FrontPage.

FrontPage, CD-ROM, 2003, Microsoft Corporation, $199.

TMR asked a panel of 33 training and education professionals to rate the authoring tools they have used regularly to create instructional content This review summarizes the comments of the panelists who have used this product and presents their average ratings. The 24 products the panel evaluated are included in the forthcoming TMR Report on Leading Authoring Tools, edited by Katica Roy and Deanne Darymple.

Best uses

FrontPage is a powerful website development tool for creating HTML-based instructional content for web delivery. It includes optional themes, templates, wizards, and site navigational tools that assist the rapid development of website content. According to our reviewers:

  FrontPage 2003 can be used to develop a wide range of instructional
  content, from individual HTML pages to complete interactive web sites.

  In the right hands, FrontPage can create a wide array of instructional
  content for the web.

An experienced instructional developer with knowledge of FrontPage could use it to create:

* online tutorials and interactive online job aids

* complete instructional websites

* interactive forms

* discussion forums

* database-driven websites

Downsides

There was some disagreement between reviewers as to the compatibility of the HTML code produced by FrontPage. One reviewer stated:

  Like with most Microsoft products, if your learners will be using a
  variety of web browsers to view and interact with your instruction, it
  may not be wise to build your HTML content in FrontPage, as the code
  it writes may not be compatible with all of the browsers, leading to
  unpredictable results and potential learner frustration.

This user also suggested that "if you have the opportunity to use Dreamweaver over FrontPage, take it."

The other panelist had a different opinion:

  Although some will say the code created by FrontPage is problematic, I
  have been using it since its first release to develop sites that are
  completely cross-platform and multi-browser compatible. As with all
  design programs, the experience of the developer with the program has
  a direct impact on the final result.

FrontPage does have built-in image editing capabilities, but better results can be achieved by using an image editor such as Photoshop or Fireworks.

Something new in the offing 

According to the Microsoft website, FrontPage 2003 is the final release of the current program. The company has announced plans to release a series of programs "partially based on FrontPage technologies" this fall. According to Microsoft, the new website design tool will be called Microsoft Expression Web Designer. A first look at the new program through the previews on the Microsoft website shows a program with similarities to FrontPage but is more capable of creating CSS, XML, XHTML, and DHTML code. The program will have one version for professionals and another for consumers.

FrontPage received an overall rating of 2.5 (actually a 2.75, which we "rounded" down), which makes it an Above Average product. Ease of use received the highest rating, 3.5 or Very Good. As one rater said: "The FrontPage 2003 interface is familiar to Microsoft Office users, which makes the learning curve fairly quick for beginners who have experience in other Office applications." Installation and initial use, and Documentation received the lowest ratings at 2.5 but were still Above Average. Considering the amount of documentation in the program's help files and the online tutorials available on the Microsoft website, this rating could be partially due to the lack of a hardcopy manual shipping with the program.

Recommendation

FrontPage is about to be transformed into something very different. It was a decent basic tool, and more than that in the hands of adept user, but you are wise to wait and see what the new product replacing it can do.

Review by Deanne Dalrymple

Product Ratings

FrontPage

Interface             ***
Ease of use           *** 1/2
Ease of installation  ** 1/2
Documentation         ** 1/2
Value for the money   ** 1/2
Overall rating        ** 1/2