homestead service, which is kind of a pain. But now, users can just go with their default setup to use Homestead."

Homestead Express supports America Online's browser, WebTV, and older versions of Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Both Homestead Express and Homestead Editor use an easy drag-and-drop process for assembling Web pages. In our testing of Homestead Editor a few months back, we found that the service compared favorably with similar offerings from sites such as GeoCities and AngelFire, as well as the new generation of community-building initiatives from heavyweights such as Excite and Yahoo.

Both editors can be used to add collaborative elements to a Web page, such as message boards and e-mail--useful for small workgroups that need to communicate remotely. Homestead gives the initial builder of a page the power to grant individual access rights to any other members. In addition, pages can be private (password-protected) or listed publicly in the Homestead Directory.

Each member of a Homestead can use either the Java-based Homestead Editor or the Express editor, Kitch said. So if your group includes Mac, UNIX, and PC users, as well as WebTV and AOL members, everyone can access the same Homestead seamlessly.

Homestead is also unique in its lack of advertisements, banner or otherwise. Kitch said Homestead's revenue model consists of various elements--including the eventual introduction of fee-based premium service--but that the current no-ads service will always be available.

Homestead Wednesday also announced separate partnerships with Deja News, the Web-based Usenet reader, and CollegeBeat, a network of online services aimed at the college crowd. Users of either of those services will be able to create customized Homestead pages through the respective sites. In addition, current users of Homestead can now incorporate Deja News searches directly into their existing pages. This function is not yet available in the Express beta, but Homestead plans to offer it within a few months, Kitch said.