Adobe GoLive CS Classroom in a Book, Revised Edition (Classroom in a Book)

Rating:
Summary: Error-filled, but useful.
Review: Although the book was filled with the obscene number of errors other reviewers mention (I wondered often whether I was mismatching book and software versions somehow), there are no complete show-stoppers. There are several major inconveniences, particularly as regards importing files into the site, which the book says can be done much more simply than my copy of the software allowed. I managed to complete the instructions for every lesson, and it effectively showed, step-by-step, how to use most of the major features of GoLive.

It describes the basics of forms, CSS, JavaScript, etc., making it a fine 'for dummies' intro, though one might wish it went into considerably more depth on just about every topic, or at least had a sequel.

A serviceable instruction book once you learn to work around the more major errors, but not up to the par of the other Adobe books. You may want to look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: You are not alone: Adobe's pain is all of our pain.
Review: Am relieved after a week of suffering through "Incompetence in a Book" to discover that I'm not a total dope. Only buy this book if you want to join the ranks of "Adopies". You too can feel like a dope by lesson 3 of the book. Until I read these pages, I began to wonder if in fact I really did get that degree in applied mathematics from that eastern ivy league institution.

Seriously, people, the previous reviewers do not lie. This book is rife with errors. My copy is so marked up with red ink its hard to see the original text.

There is one error repeated over and over throught the book and it is both funny and sick. At the beginning of each chapter, the authors explain that the current lesson/chapter will take you 60 minutes to complete (except in the case of chapter two: 90 minutes, and chapter eleven: 45 minutes!!!). Plan to spend a FULL DAY trying and re-trying to get through a single lesson, much of it frustrated and annoyed. Plan to spend each day constantly revisiting a sinking feeling like you must have done some little thing wrong once again so you keep losing the thread of the lesson.

If you have bought the book, please recycle it instead of adding to our landfills. And then enjoy learning GoLive by systematically running through the Online Help. Using this method you will regain your lost sanity, learn more efficiently, and become happy. Hurray for the Online Help.

I know, I know, you are wanting a Book. Something you can touch and turn pages, and refer to in the flesh. You probably think we are all over-reacting. Read All those reviews again. Then go to your search engine and find any other book out there. Any book but this one. There is not even enough consistently correct information in it to make it a suitable "companion" volume to some other reference.

Rating:
Summary: Good Instructional Text
Review: I am a BIG fan of the Adobe Classroom in a Book (CIB) series. I constantly recommend the books to folks who want to get up to speed on Adobe's software. So ... I come to this review slightly prejudiced. However, I must say I've never met anyone who didn't think they were good.

The thing I like best about Adobe's CIB series is that it is truly a tutorial, not just a reference book.

If you will take a little time and do the lessons in the book in order, you'll learn all the basic (and some beyond) skills that you need. The included CD-ROM contains all the files you need to do the tutorials.

My first three years of web-site design involved hand-coding everything, Now days, you can use a handy tool to diagram (make a visual plan) your site. Making the diagram automatically generates the basic pages to be included in the site!

Its organization is a very logical, step-by-step progression. It covers the basics, and some very advanced features. From basic web page design, to floating boxes, animations, rollovers, cascading style sheets (one of my weak areas), drop down menus, javascript, and site management, it covers it thoroughly. I really like components (things you design once and use on many pages of the site).

If you are trying to learn GoLive in order to build web presence, this book will be a GREAT help. Just work through the tutorials, and you'll learn it. (It certainly beats paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for training.)

Rating:
Summary: Thanks Adobe! Way to Go - GoLive!
Review: I am an average computer person with little html knowledge and minor web-building experience. I tried my hand at the more well known Dreamweaver program and was confused and dissappointed. I have found the GoLive program instantly approachable and its process easy to understand. I was very happy with Photoshop Classroom in a book as I am with Adobe GoLive CS Classroom in a book. The points discussed by other reviewers makes me wonder if they used the book to learn as I did or are more technical and picking out minor points I did not see. I had NO problems with these lessons - and they flowed nicely from one to the other. My first websites on my own are awesome. As I continue to learn I am blown away by the ease and fun of this program and am thankful for this teaching book. If I can do this well - anyone can too. Try it, You will Like it. Thanks again GoLive and the Adobe Team.

Rating:
Summary: Revised Edition Nearly Perfect?
Review: I have just worked through the whole book and have learnt a lot. There are still a few errors. Lesson 9 I was missing a ticker tape image and some people using Windows in lesson 13 have trouble with the "Black Bar" but using Icons instead of Icon frames solves this (View palette Display tab)(p481). All in all a very good book and certainly much better than nothing. Still after the huge outcry about the very flawed first edition it should have been perfect. Also try Adobe GoLive CS: Tips and Tricks Adam Pratt, Lynn Grillo, together the two books are a good team.

Rating:
Summary: REVISED EDITION update!!
Review: I have never used the original version of this book/CD, but I purchased the Revised
Edition (printed in late August 2004) and everything has been perfectly clear so far. It appears that many changes were made between printings, because the consistency between the book and the included CD has so far been faultless, typo-free, and error-free. I'm through 5 of 13 lessons, and every step of every lesson so far has occurred exactly as indicated in the text, and all files on the CD have been found in exactly where the book says they should be. Looks like Adobe read all of the bad press here and did something about it by giving us this revised edition in which all the errata seems to have been corrected (so far).

I have prior experience with HTML design and with computer programming, but neither before in an Adobe environment. I find the text to be VERY easy-to-follow, and I am impressed enough with how it has helped me that I have ordered Photoshop CS CIB and Illustrator CS CIB. I'm no Go-Live whiz-kid yet, but the book has made me completely functional within just a couple of days. I definitely recommend it.

Beware if you buy this book- make CERTAIN that you buy/receive the "Revised Edition", or you may encounter the problems all these other reviewers have encountered.

Rating:
Summary: I nearly gave up
Review: I read the reviews and then hoped for the best as I could not find another book which would help me learn this programme. I use a MAC and I am reasonably computer savvy soI hoped I would be able to find some work-arounds if needed. All went well until Ch 8 when there were no scroll bars but by reducing the page size I could see what I needed. Ch 9 was the worst. To start with I had a copy of the finished file to pratice on. By deleting bits then trying to replace them I managed to do some of it but there were other problems as well. If I hadn't read the reviews I'd have given up at that point but fortunately the remaining chapters were almost trouble free. I have learnt a lot and I am confident I can create a simple web site using this programme. My other criticism is that the book tells you what to do but seldom explains why so although I have finished it I feel I still have an awful lot to learn so I understand the programme

Rating:
Summary: Error filled book.
Review: The absolute and complete arrogance of Adobe Systems to allow this book to be released boggles the imagination. I will never purchase one of their books without having a copy in my hands for inspection and review.

Granted Adobe Golive is not a first tier application at Adobe but can you imagine a book this bad being released if the subject was Photoshop or Acrobat?

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed with AdobePress
Review: This is the latest in a series of the famous "Adobe Classroom In A Book". It is part of the official training series for Adobe graphics, web and tools. As Webmaster for the Alaskan Apple Users Group (AAUG), I wanted to see what was new or different in GoLive CS.

The book is 520 pages and comes with a CD that includes files for thirteen lessons included in the book. It is for anyone who designs, develops and manages web sites. It teaches fundamental concepts and lessons designed to work at your own pace. If you are more familiar with GoLive, you can learn advanced features including tips and techniques. You can go start to finish or do only the lessons that corresponds to your interests or needs.

The lessons in this book "include information on the GoLive workflow. customizing the work area, converting layout grids to tables, creating stationery, spell checking, using variables with Smart Objects, adding date and time stamps, creating HTML styles, and working with Smart rollovers".

On to Lesson One! I opened the existing file Design Diagram.site. I clicked Diagram tab in the site window and double clicked to open the design file as instructed. A dialog window popped open with a message that said "Files included in Diagram may have changed location or been removed. Some pages or links within the diagram may be missing or drawn incorrectly". Hello! Didn't page one just tell me that all lessons had been revised to incorporate updated information on GoLive CS commands and tools? In the next paragraph in the book it said "Due to variables in system configurations, you may see an erroneous warning message regarding printing. You may safely disregard this message".Printing? I'm just trying to open the first file in Lesson one! I clicked "OK" to close the box and the lesson went well until I got to Adding Sections. While dragging a Section icon as instructed, the promised black bar did not appear that indicated the family relationship to the new page. No matter what I tried, it just wouldn't come up.

In the Creating a new design diagram section, there was a typo in 1: choose Diagram>New Design Diagram while the file menu simply says New Diagram. No biggie although I could not save the file as directed. Either the command was greyed out or when it wasn't and I saved the file, it didn't reflect as such on the top in the save red button. When I got to Adding Sections, dragging a section icon to the page didn't display the promised "black bar" indicating the family relationship to the new page!

I checked both Adobe and Peachpit Press to see if any "Errata" was posted. There was none. I really wanted to love this book as I have many in the Classroon Series. I am disappointed that it is rippled with errors and omissions.

I'm going to go through all the lessons as I am sure that the bulk of the book is good. It's just a shame that this book was not tested and edited more thoroughly.

Pros: Wonderful layout with lots of graphics, easy to follow instructions, review questions and answers at the end of each chapter.

Cons: Incorrect instructions, errors and typos. Not up to par with Adobe's Classroom in A Book series.

Rating:
Summary: More Bugs than a Barn
Review: This is without a doubt the worst How-To book I have ever read. A 45 minute lesson will take you hours because you have to figure out work arounds for all the incorrect directions given. This book must have been put out by the same U.S. team that decided we could build a new missile system without testing. It is a total bomb. I gave it one star because I couldn't give it negative stars. Check out Adobe On Line Forum for GoLive for lists of errors in this waste of good trees.