iWeb VS. RapidWeaver

I’m sure RealMac Software didn’t exactly enjoy their trip to Macworld. As you know, Apple has come out with a brand new application, iWeb, that is bundled in with iLife. iWeb has many similarities with RapidWeaver, such as single-button publishing, templates, integration with iLife and podcasting, as well as many similarities with editing and photos.

I have tested out RapidWeaver, and back then, I was pretty impressed. I loved how it made it so easy to make a website, and also how it is so integrated with iLife. I did not like the $35 price-tag, but if really needed it, I would have bought the full-version.

I have purchased iLife ’06, and have used iWeb. I do not have a .Mac account, so I could not use the one-button publishing feature, but iWeb allows you to save to a folder to upload with your own FTP application. iWeb has awesome templates, and really cool features like image reflection. iWeb has that great iApp interface, just like RapidWeaver, but is much simpler and easier to use. And don’t forget some new features, like photocasting and support for Garageband’s new podcasting studio. One of the coolest things about iWeb is its drag-and-drop capability. With iLife’s new media browser, you can drag-and-drop in photo albums, movies, and audio. The media browser makes it so easy to import all of your media to share on the web.

I like both applications. But if I was an average user, I’d be more interested in iWeb, with its much simpler design and ease-of-use. The templates in iWeb look so professional, while RapidWeaver’s needs improvement. If I was building a website, I would probably be more interested in RapidWeaver, since it includes more features and it is more complex. Maybe this move by Apple will influence Real Mac Software to improve their software and their templates.