Macintosh news

Macromedia Studio 8 - is it the end for Freehand?

Macromedia has announced Studio 8, its bundle of web design programs. Included in the suite of graphics tools includes Dreamweaver 8, Flash 8, Fireworks 8, Contribute 3 and Flashpaper 2.

More interesting than what is included, is the notable absence of Macromedia's once flagship vector drawing product, Freehand. Ever since the recent announcement of the Macromedia Adobe merger, it had been expected that Freehand would be the main casualty and it is expected that Freehand will either be axed, sold off, or merged with Adobe Illustrator

The Studio 8 bundle covers most angles of web site design, from design and graphics- using Fireworks, to web page coding - with Dreamweaver, to animation and interactivity - with Flash, to allowing clients to manage their own web sites with Contribute. Macromedia's document conversion tool FlashPaper 2, is also included.

20 August 2005

Related web design and graphics features

• Macromedia's web design tools

Selected macromedia related discussions in the design forums

Studio 8, Freehand discontinued?

Designer's discussion about the Adobe and Macromedia merger.

Debate on Illustrator versus Freehand and GoLive V Dreamweaver.