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| BlogWave Studio Review | | Date Created: Sep 18, 2004, 08:41 AM |
This BlogWave Studio software has some real advantages, like being able to edit the pages offline (I am writing this on a flight to Oakland) and upload them when I have an Internet connection. You can save an entry as a "Top Story" which will appear at the top of a category, regardless of when it is created, overcoming the reverse-chronological order of the entries, reflecting the software's blogging roots. This Top Story then appears when the category is selected at the top of the window, with the associated entries below. As I was creating the entries, I could create each one in the reverse order of the way I wanted them to appear (as I discovered with other versions of my blog-folios - http://electronicportfolios.org/myportfolio/versions.html).
I am impressed with the user interface, the built-in image editor that picks up images from my iPhoto Library, and the flexibility in building different types of pages and paragraphs within a document. It also allows categories and tabs to separate postings using categories. The website has short video clips that demonstrate the various functions, a very nice "Atomic-learning" type of training, without sound. The real disadvantage (not for ADEs!) is the requirement for a .Mac account ($99 a year) and the complex licensing. The company has a very strict licensing process, requiring the name of my .Mac account (I have two) plus the serial number of the computer where the software will be installed. A lot of security for a $20 program! Still, I think I will continue using the program, to build other types of information on my .Mac account.
I like the multiple types of entries. There are five styles for entries:
General - text and image files (from iPhoto)
Photo Album - import iPhoto Library or any image
Music Album - import iTunes Library or any MP3 file
Movie Album - capture iSight or DV can or import any QT movie file
File Sharing - archive any files
Once these documents are on your .Mac account, you can find the URL for each item to be able to create a hyperlink within entries. All entries are accessible from the blog menus created by the program. I have some suggestions for the developer, though: The process of making internal links within the site is awkward. Their link window should allow the inclusion of other blog pages, not just internal links. I'd also like to be able to see and edit the HTML code, as I can with other blog software I use. |
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