Microsoft Expression Web Designer takes aim at Dreamweaver

[mandy]

Look out, Dreamweaver. Consider Microsoft Expression Web Designer as Dreamweaver’s new rival. Don’t look at this competition in the iPod vs. everybody way, but rather in the Dell vs. HP way.

FrontPage is out of the race. Microsoft has gotten serious about targeting creative professionals including Web designers and user interface developers, with its Expression suite—consisting of Graphic Designer, Interactive Designer, and Web Designer...

Web Designer, née Quartz, isn’t a FrontPage upgrade with a new name, although, there won’t be any more FrontPage releases. Because of FrontPage’s Word-like interface, small businesses and non-Web designers used it to create their own Web sites. Such users won’t find it easy to dig into Web Designer as opposed to FrontPage. More-experienced Web designers (especially those strong supporters of Web standards) might not give Web Designer a single look because of FrontPage and Microsoft’s history of Web standards noncompliance...

full article: http://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=602975&rl=1