Is Freehand Popularity or Usage Dwindling?

[thorium]

This probably isn't the place to solicit unbiased opinions but I am truly
curious about something. Today I decided it was time to get more familiar with
this tool, MX 2004 Freehand, that I pay for everytime I upgrade Studio. I
thought I'd poke around for some good tutorials and links. What I found for the
most part was way outdated information and lots of broken links from the MM
support area. Then, shopping at retail Borders and Barnes &Noble, I found only
one book on Freehand, the Sandee Cohen Visual Quickstart Guide.

Moreover, Freehand doesn't even have an 'Exchange' area like the other tools
of the MM Studio MX 2004.

So, what's the deal, is Freehand pretty much a dead tool? Is Illustrator
reigning supreme or is some other tool taking over. My own opinion is that
Freehand is complex and powerful tool useful for tasks more advanced than
Fireworks can handle.

tom

[Tajimon]

Yes I believe you are correct. But I think the main problem is that macromedia
is concentrating on FLASH and DREAMWEAVER. Because I have worked as a designer
in both the middle east and north america I know that the domination of certain
software isnt because of how good it is but rather how well you the marketing
of said product is. Macromedia have an excellent tool with freehand. They
combine both the vector based illustration possibilities that ADOBE Illustrator
has with the multipage layouts of QuarkXpress. In an affordable package and all
wrapped up in one software. In the middle east they like that kind of
pragmatism and so they stick to freehand but they use illustrator on and off.
The problem I see with the Studio MX series ... especially the 2004 package is
that freehand is the only one in that package that is of MX not MX2004 grading.
Its like macromedia has given up on their own product.. which is a huge shame
because all they would have to do to dominate the print world with freehand is
maybe just promote it a bit more. Maybe integrate some of the cool features
that FLASH MX has with its vector illustration capabilities. There are several
books that you can buy on freehand but you are correct the online tutorials I
found recently where all of freehand 8 or so... I've been working on this
software since version 7 .. if I recall correctly. And honestly I used to
prefer using it to adobe's illustrator.. when I moved west no one would hire me
cause I prefered designing in freehand so I went and had to learn how ot use
illustrator... Now Adobe has this product indesign that is somewhat
freehand-esque it has vector editing capabilities as well as multi page support
.... and now more and more people ar e asking me if I can use it... hey once you
use an adobe product.. its pretty intuative... like macromedia products... but
the problem is that adobe dominates the north american market and macromedia
just seem happy to have come up with the flash format.. yeay flash... change
the world of the internet... and help kill brother freehand a shame really... i
like freehand.
Try [url]http://www.lynda.com[/url] they usually have some good video tutorials and books
.... last package for freehand they had that I bought was for freehand 10 ...
but that was a while ago... try lookin anyway!

[maxman23]

Oh, man, is that a loaded question! Do you have a few hours to kill?

I will let others more patient than I attempt to answer you in a manner more
deserving of your innocent, good-natured question. But before I take my leave,
I'll venture my own opinion that FreeHand is an awesome tool which Macromedia
seems embarrassed to get behind these days. Seems certain poobahs who reign
high up in the company hierarchy would rather FreeHand wither and die, like,
yesterday awwready.

There are still many faithful users left... you'll find us in here. But our
numbers are dwindling. Macromedia thinks the web is the only thing that matters
any more; print is dead and Adobe has cornered the market. Rather, I'm guessing
that's what Macromedia thinks - it's tough to get handle on what this opaque
corporate culture thinks of one of its oldest products.

I love FH too much to abandon it so soon. But I despair for it on a regular
basis. The only other FH users I know of are ones you will encounter in this
forum. In my line of work, Illustrator for the Mac, and things like Illustrator
and CorelDraw on the PC side, are the heavyweights. I am the odd man out - and
I wouldn't mind in the least, provided I wasn't harbouring the suspicion that
this venerable app's days are numbered.

I'll quit here before I sound like I am delivering a eulogy. Cheers!

[ElliotRock]

It is also how certain regions sales division of Macromedia pushes the product,
in New Zealand no body uses Illustrator because the Macromedia reps are full on
with the apple and publishing industry.

I used Illustrator for many years and found it weak and annoying to use. I
switched to Freehand because of it's simplicity with manipulation of objects
and it's tradiationally oriented usage of type. It is still one of the most
compatible packages except with Flash, which is funny. Flash can import .ai
files but not freehand?? Come on think about it!!!!

Macromedia could make Freehand such a strong companion to Flash and dominate.
You still need to design vector graphics for Flash and Flash is too weak
because it can't be used for print. Print isn't dead but works a long side the
web.

I wonder if the divisions that develop Flash and Freehand have every heard of
each other? Macromedia does seem to be content with putting out small web
packages that I have never seen used in web development, which most seem too
tied in with the rest of their products for any knowledgable web developer to
consider.

Macromedia where are you? Freehand needs you? I need Freehand! I can't stand
Coral Draw and Illustrator!

[Tom Unger]

ElliotRock;
Actually Freehand file import was/is available in flash 5+, however I
would agree that it should have been there since the beginning. -Tom Unger

[Pappy]

thorium,

I think that the main problem with the usership of FH right now is that they
are exhausted. They have been fighting and railing against Macromedia for so
long that they dont have the energy to encourage others to fight against the
adobe juggernaut and try Freehand.

In my opinion, Illustrator makes me work way too hard to get similar results
from Freehand. Unfortunately, I also have to weigh my current Freehand
experiences against past versions of Freehand and typically I would have to
say, the current version of Freehand makes me work harder to get some of the
same tasks done than in previous versions of itself. (the arcane and byzantine
wranglings of the objects panel for instance) Still, I hang on hoping that the
next version of Freehand is where the current developers finally get their
stride.

Pappy