May 19 2008
Maybe I’m a geek but this software is too cool
I’m a self professed computer geek
I love playing with computers. I’ve been programming since I was 12. I’m not a professional website developer, but I’m pretty adept at it. I’ve used every major website development software (Dreamweaver, MS Frontpage, Go Live, and MS Expressions Web) as well as several free versions.
Last year I started using XSitePro and have been sold ever since. It doesn’t do everything Expressions or Dreamweaver does. I still have to go back to Expressions (my current #2) to do certain advanced things, especially when it comes to scripting or forms. Why use it if it can’t do everything? Because it does the important thing extremely well.
The other software is designed for the uber geek (I can say it because I am one). It does everything…but not easily.
XSitePro is almost idiot proof. It was designed by businessmen who’s bread and butter was internet marketing. They needed a tool to allow the average Joe to build a powerful and professional website in record time. That person doesn’t have the time to spend days tweaking their website and plugging in all the things they need.
The list of tools and features is impressive but there are some issues. For example, I still need another program to do certain things. The templates are an afterthought. No ability to do forms. The layout options are great but there are some limitations. Probably the biggest issue is that I still have to find or write scripts to do a lot of things like incorporating RSS into my site.
Tomorrow everything changes
Tomorrow XSitePro version 2 is being released to current users. The full release is in a few weeks. It is a major improvement on an already fantastic piece of software. From what I can see most of the issues with the original version are fixed. Many of the old features are improved. I’m amazed at how many features and tools were added while keeping it simple to use.
I can now throw away Expressions Web.
Upcoming changes to my website and blog
There have been a lot of changes that people have requested, and some that I just have wanted to add. I have been holding off for this version of XSitePro to be released because it allows me to do some pretty amazing things.
I have already changed hosting services to allow for more functionality. As far as I can tell this went seamlessly and didn’t result in any time offline or blog reposts. The next step will be to make changes to the website offline. When it is tested and verified, I will release it.
What are some the the things coming up?
- New layout: Our goal is to provide a professional look that is consistent on both the website and blog. My options for a quick layout were limited. I now have access to hundreds of professional templates that I can then further modify to be exactly what we want.
- Website content: Our initial web page was based on what we thought you wanted. Thanks to your feedback we have a better idea of what is needed. One big change will be news feeds and blog posts (from other blogs) on the front page. These will all be on our core topics, making it easy for you to get your life balance, wealth building, and personal development news in one easy source.
- More tools: we will be adding tools to help you. This is an ongoing process, and we will be adding them as we find or develop them.
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