Adobe Contribute 4.0 supports the three most popular blogging platforms - Blogger, Typepad, and Wordpress. Like the Google Blogger Add-on for Microsoft Word, Contribute 4 will let you blog directly inside Excel, Word or Microsoft Outlook. And then there's the BlogThis like toolbar for IE and Firefox that will automatically public the selected content on the webpage to your blog.
None of these Blogging features in Adobe Contribute are ground-breaking in any sense and we have seen all of them [and even more] in existing blogging software like the ubiquitous Windows Live Writer from Microsoft. The only difference here is that Adobe is asking you to shell out $149 for something that's available for free on the internet.
Agree that Contribute is more than just an offline blog editing software and is aimed primarily at non-techie content publishers who can update website content in a collabarative manner without having to learn HTML and other technical details.
However, if you watch the Adobe Contribute Feature Tour or read this DevNet article, it becomes clear that Adobe is targetting bloggers with this new release. Even the press release says "Adobe Adds Sophisticated Blogging Capabilities to Contribute 4"
I feel that it may be very tough for Adobe to justify the high cost of Contribute 4.0 which is infact limited to just three blogging platforms and offers no new features that are not available in Windows Live Writer. The millions of bloggers out there can stay away and they won't miss anything.
Macromedia Contribute 4.0 blogging features were first demonstrated at the Macromedia MAX conference.
Adobe Flashpaper 2, which was initiall a part of Macromedia Contribute 3, is now available as a separate product or as part of Adobe Studio 8.
Adobe Contribute 4.0 | Download Adobe Contribute 4.0
Reader Comments
US $149 is justified to me. try developing a software on your own and you will know how much time it can consume. Think IT price is going down and down ..yes its because people like you who would spend US $10 to watch a movie but not a software that makes job simpler. talk about shooting on your foot !!
Written on 21/11/06 11:07 AM
I must disagree with Roy's comment and with Mr. Agarwal.
The cost of software development is of no consequence when the software itself offers nothing setting it apart from free or cheaper programs. The cost of may Abobe programs are outrageously overpriced for what they offer in comparison to others. And yes, I would rather spend US $10 on a movie than throw it away on redundant, unexceptional software.
Written on 23/11/06 3:58 AM
I think Contribute is priced about right.
I use it, and teach others to use it, and I can't think of another program that does what it does so well. Is there any other easy-to-use content editing software out there? Contribute is competing mainly with content management systems and they aren't so easy to install and get working.
I'm working mainly with nonprofits and they buy software at a discount; £100 or so is not much for a business; and for an individual with a hobby site, well most people spend out on their hobbies.
If Contribute only did blogging it would be a waste of money. But Contribute removes my clients' reliance on a web designer and the costs of getting a designer to do updates outweights the cost of buying software.
Also, Contribute has next to no training cost, it's so simple to use.
(One personal bugbear: Contribute, even in version 4, suffers from ftp connectivity problems.)
Written on 3/12/06 6:10 AM