[ericarthur]

http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/...05114200.shtml

Quite a nondescript name, what do we think that it is?

[Wyatt]

I think it's a consumer-level web publishing app. Think Front Page, but slightly less complex. There isn't a major such app for the Mac (not at the consumer level, anyway). I had suspected such a program might be in iLife '06, but I am disappointed that there's no mention of FrontRow, as I thought we'd definitely get that.

[chucker]

WYSIWYG web design?

(edit) Yeah, what fcgriz said. Something like Sandvox maybe.

[meowza]

The question I guess that needs to be asked is what is the Apple twist here? What is iWeb going to do (besides interact with iPhoto, GarageBand, and iMovie) that all the other WYSIWYG website design applications don't? (If it is such an application.) What is going to make people go, "Huh, well, that would be cool to have." Otherwise, they're going to have to make some major updates to the other programs in iLife to make people have any interest in upgrading.

[curiousuburb]

Originally Posted by meowza The question I guess that needs to be asked is what is the Apple twist here?

Just like 2003, somebody will get sacked for misposting that page. Steve will make another Keynote joke about "premature specification".

[Roland]

uninteresting. hopefully they don't make it just usefriendly, but also offer some features for people who can use html and css.

[morningstarrising]

Well if iWeb looks like iPhoto, I wouldn't say no to it, specially if it let me tap into my collection of movies(iMovie), photos(iPhoto) and music(iTunes/GB) without any problems...

I should of saw this coming after all those .Mac question I had to answer..specially the ones about blogging.

[meowza]

I wonder if there will be any widget development stuff involved...considering they are essentially small websites. That may get some people interested.

[psmith2.0]

Yeah, some sort of WYSIWYG web thingie, with blogging.

I can't believe - two years after it became such a mainstream, hipster topic - Apple hasn't ventured into this little area with their own idiot-proof blog iApp.

Yes, I'm aware of all the ones out there.

And I'm also aware of a ton of photo management, digital music, video editing and DVD creation apps out there too...and that didn't exactly dissuade or curtail Apple's efforts in those fields, did it?



If anything, they tend to come along and greatly improve on it all, making it truly "for the masses" and requiring not a shred of geekster DNA.

Lots of people (like me), with modest needs and who prefer tight and simple processes, might prefer to a well-made, easy-beyond-belief Apple app, over having to monkey with some third-party product.

Maybe it's a go-between for all the people who don't shell out $99 a year for .Mac access, where you can use all the slick posting/gallery features of iPhoto and the like, but with any ISP (Earthlink, Comcast, etc.) and have it all be controlled with an Apple-y front end?

But a bit more control/finesse than the simply .Mac galleries and pages?

Something like Adobe's PageMill (maybe even simpler) from 200 years ago?

iWeb...yeah, didn't see that name coming.



In any case, it sounds like we might have one CONFIRMED!!!, less than a week to go.

Premature specification strikes again...please, help us find a cure, won't you? In the meantime, ask your doctor about...

[rollercoaster375]

I'm really hoping that Apple doesn't release a WYSIWYG editor. They're generically bad for the web. However, something that would actually be helpful is a Blogging tool that implements the Blogger 1 and 2 APIs, MetaWeblog API, Atom Publishing Protocol, etc. Although, I doubt that would be the entirety of the App.

[psmith2.0]

I'm saying blog thing.

Because you're right...there doesn't need to be any more weirdly-displayed, half-assed websites/pages out there!



iWeb certainly has a bloggy ring to it. AND, if it's somehow incorporated in with the podcasting thing too...

Kind of a text AND sound/video-based thing.

THAT would be the "Apple hook" someone was asking about above...super tight integration with iTunes (and other iApps) to provide the various photo/video/music portions of such a product?

[BuonRotto]

I'm sure Steve-O will be singing the praises of blogs just like he has podcasts. Sounds like they're going to tie them together too via GarageBand, iPhoto, iMovie, etc. Makes you wonder a bit what .Mac is worth or how it will treat the simple bric-a-brac homepage features once this is out.

[morningstarrising]

Yeah definitely blog thing...Apple has been slowly moving towards MSN/Yahoo/Google territory for a while now. They just added groups to .Mac. So I'm expecting a blog next for little old .Mac. I'm sure you will be able to use it with say blogger, but that'd would be an export and cut and pasting it there, where as .Mac would have live updates via iWeb.

It'd make me feel 'ok' for spending $99 a year. lol

[Reid]

But if it's just blogging, why wouldn't they just pick up iBlog? I mean, they even distributed that little app for free once upon a time to .Mac members.

No, if they're really going to do a web page creation tool, it has to be more of a ripoff (we all know Apple's not above that) of RapidWeaver that easily ties into the other iLife apps. Basically, the .Mac HomePage site, but a local application instead of web-based wizards. Ties into iPhoto for publishing a gallery, iMovie for videos, and GarageBand for podcasts. Like Keynote or iDVD, it would have professionally designed templates for your use, or you can design your own from scratch.

Edit: Seems like a couple of others said basically the same thing while I was typing. But integrating it with .Mac groups, and adding some kind of social networking / P2P functions could make it a very powerful tool.

[meowza]

AppleInsider has some more details.

[originalpckelly]

Wouldn't a productivity application (which I assume a web dev tool falls under) be included in iWork?

