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Summary: Compared at Borders
Review: ... I am an experienced website designer but I've been using Homesite editor and want to ramp up quickly in Dreamweaver MX. I've opened and tried using Dreamweaver before, but I didn't like the interface. Now I know I have to tackle it ..."Dreamweaver MX Unleashed" seemed to cover the basics, if you are already familiar with web design. This is not a beginners book. Half the book is more advanced and gets into programming. I think I saw some .NET stuff in there. I would consider it after being more comfortable with Dreamweaver and also wanting to advance beyond design into web development... So, "Hands On Training" (H.O.T.) is the book I'm buying today. .. It comes with a CD which says it contains the software (I have no idea if it is a trial version or if you have to buy a license, or what). The CD also contains other helpful files, including some training videos you can watch on your computer--they said they included these little videos for some of the concepts/tasks that are harder to explain in print. And, one of the things that sold me was in comparing the first chapter. There is a little bit of hand-holding, but immediately I saw the value in that. H.O.T. pointed out that when you open Dreamweaver for the first time, you are asked to choose one of three interface layouts, one of which is similar to Homesite (perfect for me). I would not have known that if I had bought the "Visual QuickStart Guide" because the reference to this feature was much more obscure. I figure there must be more good tips that H.O.T. will give me up front, instead of me digging for them or being completely unaware.
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Summary: New to Dreamweaver? Start Here!
Review: As someone who is highly computer savy but new to Dreamweaver, I found this book very helpful in giving me a foundation and skill set to use this software. At times it seemed like it was written specially for me - right when I was about to skip ahead came a paragraph stopping me from doing so and urging me to stay with the program! I powered through the book from cover to cover in 3 days and since have built 3 sites. As a reference guide it's not the best (I'd recommend Dreamweaver MX Bible for that), but for a practical introduction to getting up and going it would be tought to beat this book!
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Summary: Excellent Introduction in Plain English - Very Detailed.
Review: As the name indicates, this is truly a 'Hands-On Training' book. The writing style of the book is focused on explaining how to perform various actions and accomplish the desired results using the step by step illustrations. It is a simple, clear, and fairly complete introduction to using Dreamweaver MX for creating stellar websites. If you are used to an abstract discussion of a topic, you will NOT find it here and may be very frustrated by the lack of defined principles to teaching Dreamweaver MX. One simple example of this problem is with the discussion of Absolute and Relative Links. If you are trying to understand the definitions, advantages/disadvantages, and usage at first glance, you will be disappointed with the exercise style format. It will take a couple of readings to glean that type of information from the book. Throughout the book, every topic starts out by giving you the details of different results and ways to accomplishing them. It is up to you to figure out the principles behind Dreamweaver MX (if you are interested in that sort of thing). The book does clearly indicate in the title and in the introductory pages that it was NOT written for technical folks or programmers, but for non-technical/non-programmer audience. If you meet the criteria for the intended audience, this is just an absolutely fantastic book to get you started with Web Design using Dreamweaver MX. You do not need to master HTML to use Dreamweaver MX and hence the book doesn't try to teach you HTML. The book is a bit on the pricey side but well worth the investment. The book comes with a CD-ROM that has 30 day trial versions of Dreamweaver MX, Fireworks MX. It is helpful for those with dial-up connections to have the software on CD-ROM to avoid long download times. The CD-ROM also comes with the exercise files which are very valuable for practice. Though you could very easily use any site on the Web for practicing the various concepts, it is easy to just use the examples from the book to stay with the Author's explanation. The paper quality and page layout is very pleasing throughout the book. Sometimes, the wrong kind of paper can discourage frequent use of a book. This book does not suffer from that problem. The entire book is in black and white though and there are no color images anywhere in the book. The only color you will see is on the cover of the book. This hasn't been a problem for me yet. I would imagine this could be a problem for similar book on Fireworks MX or Flash MX that are more graphic intensive. What really stands out about the book is the thorough coverage of almost everything that is involved in using Dreamweaver MX. And you don't even have to be a programmer! No wonder this almost 700 page book has such a good sales rank at Amazon.com. There are other really good books on the topic so do check out the others before deciding on this pricier choice. I hope you enjoy the book as much I do.
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Summary: WOW! This book is more than AWESOME!
