REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 7, 1997 — Macintosh users today gained an exciting new way to create and manage professional-quality Web sites with the beta release of the Microsoft® FrontPage
™
Web authoring and management tool version 1.0 for Macintosh. The new version of Microsoft’s critically acclaimed, industry-leading Web publishing software is now available to Macintosh users, without charge (connect-time charges may apply), from the Microsoft Web site at . Widespread retail availability of FrontPage 1.0 for Macintosh is expected in March 1997.
Microsoft FrontPage 1.0 for Macintosh includes a number of technical breakthroughs for both individual users and collaborative corporate intranet environments, including wizards and templates to aid users in creating Web sites, intuitive WYSIWYG editing, support for the newest Internet technologies (such as ActiveX
™
technologies, Java
™
components, JavaScript, the
Visual Basic® programming system, Scripting Edition, and Plug-Ins), robust Web site management capabilities, and compatibility with Microsoft Office for Macintosh. The new software is designed for nonprogrammers, yet it is robust enough for experienced Web site developers.
FrontPage is one of the most sophisticated cross-platform Web authoring and management tools available. Whether running in an environment with machines based on the Macintosh, Windows® 95 or Windows NT® operating system, FrontPage makes collaboration easy for everyone. The product looks the same across platforms, and because FrontPage is a client/server application, remote authoring and management of a Web site can be conducted by multiple users on multiple platforms at the same time.
“FrontPage 1.0 for Macintosh builds on the great success and popularity of previous Windows-compatible versions,”
said George Meng, group product manager of Microsoft FrontPage.
“The combination of FrontPage ease of use, complete feature set and compatibility with Microsoft Office will bring Web publishing to an entirely new group of users – regardless of the platform they use.”
“Microsoft’s FrontPage 1.0 for the Mac is a great example of the powerful Internet tools now available for our customers, further strengthening the Macintosh as a platform for Internet content development,”
said Andy Lauta, director of AppleNet product marketing at Apple Computer Inc.
”
FrontPage provides our users with another excellent Web publishing solution and reinforces Apple’s position in this market. We are pleased to see Microsoft continue to
demonstrate its commitment to the Macintosh platform and our joint customers.
“
Microsoft FrontPage 1.0 for Macintosh includes the following key features and functionality:
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Tables and frames. FrontPage 1.0 for Macintosh makes it easy to create WYSIWYG tables and frames, enabling users to communicate and present Web site content powerfully. With the help of a self-explanatory dialog box or wizard, the most difficult tasks come to life quickly.
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Easy HTML editing. The ability to edit HTML source code directly within FrontPage delivers maximum flexibility to Macintosh users with a knowledge of HTML. The product also includes support for the latest HTML tags, such as the ability to insert marquee text, watermarks, and background images and sounds in FrontPage-based Web sites.
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Preview in browser. This feature allows Macintosh users to view their work before publishing to the Web with any browser they have and on an array of screen sizes. Users of FrontPage 1.0 for Macintosh can be confident their sites will look good to any online visitor.
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AutoCorrect Links. FrontPage 1.0 for Macintosh allows users to automatically update all occurrences of a hyperlink throughout their Web site when a file is moved or renamed. The product also allows for easy, on-call verification of internal and external links.
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WebBot
™
components. FrontPage 1.0 for Macintosh provides users with prepackaged CGI scripts (such as full-text searching, threaded discussion groups and survey forms), allowing them to drop powerful interactive functionality in their Web sites without having to program or write the code themselves. -
To-Do List. This unique feature in FrontPage makes it easy for users to manage the flow of information when collaborating with others on their dynamic Web sites.
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Import Wizard. This feature allows easy importing of existing Web sites. Making use of precreated content is the fastest way for users to take advantage of the robust functionality of FrontPage.
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Multiuser remote authoring. FrontPage 1.0 for Macintosh gives users the ability to set permissions for multiple authors to enable collaborative Web creation and management, no matter what the users’ location. The product also contains a multihoming feature that allows a single server to host Web sites with different domain names.
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Database Connectivity Wizard. This wizard walks Macintosh users through the process of connecting to and performing dynamic database queries, making it easy to deliver this functionality on a FrontPage-based Web site.
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Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0 for Macintosh. Including the award-winning Macintosh browser in the FrontPage box provides users with one of the best tools to view the next generation in rich and exciting Web content, to communicate and collaborate with users everywhere, and to fully personalize the online experience.
The beta version of FrontPage 1.0 for Macintosh has garnered rave reviews from early product testers.
“Because our organization works in a mixed-platform environment, the introduction of FrontPage on the Macintosh provides a much-needed content creation and management solution, allowing all users to freely contribute to the corporate intranet no matter what platform they are working on,”
said Chad Gallant, partner, Tom Nicholson Associates.
“FrontPage 1.0 for the Macintosh puts powerful Web authoring and management features within easy reach, making the organization – especially users who regularly contribute to the Web – more productive overall. We didn’t want ease of use to come at the expense of powerful, fully functional tools. FrontPage 1.0 for the Macintosh delivers both advantages, including such features as the ability to directly edit HTML from within FrontPage.”
“FrontPage 1.0 for the Macintosh is a remarkably complete offering for Macintosh webmasters or mixed Macintosh and Intel webmasters, who should be pleased with both the scope of the offering and its ease of use,”
said Rob Enderle, senior analyst, Giga Information Group.
“Microsoft’s Macintosh team should be congratulated on both the content and the quality of this initial release.”
FrontPage Complements Existing Tools, Skills
FrontPage 1.0 for Macintosh looks and works like an Office for Macintosh application, making it easy for millions of Macintosh users to combine the content creation capabilities of their familiar Office applications with the Web publishing features in FrontPage. FrontPage can handle both HTML and Office documents and manage the links between them.
Macintosh users can also check for spelling across their Web sites using the same robust spell-checking method they use in their Macintosh Office applications. With this functionality available across the entire Web site, Macintosh users will not have to go through each page of their sites manually, saving time and reducing errors. FrontPage 1.0 for Macintosh also offers a global Find-and-Replace function that works like the Find-and-Replace function in Macintosh Office applications. Availability, Pricing and System Requirements
Microsoft FrontPage 1.0 for Macintosh is expected to be on store shelves before the end of March 1997 for a suggested retail price of $149. In addition, current customers of Microsoft Office for Macintosh, or any of its standalone applications, are eligible for a $40 mail-in rebate.
The product is optimized for the Power Macintosh, runs on System 7.5 or later, requires 16 MB of RAM (24 MB recommended) and 16-19 MB of available hard disk space, a CD-ROM drive, and a VGA or higher resolution video adapter (Super VGA 256-color recommended).
Computer users worldwide can obtain information on Microsoft FrontPage at and on other Microsoft products at the company’s World Wide Web home page at .
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft, FrontPage , ActiveX , Visual Basic , Windows , Windows NT and WebBot are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems Inc.
Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
For online product information:
Microsoft FrontPage Web site:
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.
