Dreamweaver MX for Dummies

Rating:
Summary: Just what I needed
Review: As someone who has always used word or hand-coded HTML, this book was exactly what I needed to become proficient with Dreamweaver and really exploit its power.

After a few hours with the book, I feel like I've increased my effectiveness tremendously.

Rating:
Summary: Take it from this dummy - a great resource for Dreamweaver
Review: Having been a text-based HTML guy for years, I decided I needed to get with on the WYSIWYG bandwagon. This book has been a tremendous help! Amateur or professional, you can pick up this book and get the information you need in seconds. Whether you use it for refreshing your knowledge of seldom-used functions, or (like me) are learning from scratch, I think this book is a must-have for Dreamweaver users of all skill levels.

Rating:
Summary: Take it from this dummy - a great resource for Dreamweaver
Review: Having been a text-based HTML guy for years, I decided I needed to get with on the WYSIWYG bandwagon. This book has been a tremendous help! Amateur or professional, you can pick up this book and get the information you need in seconds. Whether you use it for refreshing your knowledge of seldom-used functions, or (like me) are learning from scratch, I think this book is a must-have for Dreamweaver users of all skill levels.

Rating:
Summary: There's A Better Way
Review: If you buy this book and have no previous knowledge of Dreamweaver MX, you are a dummy. The authors may be nice persons, but they are not teachers. You'd be better served using the small manual that comes with Dreamweaver than this book, which is so disorganized it should come with a machete.
Everyone knows the best way to learn is "by doing." Early on in Dreamweaver MX for Dummies, you will make a blank web page, put a title on it - and never see that page again. Conversely, the DW MX manual starts off with you building a static three page web page. Do it a couple of times, and you are on your way.
I suggest that if you need a reference book (which you do) spend your money on Dreamweaver MX Unleashed by Pizzi and Ruvalcaba - much better organized with everything you ever wanted to know about Dreamweaver MX.

Rating:
Summary: Good intro to web design, lots of useful tips, easy to read.
Review: Janie Warner has put together a pretty good intro to web design using dreamweaver. The book is a bit wordy, but then again all of the Dummies Books are. Dont let the Dummies title scare you. This book has a lot of detail and scope; it just takes her a while to get through it.

The book is well written in an easy to understand style. I especially appreciated her advice on compatability; all too often people new to web design get carried away with effects and bells and whistles .. only to find it takes forever to load or the format gets messed up on other computers. She has a "keep it simple" attitude that I have found very helpful in my own designs.

There are many examples from webpages she has done and observed. I also found that really helpful in deciding how to layout my own sites. She also has a good discussion of CSS (cascading style sheets), and even covers Flash and Shockwave too.

In short the book is not incredibly detailed but it has quite a broad array of information for you to set up a pretty nice web site in very little time. If you have enough familiarity with computers, you can read through the book easily in a weekend and come out armed with lots of good ideas for web page designs. By using the advice in her book, I have gotten great reviews on sites I have done.

Rating:
Summary: Good intro to web design, lots of useful tips, easy to read.
Review: Janie Warner has put together a pretty good intro to web design using dreamweaver. The book is a bit wordy, but then again all of the Dummies Books are. Dont let the Dummies title scare you. This book has a lot of detail and scope; it just takes her a while to get through it.

The book is well written in an easy to understand style. I especially appreciated her advice on compatability; all too often people new to web design get carried away with effects and bells and whistles .. only to find it takes forever to load or the format gets messed up on other computers. She has a "keep it simple" attitude that I have found very helpful in my own designs.

There are many examples from webpages she has done and observed. I also found that really helpful in deciding how to layout my own sites. She also has a good discussion of CSS (cascading style sheets), and even covers Flash and Shockwave too.

In short the book is not incredibly detailed but it has quite a broad array of information for you to set up a pretty nice web site in very little time. If you have enough familiarity with computers, you can read through the book easily in a weekend and come out armed with lots of good ideas for web page designs. By using the advice in her book, I have gotten great reviews on sites I have done.

Rating:
Summary: Good Beginnings for Great Software
Review: Overall, this is a good book if you're new to Dreamweaver, the current version of Dreamweaver MX, or web design with a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor.

The For Dummies series of computer help books has always been my choice for picking up information on a technique or computer program that I'm not familiar with. They're written in a humorous, laid-back style that's easy to read and hard to be intimidated by.

Dreamweaver MX for Dummies is no exception to this rule. It's simple, straightforward, and written with an ease and humor that's fun to read. Authors Janine Warner and Ivonne Berkowitz apply their considerable talent and proficiency with Dreamweaver MX to this highly readable "basics" book about my favorite web site editor.

Don't let that last sentence fool you; there was plenty in this volume to make me want to read some sections more thoroughly. The content ranges from the basics of web site planning to the more advanced topics of DHTML, data-driven web sites, and using forms to manage your website. The depth of the information is minimal, but these topics are introduced.

If you are a beginner web designer, and have the ability to run Dreamweaver MX on your Mac, this could be the right beginning book for you. Plan to spend some time with the opening chapters, as they explain the metaphors that form the foundation of Dreamweaver, as well as the ways to plan and set up your first web site.

The CD ROM included with this book was a bit sparse, however. It doesn't have a Dreamweaver MX demo, only Flash MX, Photoshop, and Illustrator demos, which I found a little odd for a book about Dreamweaver. Other than that, it has a couple of code and database files from the end of the book, some scripts to rename and change your html files, and links to the authors' websites. Rather skimpy for a CD these days, if you ask me.

For an in-depth discussion of all that Dreamweaver has to offer, you might want to look into a more comprehensive reference book. All in all, though, this book is a pleasant read and a great way to start learning about Dreamweaver MX. Even you old Dreamweaver gurus might find a thing or two explained in a way that makes more sense to you.

Rating:
Summary: Thanks for helping me get started
Review: When I lost my job a few months ago, I decided I wanted to learn how to design Web pages, but I wasn't sure where to start. A friend told me Dreamweaver was the program professionals use, but that only intimidated me more. So I picked up your Dummies book, figuring it would be at my level -- and I was so relieved when I discovered it was.

Thank you for writing this easy-to-use guide and getting me started on my new path. Your words were really reassuring and your explanations easy to follow and understand. I've created a few Web sites for friends now and am on my way to doing it professionally. I can't thank you enough and I highly recommend this book to anyone trying to get started with this program.

Rating:
Summary: Thanks for helping me get started
Review: When I lost my job a few months ago, I decided I wanted to learn how to design Web pages, but I wasn't sure where to start. A friend told me Dreamweaver was the program professionals use, but that only intimidated me more. So I picked up your Dummies book, figuring it would be at my level -- and I was so relieved when I discovered it was.

Thank you for writing this easy-to-use guide and getting me started on my new path. Your words were really reassuring and your explanations easy to follow and understand. I've created a few Web sites for friends now and am on my way to doing it professionally. I can't thank you enough and I highly recommend this book to anyone trying to get started with this program.