Review: Based on other reviews I decided to buy this book, and it turned out to be THE book you want to buy for Dreamweaver MX. It explains everything step-by-step with lots of helpful illustrations; I haven't found a single mistake and/or typo. A huge compliment to Garo Green and Abigail Rudner. 6 STARS!!!
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Summary: This book is definitely HOT!
Review: Before I started this book, I knew very little about DW MX. After reading this book, I was competent at making professional websites with DW MX. Lynda Weinman deserves all the praise she can get for a job very well done in putting this book together. After every exercise you've acomplished knowing how to perform another task with DW. I look forword to learning about Flash now with my Flash MX 2004 HOT book!
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Summary: Excellant way to learn dreamweaver.
Review: Dreamweaver in itself is an excellant program with a user friendly interface but to learn this program fast with excellant ahnds on tutorials, this book is what you need.
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Summary: Not just using Dreamweaver MX, but using it well!
Review: Dreamweaver is one of those funny products, in that it is so simple to use that in some respects you would think that no book is necessary to be a "pro". I'm a web developer, and to be honest I'm not quite sure how I got along before without having read this book. There are so many tips and tricks, and the fact that it is written in a down to earth and even in some parts witty nature makes it all the more enjoyable read. Most computer books are dry and boring, and don't really motivate you to learn. On the contrary, this book is written by teachers who motivate you, and pull you in, and get you involved in the learning process. This book truley is HANDS ON TRAINING! I would recommend this book to anyone with a beginner to intermediate level of web development expertise, and especially to any designers who might be intimidated of all the "html coding" that is associated with web development!
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Summary: great book!
Review: Dreamweaver MX Hands-On Training is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone wishing to learn Dreamweaver MX. The book is intended for beginners and intermediates. The explanations are clear and easy to understand. The many screen shots are invaluable. The exercises were developed to naturally flow. Doing an exercise in the previous chapter assists with the following chapters. The CD includes all the software, files, and images needed to learn Dreamwaver and secondly, to build a great web site. The website that you build by following the exercises in this book is amazing! The website one builds is one model of what an excellent website looks like. I originally wanted to purchase the TeachYouself Visually book but I'm glad I purchased this book instead. The authors are definitely effective teachers who know their material.
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Summary: Simply Great Book, Great Approach!!!
Review: Dreamweaver MX HOT (Hands-On Training) is a great book. I am only on page 156, and the book has gone through the basic fundamentals, showing different ways DW MX can accomplish different tasks. I highly recommend this book as an addition to your collection. I have bought maybe 6-7 books, returned some, kept others, this is one I will keep. It shows you images (blank & white) of how your page should look as you move through the exercises. It is really a book to have if you are looking for the tutorial approach as opposed to just a reference book! Thumbs up!
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Summary: Great, Great Book!
Review: Every now and then I take up an idea and run with it. Lately I've been thinking about starting my own e-business. To that end I decided to study up on the composition of web pages, so that I might create one for myself and provide my own upkeep thereafter. In reading up on web businesses Dreamweaver was one of several programs suggested for the purpose of efficient web page design. I consulted my husband--the family computer guru--about it, and he said it was probably the best program I could get. When I worried that it might be more than I could handle, his reply? "You're the smartest person I know. Believe me, you can do this." While I appreciated his whole-hearted support, I have to admit I was still a little apprehensive. Before I purchased an expense piece of software, I decided to get the H.O.T Dreamweaver book by Green and Rudner to help me learn it. I found it splendidly lucid. I read the book cover to cover, visualizing the steps with the illustrations provided in the text, then began the programmed learning CD. It was marvelously simple, mostly cut and paste, drag and click. I also liked the advantage of being able to look behind the scenes to learn the HTML that makes the whole thing work. There is a large caveat to the situation, however, mainly that as pointed out by other reviewers you eventually have to have files of your own with which to complete your ultimate goal. That will involve you in learning other programs like Adobe Photoshop, Flash, or others with which you can create these files. Furthermore, these programs require even more artistic talent, scope, patience and diligence than the Dreamweaver program does. For me, that fact suggests more fun things to learn. For others it may be a major pain and one more hurtle to leap on the way to doing what they really want to do. If you find yourself in the latter group, I'd find a professional web page designer to take the problem off your shoulders. If you're like me and enjoy learning new things, especially new media of expression, then this is the program for you. It's a nifty experience.
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