After iLife '11: Alternatives to iDVD and iWeb

Over the weekend TUAW is going to be featuring in-depth reviews of the new iLife '11 suite -- or at least the three apps that were updated. As most of you know by now, iWeb and iDVD didn't receive an update at all. In light of that, we've compiled a list of several alternatives to iDVD and iWeb that you may want to try out. From a purely consumer standpoint, I don't think any of these apps offer the ease of use that Apple has so successfully built into iWeb and iDVD, but given that iDVD seems all but abandoned -- as should the MacBook optical drive be -- and the future is uncertain for iWeb, it's always nice to know you have some alternatives.

iDVD alternatives:

SmallDVD
SmallDVD is a simple utility that lets you take any video files and add them to a DVD image ISO which can then be burned onto a DVD using Disc Utility. SmallDVD doesn't have many features, but it will appeal to those of you who want to create very simple DVDs with static background menus. It also has the added benefit of only creating the ISO file which can then be shared to DropBox or iDisk, and then downloaded and viewed on another computer using only the ISO -- no optical drive needed. SmallDVD is a free download.

MovieGate
MovieGate is a step up from SmallDVD, but nowhere near as powerful as iDVD. It lets you create DVDs with chapter support, animated menus with sub-menus, subtitles, and photo slide-shows. The interface isn't very pretty to look at, but if you want a DVD authoring app that might be continually updated, this has more of a chance than iDVD. MovieGate is a free download.

Roxio Toast 10 Titanium
Most people think that Toast is only for creating DVD backups of your data or doing disc-to-disc copies, but it can actually make a pretty good custom DVD that is playable in any DVD player. While the custom menu creation controls are not as impressive as what you get with iDVD, Toast offers some other cool features like the ability to burn EyeTV, Tivo, and web videos directly to your DVD disc. You can also create photo slide-shows directly on the DVD. Toast 10 Titanium is $79 after a $20 mail-in rebate.

iWeb alternatives:

There are really only two good apps out there that I would call iWeb alternatives. Both of these apps lack the out of the box ease of use of iWeb, yet both are easy enough to learn for the novice website creator and offer powerful features that iWeb lacks for the professional web designer.

Sandvox
Sandvox by Karelia Software is a decent web creation app that has friendly user interface control which easily allows you to add web pages to your site and edit their content. Sandvox works by letting the user easily create pages like photo collections, download and contact forms, RSS, and site maps. It also features a nice collection of "pagelets" that allow you to add small sections of content to sidebars on your site. Sandvox comes in two editions: the $57 "regular edition" and the $97 "Pro" edition which adds raw HTML page editing.

RapidWeaver
RapidWeaver is by far the best iWeb alternative. Not only is the software well designed, but what makes RapidWeaver so appealing is its large user base and community who are constantly creating add-ons for the app. The application itself doesn't have the exact drag and drop simplicity of iWeb, but it comes pretty close. It's easy enough to use for someone like me who has zero web design abilities, but also powerful and adaptable enough for professional web designers. If iWeb is indeed finished, the future of simple yet powerful web design on the Mac lies in RapidWeaver. RapidWeaver costs $79 and volume licensing is available.

While this article only addresses application replacements for iWeb, there is one notable web-based option. BaseKit allows you to create and design websites entirely through your browser with no coding skills required. You can choose from hundreds of themes or upload your own theme designed in Photoshop. BaseKit is a monthly subscription that ranges from $8/month for the basic package to $24/month for the pro package. Check out their introductory video below.

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Over the weekend TUAW is going to be featuring in-depth reviews of the new iLife '11 suite -- or at least the three apps that were...

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Tim

I'm not sure how you missed Freeway (http://www.softpress.com). I've been using the application for years and it blows both iWeb and Rapidweaver out of the water. It allows me to design my sites visually without having to hack around with code or plug-ins like the other two apps.

October 31 2010 at 3:06 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Richard Hughes

Hi. I'm the author of SmallDVD. Thanks for mentioning it here.

