Correct me if I'm wrong, but the low cost of Coffee Cup (HTML and Visual) seems to be misleading, as many of the features included in other programs (Dreamweaver, Expression, etc.) must be purchased separately, which isn't revealed until after you start to work with the program.

Can you give some examples of the features that are missing that are included in the other programs? I've never used Dream Weaver, Expression, etc:) I've never heard of a webdesign program called etc. I tried Goggling it with no luck.

The features I'm referring to are, for example, CSS, Flash menus, customizing graphics, web forms, FTP, videos, etc. (which, by the way, means "and so forth"). In other words, all the programs that they list as for sale separately for between $19 and $129 under "software".

Well here goes, say you did purchase dreamweaver for the roughly 500.00 it goes for, certainly you would have all the features that are in the CC library for around 329.00. plus every time you upgrade dreamweaver you need to drop around 100-150.00 while with CC you get free upgrades for life.

Rarely in any adobe forum do you see the developers, VP's and other assorted team members, while here it is common place.

Finally, since every piece of the software library is available as a full feature free download for you to try before you buy, your assessment of "misleading" is completely inaccurate.

Sometimes the best thing about something not being included is that your not paying for something your not going to use. Plus every feature you listed is available free on the net. CC also offers some cool bundles that will include a lot of those features if you want their take on it, which helps a lot for new users because we can help them in this forum more easily knowing the software program their using. Some of those features your referencing about are included with some of the software so you really need to be a little more specific when comparing programs. I remember when I was first looking at doing some webdesign and I compared a bunch but the path kept leading back to CC and after a few free trials I was sold. I've also made quite a few new friends here in the forum. Hope you join the family.

There may be a grain of truth in what you're saying - but only "a grain"!
The CC HTML Editor is still a truly great value!
Let's take a couple of your pieces one by one here for a moment:
- Flash menus is something you really should not be using these days anyway! Instead, The CC Editor has a more current CSS menu maker, - built-in.
- FTP is built-in in the Editor as well as in the VSD
- As an option, video is part of HTML5 now anyway...
etc., etc.,... ( )
Paying hundreds of dollars for a software package that "includes everything" in a rapidly evolving technology environment is probably not a very good idea! Maybe you don't want to get stuck with Dreamweaver's particular version of "customizing graphics" (whatever that means...!?) when Photoshop, Gimp - or even Irfanview - may do things better and cheaper. The same goes for many other "modules" that may be included in the very expensive, 'complete' packages.
To me, the CC HTML Editor (for example) remains an incredibly good value, - and I get free updates for life...! How can you beat it...?

In response to David Wilson...
First of all, the retail price for DW CC5 from Adobe is $399, not the $500 you implied. Also, while I agree that free updates for life is a great deal, only assuming I have concluded that CC is the right product to purchase to start with.

By "misleading" what I mean is that for someone like me, who owns a software development company but who isn't a programmer, it's difficult to feel that you are comparing "apples to apples" when you look at a top 10 list of WYSIWYG HTML Editors and CC is priced so much lower, only to find out when you investigate further that many of the programs are essentially all-inclusive while several add-ons must be purchased separately to have CC be on par feature-to-feature with the others.

While I realize that all of these add-ons are available for traial download, so are all other products that I'm attempting to compare, including DW CC5. However, in my opinion, if you are able to download and try all of the CC add-ons, figure out how they work, and then compare these solutions to all of the other programs you have downloaded and tried, then you are probably capable of building a website with just about any tool available on the market. However, if you are a non-programmer like me, well you are in for a long and confusing experience.

In response to Per...
The "pieces" I refer to (flash menus, FTP, video, customizing graphics) are not from me or Adobe, but rather come from the descriptions of the add-on software programs listed on the CC website.

In response to Eric...
I agree that the ability to purchase only what you want is great...but only if you know enough about building websites to know what you should have. I have only built one website in my life and that was with FrontPage about 15 years ago.

In rsponse to all...
The bottom line is this (and be completely honest). Keeping in mind that I'm not able to do HTML and will need heavy wizard-driven assistance with any product, what will I NOT be able to do with CC that will be possible with DW, or what will be more difficult with CC than with DW?

To be honest I don't care. I chose a direction and I'm staying with it. I have helped a lot of users on this forum, after I was helped, and in doing so taught myself a good deal of HTML, CSS, PHP, and JavaScript. How cool is that.

So CC marketing strategy of providing stand alone tools and having us select what ones to put in our tool box is different than the norm, but not misleading, by it's very definition, you are implying deceitful behaviour, where none exists.

the dw cs5 i found in that range was cut down no documentation student versions, personally if you found a full version, full document un registered version of dw cs5 for sub 400, I'd buy it, it seems to do everything for you

monkjr, Just to clarify, the ambassadors and senior advisor's in the forum are not employees of CC

So you are getting un biased opinions from regular CC users all of whom have bought and paid for the programs they are using

I for one (ambassador) 3 years ago had not the fogiest idea how to write a website, no html, and didnt even know what FTP was.

My two hapense worth : you get what you pay for, and with CC you get a whole lot more, dozens of satisfied customers at any given time, giving up their free time to help newcomers (and some not so new) where to be blunt i bought other software, and it was a total waste of money, as it was too complicated for me to use, and from the lack of helpful forum members etc. i guess many others found the same.

Oh and if you get your work done before the free trial period runs out, on some programs you may never have to pay at all, FREE TRIALS and some of them dont have advertising banners on (some do)
BUY SCCP & a free trial download of SCDP, to see what i mean