Reviews (3)

Excellent teaching tool
I gave this product five stars because it deservs five stars. I am an aspiring Authorware developer and I have been searching for a product that would teach me the nuances of using Authorware. I bought (many) books on learning to use Authorware but something was always missing during the process. Mr. Webster provided that missing link. He did a superb job of teaching each topic from start to finish with clarity and patience. The difference between good and bad program development were readily demonstrated - it could not have been better (except when he produces Authorware 7 of the series). I can confidently go ahead now with developing my own projects based on the knowledge gained from using Authorware 6 by Mr. Webster. I highly recommend this learning tool!

Bestlearning tool for Authorware 7 I've found
I bought a copy of Authoware 7 about 3 months ago.Since then I've used a number of information sources to help me tackle the steep learning curve for this program.I think the three best resources that I've found so far are (in order):
Excellent resource for making Authorware accessible!
I have struggled to get into Authorware 7.0 for some time and have found the various Authorware books equally difficult for a complete novice. Colin Webster's approach is superb. The Quicktime tutorials take you through Authorware's 6.0's icons and interactions in real time, allowing you to practise by yourself and return at any stage to review his approach and recommendations. The VTC interface is easy to use. I think it is excellent value for money. Several hours of watching these tutorials has taught me far more than the many more hours I have spent poring over Macromedia's official documentation or the TAAM or Jennie Thornton books. I hope VTC can persuade Colin Webster to produce a further CD-Rom (focused on version 7) to explain the more sophisticated and advanced stuff that he cannot explore as fully in his Authorware 6 training video. For a teacher who cannot afford the time or money to attend commercially-priced training courses in AW7, this VTC product represents fantastic value for money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: General    2. Computers    3. General   

Reviews (3)

Not up to date
There have been so many changes in authorware that this book, while handy for it's time, is not a valid resource anymore. IT really lacks because of this, missing on some of the finer points of the newer authorware systems and abilities. Most of the high points of this book are moot now, expecially with the advent of Flash integration, the expanded Calculator Icon, and the higher movie integration.

A graduate student from Penn State
I found the book to be very useful even though I am using Authorware 5. The exercises were effective and the videos on the CD were great.Much better than the manuals.

Short & sweet
Good for version 3.5 or earlier. Works well as a personal tutor. Covers critical aspects very well. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer-Aided Instruction (General)    4. Computers    5. Computers - Languages / Programming    6. Database Management - General    7. Interactive & Multimedia    8. Macromedia Authorware    9. Multi-Media Hardware & Software    10. Multimedia systems    11. Programming - Object Oriented Programming    12. Computers / Computer Graphics / General    13. Multimedia    14. Storage media & peripherals   

Reviews (11)

If I could give it fewer stars, I would
I bought this (quite expensive and surprisingly small) book thinking I would learn how to use Authorware. The book is definitely not for beginners. It assumes you already are a skilled Authorware user, and discusses mostly advanced topics. Since I have no Authorware skills, I cannot comment on how well it handles these advanced topics, but I have read other reviews by advanced readers and they were none too impressed also. It is hard to say what exactly is the target audience for the book.

The Ultimate Authorware Tutorial : A Complete Waste
As an experienced Authorware user, I am continually seeking advanced material for the my trade as an educational resource developer. This book is perhaps the worst written and ill logically conceived book since Guttenberg. My advice, save your money. Mr. Schifman and Mr. Gancy should be ashamed of them selves.

Not for the novice
Although I know something of authorware.This book left me in the dark at times. The book contains a number of words spelled incorrectly, which you would think, for the price, would have been edited more thoroughly. At times you have to read and re-read passages to try to figure out what is going on. The tutorials given are not thorough enough. It would be nice to know what one is doing and get into more detail. Most of the book is not really a tutorial, it is more informational. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authoring programs    2. Computer Books And Software    3. Computer-assisted instruction    4. Computers    5. Computers - Languages / Programming    6. Information Technology    7. Interactive multimedia    8. Macromedia Authorware    9. Microcomputer Integrated Application Software    10. Programming - Object Oriented Programming    11. Computer Communications & Networking    12. Multimedia    13. Text & document processing: general   

Reviews (22)

One step forward....three steps back
Normally I hope that a reference book will teach me everything I want to know about the subject matter.Sometimes I'm am pleased if I come away with a handful of new tips and insights.On some occasions I find I have wasted my time and money on a book that failed to teach me anything.Really, however, have I bought a book that actually leaves me STUPIDER after completing it.
Great book, but too many errors
I'm a teacher learning to create learning software for high schoolers.I bought this book in 2002 to learn AW6.It's been a great resource that has made me a proficient user.However, I'm disappointed that the files for chapter 16 were missing from the CD which are the meat and potatoes of the program.That alone cost it 2 stars.Along with other errors people have mentioned.To the publisher, stop being sloppy, lazy and cheap. CLEAN UP YOUR EDITING!!!

