Microsoft Expression Web

CNET editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Setup and interface : 7.0
  Features : 8.0
  Performance : 0.0
  Service and support : 6.0
  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Elsa Wenzel
• Reviewed on: 05/21/2007

Microsoft may not be the first name that comes to mind when it comes to digital design. With its rollout of Expression software, however, the company is vying to win over users of Adobe Dreamweaver and other tools such as Namo WebEditor. The $299 Expression Web, which replaces FrontPage, is the Web design application in Microsoft's new lineup.

To run Expression Web, you should have Windows XP SP2 or Windows Server 2003 SP1 or newer, or the new Windows Vista. Make sure to check the ReadMe section of Microsoft's Web site before installation, as you may have to add Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 and uninstall any beta versions of Microsoft Office 2007. A trial download of Expression Web is available at CNET Download.com.

We spent about 15 minutes installing Expression Web. Once you have the program running, you can choose from a variety of templates to get started with a personal or professional Web site. We like that Expression Web includes templates for CSS designs as well as ASP.NET forms. Expression Web will also open an existing Web site or import one via FrontPage extensions, FTP, HTTP, or WebDAV. However, Dreamweaver CS3 does offer more template choices.

Expression Web looks a lot like Dreamweaver. When you insert an image, Expression Web prompts you to add "alt" tags to ensure that your page meets the latest accessibility standards.

The interface of Expression Web looks significantly similar to that of Dreamweaver. You can view code or design, or both. Page views, folders, tools and other elements are divided into panes that you can dock and drag and drop nearly anywhere on the screen.

Anyone migrating from Dreamweaver should be able to jump right in and use Expression Web without much effort. If you breathe dynamic Web design, then Expression Web offers solid features for managing XHTML, Cascading Style Sheets, and XML. Expression Web is even less cluttered than Dreamweaver in this regard. We found it easy to move the same Web pages between both programs without causing problems in the code. Plus, Expression Web supports W3C accessibility standards for designing pages for people with disabilities--a must-have for those creating business Web sites.

Where to buy

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Recent user reviews

• Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 5 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars Write review

• Showing 3 of 5 user reviews

• 1.5 stars

  0 out of 1 people found this helpful

  "Do not spend money on this."

  by misshypno on September 29, 2009

• 4.5 stars

  "Easy to learn and powerful CSS"

  by pbdrums on February 17, 2009

• 0.5 stars

  4 out of 6 people found this helpful

  "ONE OF THE WORST!!"

  by BRR on September 3, 2008

• See all 5 user reviews Write review

Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

• alaTest.com

  Editors' rating: 85

  Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 44 reviews of Microsoft Expression Web from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 75/100 and users 67/100. Comparing these reviews to 32787 other Business reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 85/100 = Very Good.

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• techradar.com

  Editors' rating: 80

  Summary: Like Dreamweaver, there are Visual Aids accessible through the View menu - colour-coded outlines that show you where CSS blocks and other attributes are in your page

  Read full review

• digitalartsonline.co.uk

  Editors' rating: 70

  Summary: The application's interface actually turns out to be a joy to use, and the various toolbars are easy to rework into a formation that suits the user. Inevitably, comparisons with Dreamweaver abound when working with Expression Web, but although ...

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• pcworld.com

  Editors' rating: 80

  Read full review

• pcplus.co.uk

  Editors' rating: 80

  Summary: Microsoft gets serious in its attempts to topple Dreamweaver

  Read full review

• pcmag.com

  Editors' rating: 90

  Summary: Unless you're married to Dreamweaver, Expression Web is the editor to use for modern, efficient Web sites.

  Read full review