In a Web 2.0 world, pure HTML sites are almost extinct, and this makes me wonder how it is possible for HTML editing programs to survive. Obviously, the answer lays in offering support for the new technologies, while managing to provide all the features needed by someone that simply needs a HTML editor. If the price is also good, then we'll probably see HTML editors in the not-so-near future too, but now I'll leave the future aside and move to the subject I got here, called BestAddress HTML Editor 2007 Professional...

Setup

With such a long name, I though this program doesn't need a version number too, but after checking the About screen, I found out that BestAddress HTML Editor's last version is labeled 10.2.2, so if you're crazy about detailed program information, here you have it. Of course that this is not everything - the full version of the program is priced at $44.95, and the trial version can be run for 30 days or 20 times (it will cease to function when one of these two thresholds is exceeded).

The setup package of the program has almost 7.5MB in size, and installing it proved to be a bit strange. Let me explain why... The executable file I downloaded automatically unpacked an MSI installer, then that file launched the setup program, so everything took a few seconds longer than usual. Other than that, no problems, as you can see above.

Interface

Since the last version of this program was released early this summer, I expected much more from its interface, but I must say that I ended up being a bit disappointed. The icons look pretty old, and the overall look of the application makes me think about a user interface designed almost 10 years ago. Anyway, the good part is that you get solid help and assistance features, and the program is pretty easy to use, if you take it slow and don't expect to become a guru web master in two days...

Features

Multimedia Australia's product we have here can work with a lot of webpage files, from HTML and TXT to SQL or XML, and includes a very nice feature that allows you to open a file directly from the Internet. Unfortunately, when I tried it, I got an error saying I am not connected to the Internet. The good part is that after closing the program and opening it again, this feature seems to work just perfectly.

Even better, BestAddress HTML Editor has a built in FTP client that allows you to save your files directly to the website, with support for proxy servers and HTTP/HTTPS connections too. While you won't get the chance to browse the contents of your hosting account in a pane located in the main interface, as it would have been nice, I still consider this feature a nice addition to the program.

The Task Manager Pane, located to the left of the code/visual editor, allows you to quickly insert code snippets from HTML, CSS and PHP, manage your projects' files and browse your local folders.

There are three ways to view your pages - Code, Live Preview and Visual Editing, and you can also set associations with external Web browsers to test your pages before uploading them to your site.

The SupportBase.NET Direct is a service provided by Multimedia Australia which enables you to get live support right inside the program, in a panel that's located to the right of the editing area. The bad part about it is that some topics link to external locations, which are open using the default system browser, so the "all inside the program" approach gets out of the question...

The pack of handy tools that comes with BestAddress HTML Editor also contains a spell checker, a code optimizer and a very easy to use frame designer that allows you to quickly get started with frame-based site layouts, helped by a wizard all along the way. If these are not enough for you, then you can check the official site for additional tools that can be added using the Add-Ins menu, and these being said, I'm moving on to the conclusions...

The Good

BestAdress HTML Editor 2007 Professional is a good HTML editor, and its support for CSS and PHP snippets make it useful for a wider category of people than those almost extinct "HTML coders". At the same time, it's very easy to use, reliable and full of interesting features that add to its value.

The Bad

Since it is possible to use templates for building new sites, it would have been nice to get at least one or two included to play with. Also, the interface could be retouched a little, maybe even by adding support for user-added toolbars (like WinRar, for example).

Conclusion

Running this program for 20 times should be enough to give you a clear idea if it's worth your money or not, and since its rusty interface didn't spoil the pleasure of working with it at all, I am sure you'll appreciate it too. Anyway, no matter what you think about this program, once you give it a try, please feel free to get back here and drop us a comment. Good luck!

Developer: Multimedia Australia Pty. Ltd.
Price: $44.95
Trial Link: Download

From the collection of "small but tough” I will present to you today the ConvertXtoDVD program that has been designed to help you convert your favorite video files into DVD-compatible files. If you wish to create a short video presentation that needs to be transcoded into a DVD, this is the right software for you.

<-125x125 Button - right->As soon as I looked at the interface I liked the simple and yet subtle design that works wonderfully with the Vista Aero shell. Under each menu there are various access points to multiple settings. You can look into the General Settings, Language, Chapters, (DVD) Menu, TV Format, Burning, Subtitles, Audio, Encoding and Image Processing. In the General Settings menu you can set the working location and the program interface theme. It is really nice to see that this program, unlike so many others, has a menu that can be set into very many languages (it’s quite international, really!). In the Menu panel you can set the DVD title and playback options, while in the TV Format section, you will be given 2 choices – the video standard and the screen size. As soon as you load a video file, you can have a preview and also tweak the output file.

Applicability: The ConvertXtoDVD supports the following video input formats: AVI, Mpeg, Mpeg4, DivX, Xvid, MOV, WMV, WMV HD, DV, MKV, DVD and even more, while among the audio supported formats there are AC3, DTS, PCM, OGG and MP3. The program offers the possibility of video format choice: NTSC, PAL, or automatic and PULL-DOWN. You can even create automatic chapters, edit your own or just simply work on the DVD menu features.

Pro(s): I was pleased with the variety of options offered by this French piece of software, and it is a good thing that it works very well under Windows Vista (it also accepts the HD video files – so that’s a bonus).

Con(s): Although it is quite powerful for a small program, I wouldn’t suggest it for professional video editing and processing because it does not feature more options for a proper customization of the output video.

Official website

Buy: $39.99

Download Trial

The digital photography has set a new trend around the world some time ago, especially with the development of small and quite effective cameras, “hidden” even in the latest mobile phone devices that are quite popular at the moment. The problem is that the quality is not always the one that we want, but we can however use various image editing tools to improve the images on various adjustment levels. Since Photoshop is famous but complicated for average users, ACD See Photo Editor comes as a very handy and simple solution.

With a wide range of tools that are quite visible and accessible in the menus from the upper side of the main interface or from the right side. From the start, I will say that the Editor has been adapted and built to support Windows Vista (it is certified) and it does have a lot of “How-To” guides in it so that you will not need additional documentation in order to find out how to make the most of it.

  

Among the tools meant to enhance and modify your images, you can have a look at the Adjustment/Filter variations (up to 8 unique previews of the original photo, in each being presented the effect, filter or adjustment beforehand so that you can see how the picture will look like once you applied the tool), Batch Editing (you can apply a custom set of effects to a group of images in one go), the Vignette Tool (helps you in creating portrait-style images), the Cookie Cutter tool (cropping images into various shapes), the Auto-adjustment Tools, which are completed by the Repair tool, along with text insertion support and gradient pre-sets of colors that can be applied.

  

You need to be really creative in order to choose from the variations window from the Photo Editor – it’s like a catalog of visual options that present you what could the image look like when you apply a certain effect. On the other hand, handling colors will not be a problem as you can choose from the presented versions, without needing to know how the Hue or Saturation effects have been applied. Of course, professional users who also wish to have a good software solution at a more affordable price and that can give them quick access to editing a simple photo - will be delighted to notice that the interface of the software is very similar to others from well known and professional image-editing tools.

  

Applicability: I would recommend this software to any digital photo amateurs and to those who wish to get a very efficient image processing tool at a good price. You probably will not see this Photo Editor in design studios, but more likely in the computers of the home users.

Pro(s): It is a very good challenge price-wise and feature-wise for those who cannot afford or think Photoshop is too complex.

Con(s): It is mostly designed for inexperienced users and sometimes the embedded tutorials can be boring – but I think the developers wrote them with lots of explanatory details in order to raise the interest of the public.
 
Official Website

Buy: $34.99

Download trial