Spin a dazzling page - review of seven Web authoring applications - includes related article on presentation programs and HTML - Build Your Own Web Site - Software Review - Evaluation

Home Office Computing, June, 1997 by Hailey Lynne McKeefry

* Pages that don't link back to the site's home page.

* Pages that lack an e-mail link to the site owner's mailbox.

* Graphics larger than 40K.

* Pages that take longer than five seconds to download at 14.4Kbps.

WADING INTO THE WEB

Before you Buy a Web Page Builder, Chck Out the Software You Already Have

MAYBE YOU JUST WANT TO GET YOUR FEET WET in the waters of HTML. You can do that without spending a penny, if you have a common presentation program. Often these programs, with a single command, will convert your presentation slides into HTML format and will convert your images automatically to either JPEG or GIF format to Web viewing. We looked at three popular presentation programs found in the top-selling office suites: Microsoft PowerPoint 97, Corel Presentations 7, and Lotus Freelance Graphics 97.

Of the three presenters wer looked at, Microsoft PowerPoint 97 (800-426-9400, 222.microsoft.com; $399, upgrade $109) has the most comprehensive feature set. Choosing the Save as HTML command on the file menu brings up Microsoft's Internet Assistant to help y9ou customize pages. The six-step process prompts you to specify a graphic type, size, page information, colors, buttons, and layout parameters. Once you've provided the necessary information, you can save the setting for use on future presentations.

Corel Presentations 7 (800-772-6735, www.corel.com; $99.95), when you choose the File/Publish to HTML command, gives you a choice of creating a Frame-Enhanced Page, a Multiple Page (one page per slide), a single Page (all slides on a single page), and a single Gallery (all slides as thumbnails on a single page). Each slide is exported to the GIF format and placed in an HTML page, complete with arrows for navigating through the sides. At the end of the save proves, you are given the option to preview your presentation in your Web browser.

Lotus Freelance Graphics 97 (800-426-7682, www/lotus.com; $335, upgrade $105) providews a similarly simple approach. By launching the file/Internet/Publish Web Pages comand, the open file is automatically translated into HTML. You ca also choose to save the file to an FTP server. Like Corel, this program gives you the option of going directly to your browser to examine your newest Web creation.

So, even if you feel like a nonswimmer in the depths of the Internet, dive right in--the water's fine [TABULAR DATA OMITTED]

--Philip Albinus, Software Editor