DVD authoring can be a complicated business, so SmallDVD's objective is to try and make it as simple as possible, even if that means sacrificing some of the features that other apps have. So "deliberately simple" would be a good way to sum it up.

I should also point out that not only is SmallDVD the only free application on this list (as the previous commenter says, MovieGate is not free), it is also open source.

October 31 2010 at 7:10 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

James Cotton

Moviegate might be a free download, but it isn't a free application. It costs $20.

October 29 2010 at 12:15 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Gilbert Palau

I was comenting to a co-worker this morning how I was dying to have optical media out of the way and how everything should be part of the cloud. But this is wishful thinking. Optical media is going to be here for a long time, I think at least 5-10 yrs more.

As far as development suites, I don't use iWeb. iWeb is a good startup mom-dad software kind of deal. I use Dreamweaver or Komodo. Back in the day though about 10yrs ago there was an awesome product that i loved using and it was one of the best tools for creating websites. Does anyone recall a product called NetObjects? When NetObjects first came out it was an awesome tool. Then it got bought by a bunch of different parties and it got ruined, but the 1st three years of its life it was one of the best products for website design. It was the perfect hybrid between iWeb and Dreamweaver. This is the type of tool, I forsee iWeb in becoming if there was ever an upgrade.

Another thing to think about is Xcode 4. When Xcode 4 launches, from what I have seen it will be that kind of an editor. I am pretty sure since Xcode ships with all macs, that apple will have some hybrid form of it running where we will be able to design easy to do websites and functional portals as well.

Dreamweaver CS5 is an impressive upgrade, as they added a feature that integrates itself into wordpress or drupal for example and lets you design on top of the blog engine and see the results immediately. Sure, you need to read and it might be a bit on the expensive side, but it has become a very powerful tool.

You guys might to want to check it out.

October 29 2010 at 11:52 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

tim

I really don't get this new idea that Apple should be ditching optical drives - if people want a thinner lighter MacBook without the drive then congratulations, Apple made the Air just for you - why have you got to turn the MacBook and Pro into the same thing?

NEWSFLASH - if you shrink the Pro to the same size as the Air after removing the drive, you don't get to keep Pro performance as the same thermal rules that dictate a lower power processor in the Air still apply. So what's the point?

Here's another revelation - people still use optical media - most of us have houses full of it, and are still accumulating more. Yes there are other means of getting and storing that media - almost all reliant on other peoples services, such as iTunes - but the job of a personal computer, or even Apple, is not to force users down one narrow path to the future, but to give people the tools they need to do what they want today.

October 29 2010 at 11:28 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Mulder

You guys should really check out Freeway Pro or Freeway Express at http://www.softpress.com/tour/

October 29 2010 at 10:11 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Cam

How are we supposed to rip DVDs without an optical drive?

October 29 2010 at 9:13 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Cam's comment

applewax

On your iMac or MacMini.

October 29 2010 at 1:33 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Neil Kovac

With the whole world moving towards cloud computing, internet gaming, on-line social activities etc etc ... i.e. everything online and internet based, I think it would be pretty stupid of Apple to cull iWeb; at a time when it could be argued the product faces its best chance of becoming as big as iTunes.

Mind you, having said that, having the facility for anyone website illiterate to create their own stunning sites as simply as baking a cake obviously isn't as important as some of the other tat Apple brings out (Apple TV, touchpad etc). Somewhere in Apple, IMO, people have their product priorities all wrong!

October 29 2010 at 6:40 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

glad

I'm going to book in at the Apple store to get a free session on using iDVD!!!

October 29 2010 at 5:22 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Cam

Saying the optical drive is dead is jumping the gun.

October 29 2010 at 1:05 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Cam's comment

Gus

With the Mac app store apple is making it easier to move away from optical drives and a download based distribution. If you own an iPhone or iPad you clearly know how easy it is to get plenty of choice apps with no optical drive. With no drive in there they can increase battery size and flash memory. What I'd they do a hybrid flash and rotating drive in their next mbpros. That would be interesting. Very interesting indeed.

October 29 2010 at 2:04 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply