Macromedia Launches Fireworks

Several programs have appeared over the past few years that let designers build Web pages without resorting to a handful of specialized tools. With its release of Fireworks 1.0 this week, Macromedia is attempting to do the same for Web graphics: unite the dozen or so different tools in a designer’s toolbox into a one-stop solution. Incorporating text, vector, and bitmap drawing tools, Fireworks optimizes images for the Web, displays real-time previews of changes, and includes features for applying and removing text and graphics effects. The estimated street price is $299; a 9.6 MB trial version is available for downloading.