In most of my reviews, I like to give the reader a perspective on my approach. Up until GoLive 5, I had been using a competitor's product to construct my web site. I had started using it before I had reviewed GoLive 4. Although I liked GoLive 4, I did not want to learn a new program. It was not until I wanted to incorporate the flash file format into my web site, that I decided to completely redo my site and only use Adobe products to create it. These products were to consist of Photoshop 5.5/ImageReady 2, Illustrator 9, and LiveMotion. As I used GoLive 5, I began to wonder why I had used anything else. Once the structure of the program gelled in my mind, it became easier to use and its scope became very impressive. However, I believe that the learning curve can be relatively steep because the relationship of some of the elements can be confusing. An example is found in the grid which can be used to place objects, tables, and text exactly. The relationship of its pixel size and the size of the site area, I found confusing. The documentation in the book was lacking. However, with the grid, I could put as many graphics and tables on the page as could fit if I was so inclined or wanted to clutter up my page. Again, while I spent time experimenting with the grid and various placeholders and the text box, it was time well spent.

Placing graphics on a page was incredibly easy. After I gathered the ones I wanted to use and copied them to the site, all I had to do was "point and shoot" to place them on the page. The same applied to designating images as links.

The Windows PC requirements for GoLive 5 are: Pentium 200 MHz or faster or a compatible processor; Microsoft Windows 98, NT 4.0 with service pack 3, or Windows 2000; 48 MB of available RAM for win 98 or 64 MB for NT 4 or windows 2000; 60 MB of hard disk space; and, of course, a CD-ROM drive. GoLive 5 retails The non-upgrade price for GoLive 5 is $299.

I found out, as did others, that GoLive 5 needs a lot more RAM than suggested. Once GoLive was opened, my system dropped to 60% or 50% usage. When I exited from the program, RAM was restored. I, however, did not have any problems. While I did little multitasking, I opened and closed Photoshop a number of times keeping GoLive minimized.

While I will list some of the new features. A detailed description of them can be found in a 12 page document at http://www.adobe.com/products/golive/topfeatures.html

GoLive 5 (GL) not only supports many file formats including Native Photoshop, Illustrator, and LiveMotion's Flash (SWF), but gives the user tools similar to those found in the above mentioned products for editing files. One, however, does not have to copy every graphic file to GL, with Smart Objects and Smart Links. These tools allow the user to modify any of the above mentioned files as well as files of other graphic types; these will then be automatically updated in GL. Smart tools can be accessed through the "object Palette" which is pictured to the right of this palette.

GoLive 5 also has a "Save for Web" command that is similar to the one found in ImageReady. This is only one example of GL's tightened integration with other Adobe products. Another nice features that GL provides is its capability of importing Photoshop layers as QuickTime sprites.

GoLive 5 also contains a host of options to increase productivity and work flow. Some of these are multiple undo, a history palette, table palettes and styles (which I used extensively in creating my web site), floating box to Layout Grid conversions, and many more.

Site management and code design has also been strengthened in GL. Java script and HTML code can be optimized to present cleaner and leaner source code. Site design and reporting can also be accessed to improve an already created site or to create a new one. Old sites can be imported into GoLive 5 as well as html pages from other programs.

In GL, one can rewrite code. One can also see the source code view and the layout view simultaneously. Thus, one can see immediately how the code will effect the particular design. WebDAV is also included for workgroup collaborative projects.

According to Adobe, "GoLive 5 is now an extensible and customizable application." It has a built in JavaScript editor and a built in debugger. Since I do not write code except for minor html code, I cannot comment on this section of the program. Again, more information can be found on the Adobe web site.

GoLive 5 also offers a QuickTime layout and timeline editor for QuickTime Streaming. GL 5 offers a more robust movie menu, toolbar, and viewer. Thus, a lot of editing can be accomplished directly from inside of GL 5.

One feature that I particularly liked was the ability to add "instructive" Meta tags " from the Head tab on the Objects palette to the head section pane of the document window. One can add a tag to refresh the contents of a page at different intervals, to add keywords for search engines to pick up, etc. The mechanism for doing this is straightforward and easy.

As I stated earlier, I plan to redesign my web site which I use as a gallery for my artwork, graphic tutorials, tips, and product reviews using only Adobe products. I have spent time exploring and using GoLive 5. While I could not evaluate all of it, I was very satisfied with its capabilities and its response to my needs. I was able to bring in JPEGs, GIFs, and SWF files easily, control the grid and how the image would look on various size screens, and create by means of the layout grid, exactly what I wanted. I recommend this program for people who want "absolute" (if there is such a thing in software) control of their web sites. While it took me a little while to become comfortable navigating in the program, the time spent was defiantly worth it. The longer I use GoLive, the more I am impressed that I can design my web site exactly as I choose without constraints dictated by software.