Reviews for Fireworks 4 for Windows and Macintosh (Visual QuickStart Guides)

1. A CD-ROM would have helped enormously!

   Rated 3 out of 5 stars, August 12th, 2001

   As an absolute beginner in Fireworks, I was looking for something that would get me up & running FAST. I didn't get it from this Quickstart guide - simply because every exercise needs an image to work with, and none were supplied. Catch 22!! The book itself is jam-packed with illustrations, and would have been marvellous IF the images had been supplied on a CD-ROM so I could use them to work through the lessons. I abandoned this manual after a couple of days of frustration & am now using Macromedia's own 'Dreamweaver 4/Fireworks 4 Training from the Source' (which DOES come with a CD of examples for each lesson and, despite its title, concentrates almost exclusively on Fireworks) - to get me through that first sharp training curve. I'll (probably) revisit Ms Cohen's book once I've mastered the basics of the package. A great shame, because the book clearly has a lot of info to offer both the novice & more experienced user, & the chapters are well-organised.

2. Brilliant Book whether you are new or an Advanced user

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, May 12th, 2001

   When i purchased this book i never knew the nice surprise that was awaiting me. I did not have a clue on how to use Fireworks 4, so i thought i was going to have a bit of a task learning this book. I was delighted to find that right from the very beginning i was able to get right into learning Fireworks without any delay, as i must say that the Author needs to be commended on the ease of use and the way this book is detailed, as it definitely has to be one of the most easiest books i have ever had to read, and believe me that when you have started into this book, you will not want to put it down, as you will be only too anxious to get to the next lesson. This Fireworks 4 is one of the most sophisticated, but easiest to learn Programs i have ever had the privilage to learn, with everythng from the new snazzy Disjointed Rollovers, Popup Menus, and the brilliant Update Manager that allows you to update your pages in Dreamweaver straight from Fireworks itself. Another fantastic utility is the awesome Batch process feature. I could go on and on, but i would definitely use up a lot more space than i am allowed for my View on this item. From the very start to the very end you will be on the edge of your seat with the ease of learning and the amount of features this Program contains. If you are new to the game do not be afraid of this book, as you will be amazed at the teaching you will get from it, as i was a complete Dummie when i started this book, but i can safely say that i could happily be confident on giving lessons on Fireworks 4 with the amount of knowledge i have now gained. A must for the beginner or the advanced user, as you will not be disappointed. The effects you will be able to achieve on your Site after reading this book will be well up with the Pro's. Deserves a lot more stars than 5. Verdict. Awesome I wish all books were laid out this well. Usually i would take maybe a week or two to read a book like this, but in 3 days i became a expert, as when i lifted the book i just could not put it down, as because of the description layout i was just able to take so much in with so much ease. GET IT...

3. Yet another great Visual Quickstart title!

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, March 12th, 2001

   Having already purchased Visual Quickstart Guides for Flash and Dreamweaver I thought I'd wait until the guide for the new version of Fireworks came out before upgrading my software.

   This book didn't disappoint. Clear and concise with great screenshots, this book is equally fair to Windows and Mac users as screenshots use each interface alternately. Whether you want to edit and enhance images or wish to construct web-page effects such as rollovers and animation then this book will let you get straight into it with no fuss. You can either read it as you set about getting your hands dirty with Fireworks 4 or you can go straight to the chapter you wish and jump straight in as all shortcut instructions are repeated throughout the book. Experienced users of Fireworks or other Macromedia titles will also find this very handy for referencing snippets of info quickly using the formidable index or for refreshing their memory on what the package can do. Also the book details how to easily create the 'all the rage' pop-up menus that the better sites are using these days.

   I would heartily recommend this title to design novices and experts alike and with every Macromedia package I buy the Visual Quickstart Guide for it is an essential companion.