Microsoft Expression Web Designer Beta

I was invited to the Expression Web Designer (the much needed replacement for the terrible Microsoft Front Page) beta today, and so far my impression of the beast is not good.

And it hasn’t even finished installing yet.

After downloading the 250-odd megabyte install file and double-clicking like a trained Microsoft monkey (think Robert Scoble), the installer prompted me if I really wanted to proceed, then extracted the setup files, and promptly launched a progress dialog of the install. While I can understand that Microsoft may want to simplify the install process, there are absolutely no options related to the install. I have no idea where it is installing to, or what components are being installed. I’m quite annoyed with the product already, and I haven’t even gotten to the first launch.

Microsoft better change this for the final version, as I know I’m not alone in not liking installers that don’t give a hint of what they are doing.

Speaking of the install, this is taking freaking ages…

Update: Now that it has finished, it wants to restart the computer. This is a web design product, and I already had ASP.Net and any other things that may have been prerequisites installed, why should I have to reboot?

May 4, 2006 3 Comments ,

  • http://www.gadgetophile.com Ben

    So no choice of where to install or anything? That’s insanely bad. I personally try to keep games out of my
    ‘Program Files’ folder, and it annoys the hell out of me when I’m not given that choice.

  • http://www.manjushreeinfotech.com Debasish Bhattacharyya

    I am new to MS Expression Web. I am currently using BETA version.I have also installed .Net Framework 2.After adding a GRIDVIEW in a aspx file using Expression Web and trying to execute,it shows following message at the browser–
    “Could not load type System.Web.UI.WebControls.GridView from assembly System.Web, Version=1.0.3300.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a.”

    Line 12:
    Line 13:
    Line 14:
    Line 15:

    Please provide me support.

  • http://www.microsoft.com/ Bhaggya Solangaarachchi

    Tell your server to run your website in IIS on .NET Framework 2.0 or higher.

    OR

    If you run it on your own server, goto [Control Panel]>[Administrative Tools]>[Internet Information Services]
    and
    Expand [Local Computer]>[Web Sites]
    and
    Right click [Default Web Site] (or whatever your site name)
    and
    click [Properties].
    Goto [ASP.NET] tab.
    Select the latest version available from [ASP.NET version] combo.
    If the combo has only version 1.x then you don’t have .NET Framework 2.0 correctly installed in your server.
    You cant get it free from:-
    http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=0856eacb-4362-4b0d-8edd-aab15c5e04f5&DisplayLang=en