[Messiahtosh]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Yeah, some sort of WYSIWYG web thingie, with blogging. I can't believe - two years after it became such a mainstream, hipster topic - Apple hasn't ventured into this little area with their own idiot-proof blog iApp. Yes, I'm aware of all the ones out there. And I'm also aware of a ton of photo management, digital music, video editing and DVD creation apps out there too...and that didn't exactly dissuade or curtail Apple's efforts in those fields, did it? If anything, they tend to come along and greatly improve on it all, making it truly "for the masses" and requiring not a shred of geekster DNA. Lots of people (like me), with modest needs and who prefer tight and simple processes, might prefer to a well-made, easy-beyond-belief Apple app, over having to monkey with some third-party product. Maybe it's a go-between for all the people who don't shell out $99 a year for .Mac access, where you can use all the slick posting/gallery features of iPhoto and the like, but with any ISP (Earthlink, Comcast, etc.) and have it all be controlled with an Apple-y front end? But a bit more control/finesse than the simply .Mac galleries and pages? Something like Adobe's PageMill (maybe even simpler) from 200 years ago? iWeb...yeah, didn't see that name coming. In any case, it sounds like we might have one CONFIRMED!!!, less than a week to go. Premature specification strikes again...please, help us find a cure, won't you? In the meantime, ask your doctor about...

I bet it will be something exactly like this, probably nearly identical to RapidWeaver.

[shatteringglass]

"iWeb"? I realized the prefix "i" doesn't have to mean "Internet" anymore, but isn't that redundant?

[yoda_four]

There goes RapidWeaver. According to AI, iWeb sounds exactly like it. Too bad

[Robo]

Yay!

I was actually just looking for a blogging tool.

A blog tool in iLife makes sense. I think a full-fledge WYSIWIG editor would be an iWork app.

The only thing is, "iWeb" will probably be a bit limited for my tastes, but I guess we'll have to wait and see. If it was originally intended for iWork, as AI suggests, maybe it will be fairly full-featured.

[nato64]

rapidweaver anyone?


EDIT: sry, didn't see that someone else said it already...


heck, for all we know, apple bought out rapidweaver

[morningstarrising]

Well rapidweaver can take there act to Windows..and then get swallow by Yahoo. Like you know who did.

Members of Apple's .Mac Internet services may be able to purchase domain names (.com, .net, and .org) directly from within the Web application, sources have said. Alternatively, the application will allow quick and simple Web site publishing through a member's existing .Mac Web space. Apple reportedly set out to design the new Web application in a way that it would enhance its consumer software offerings and drive subscriptions to its .Mac internet services (which it hopes will reach 1 million users sometime this year). In an effort to provide better value against a plethora of free services on the Internet -- including those offered by Internet giants such as Google and Yahoo! -- the company may also slash the yearly .Mac subscription fee from $99.95 to an appeal price of $69.95, sources added.

If true, Apple made my year. lol

[psmith2.0]

You said it!

I'd LOVE to get a surprise $30 drop on my October .Mac renewal!

And I do dearly love the sound of the iWeb thing. I'd probably wade in and actually *gasp* get my butt on the Internet (a site with a portfolio, blog, etc.).

I'm simply too unmotivated to truly get into the Dreamweaver/GoLive racket, to be completely honest. Give me something nice that a monkey (me) can easily put together during a lazy, rainy Saturday afternoon and I'm there!



Would coincide nicely with my "get a new job" resolution...

[morningstarrising]

lol, hell I still have that Macromedia Contribute 2 that Apple gave to .Mac members two years ago..and my website is still in pieces offline.

This would give me that kick in the butt I need..that is if it happens.

[FFL]

Originally Posted by shatteringglass "iWeb"? I realized the prefix "i" doesn't have to mean "Internet" anymore, but isn't that redundant?

maybe it's short for "intarWeb"

[rasmits]

Originally Posted by FFL maybe it's short for "intarWeb"

I don't think the "i" prefix holds any value anymore except as an indication that it's a consumer product.

internetPhoto
internetMovie
internetDVD
internetPod
internetCal

iWeb fits just about as well as anything else.

[World Leader Pretend]

This should be a solid product for Apple's iLife lineup, assuming it is a WYSIWYG web-site creator. It will get a lot of people to upgrade to Life '06.

Formula:

iWeb+iLife '06 = ^ $$ -> Apple Co. (which then gets more $$ for R&D so they can design even more sweet products that people want to buy and on and on and on 'till they rule the World!!! :smokey:

[ericarthur]

I guess that with the new bandwidth increases available on .mac, it will now be very very easy to place multimedia from the iLife suite on the web with this App. Things do seem to be falling into place, though I'm not sure where the demand for this product is in the long run - people that want to publish online enough are usually quite capable of doing it by now.

[BenRoethig]

Originally Posted by FFL maybe it's short for "intarWeb"

The "i" has simply become Apple's consumer brand name just as "Power" is for professionals.

[Moogs]

The Pagemill revived concept makes sense given the name (assuming it's true), but why would such an app be part of iLife rather than iWork? Intuitively, I think some type of blogging tool, combined with .Mac web access, is the more logical take. A web editor, where you created designs from scratch or build on templates, is still much less a consumer or digital hub concept than is blogging.

Quite honestly, I wish Apple would debut a professional WYSIWYG web editor. It wouldn't be any threat to Dreamweaver in the short run but over time the competition would be beneficial to both products. I don't know what will become of GoLive yet but either way, Adobe will be holding all the cards in this category, which is never a good thing for consumers.