Using a solid backend, Contribute does everything Macromedia promises — updating your website in three basic steps; Browse (for the pages you want to edit), Edit (WYSIWIG, no differently than changing an average word processing document), and Publish (at the push of one single button). Everything from correcting a simple spelling mistake to creating a slew of new pages works the same way.The simple method is supported by a clean, no-nonsense interface that’s so intuitive you’ll hardly need to bother with tutorials or help files if you’ve got a rudimentary level of website knowledge.

But don’t let the ‘web publishing lite’ aesthetic fool you — it’s not a poor cousin to Dreamweaver or GoLive, but a serious contender with the features to back up professional-level use.

Besides updating the work method for Mac OSX, it incorporates e-commerce integration by letting you add PayPal accessibility (through simple wizards that add buttons like ‘boy now’ or ‘shopping cart’ to your site).

The one downside is that because Contribute supports Flashpaper (Macromedia’s proprietary method for embedding platform-independent documents), you can’t add a PDF. What’s more, Flashpaper is only supported in Windows, so Mac users will be twice as inconvenienced.

Otherwise, Contribute is a great idea well executed. You’ll rarely find another basic-level web page editor that keeps you safely away from the code but gives you the power you need.

Developer:
Macromedia

System Requirements:
Microsoft Windows 98 SE, Me, 2000, or XP.x0AMac OS X 10.1.5, 10.2.5, or 10.2.6.

RRP:
A$170

Rating:
4/5