Wilson/Thornton Authorware 6 Text FULL of Mistakes!
I am a new user of Authorware 6 and am using this text for a college-level course.Despite my novice status as an Authorware user and developer, I have 20+ years in using computers, programming, and developing computer projects; thus, I am no notive when it comes to computers.This text is RIDDLED with mistakes, some small and foolish, others major and appalling.(My favorite laughable one was "Ctrl + Shirt + R" found on page 537 rather than "Ctrl + Shift + R"!!Even a novice editor should have caught that one, so it gives you a good idea as to the overall quality of the editing.)Typographical errors appear throughout the text, particularly the later chapters; some files on the companion disc have different names from those in the text while other files aren't available, buttons or graphics that should be available are not, and the list goes on and on.For example, Step 10a found on page 503 has at least two errors: (1) ":=True" should be "=True" and (2) "ButtonBackup" should be "ButtonForward".If you use error (1) you receive a warning message that your expression is incorrect, and if you use error (2) your navigation will not work as it should.Perhaps most annoying, the book takes a step-by-step approach that guides the user through the development process, which is a great idea.HOWEVER, steps are occasionally omitted or a sentence is missing that makes you think you have done something wrong---until you retrace your steps (another waste of your time) and realize the book has neglected to mention something. Using this text to learn Authorware has been a frustrating, frustrating experience, a waste of many hours of my time, and has made me think seriously about wanting to develop software using Authorware.Having only recently purchased this text in January 2004 (text was copyrighted in 2002), the publisher should be ashamed not to have yet published a newer edition of this text to correct many of these errors.Grrr! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Graphics - General    2. Computers - Languages / Programming    3. Engineering - General    4. Information Technology    5. Macromedia Authorware    6. Management Information Systems    7. Multimedia systems    8. Programming - Object Oriented Programming    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Technology    11. Art / Graphic Arts    12. Multimedia   

Reviews (6)

What an absolute waste of time and money
I can't believe I kept going...it just got worse and worse.The lessons in this package are confusing, poorly organized and very light on actual training content. It sends you through a bunch of steps but really doesn't teach you what you are doing.Yes, at times it expounds on the basis of certain steps but overall it does a poor job explaining the processes it is trying to teach.Worst of all, it only covers a bunch of relatively basic steps and doesn't spend any time going into more important tasks or, for that matter, tying together the simple things it does try to teach you.
Poor organised and very uneven in quality
This is quite a poorly organised book. Certainly I found it sloppy and longwinded in equal measure. Is anyone editing these Training from the Source books, I asked myself. In any training manual. a good mental model should be easily extracted. This is far from the case here.The manual and tutorials that accompany Authorware are preferable to this volume's offerings. It is simply too erratic and patchy to meet the objective set in the title.I would not recommend it.

Step by step, but very confusing
I am a corporate trainer whose classroom courses are extremely popular. It is time for me to move them into a Web environment.Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    2. Computer Books And Software    3. Computer Graphics - General    4. Computers    5. Computers - Desktop Publishing    6. Interactive & Multimedia    7. Microcomputer Text Processing Software    8. Multi-Media Hardware & Software    9. Programming - Object Oriented Programming    10. Word Processing - General    11. Computers / Computer Graphics / General    12. Multimedia   

Reviews (3)

Not worth the price.
The "tutorial" as presented by this book is somewhat difficult to follow.Despite the "Your Turn" prompts, the narrative seems to suggest that the reader should be doing something before getting to theexercise itself.The graphics that are displayed often do not follow theinstructions for the exercise, so there is little reinforcement. Furthermore, the "Your Turn" instructions are poorly organized -often mixing hints with actual action commands. Given some time, one caneventually figure out what is supposed to happen on the screen, but whyshould the reader have to struggle?If you are going to spend nearly $60on a book, look somewhere else. This has been a very disappointingpurchase.

not that bad.
not that specific enough .i need to do my thesis

okay but needs editorial work
This book is more of a tutorial than a reference book--the only way to learn procedures is to find the related example and work through it. There are lots of useful widgets on the CD. I was disappointed in the book'sproduction. It looked like it was printed directly from an MS Word file andcontained numerous egregious typos and other problems, all of which made mefeel cheated after paying $46 for such a thin volume. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Other Applications    2. Computer Books And Software    3. Computer Graphics - Design    4. Computers    5. Computers - Other Applications    6. Interactive & Multimedia    7. Macromedia Authorware    8. Miscellaneous Software    9. Multi-Media Hardware & Software    10. Multimedia systems    11. Computer Communications & Networking    12. Computer Programming    13. Computers / Computer Graphics / Design    14. Multimedia   

Reviews (19)

Authorware 5 Attain Authorized (2nd Edition)
This is the worst book in the world!If you want to learn Authorware, it is impossible to understand what it says.

Don't waste your money
once again, Macromedia produces a great product with bad documentation. This "Authorized" version of the manual is not even as good as the help files that come with Authorware. Spend your money somewhere else.

Very good for beginners/novices
Having only a self-acquired knowledge of Authorware (via versions 3 & 4) I needed something to help explain many of the features.Read more

Subjects:  1. Authoring programs    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer-Aided Instruction (General)    4. Computer-assisted instruction    5. Computers    6. Computers - Desktop Publishing    7. Interactive & Multimedia    8. Interactive multimedia    9. Macromedia Authorware    10. Multi-Media Hardware & Software    11. Networking - General    12. Programming - Object Oriented Programming    13. Computers / Electronic Publishing   

Editorial Review

Macromedia's Authorware 4 for Macintosh and Windows NT and 95 is a high-end multimedia development program for creating everything from instructional programs to entertainment applications. Written for beginning and advanced users, Read more

Reviews (5)

My favorite of three books on Authorware.
There seem to be three types of books in circulation about Authorware. There is of course the User's Guide that comes with the product -- a good reference. Then there are tutorials, like "Authorware 5Authorized" by Kellogg -- a good beginner's step by step how-to. Butthe best type of book (for me anyway) has been the "show & tell& try approach" type of book, like Nick Roberts' excellent"The Official Guide to Authorware 4." It is very well written inan interesting and casual style -- and you will find the author'senthusiasm for Authorware contageous as you delve deeper into the text.Excellent illustrations complimentthe "visual" approach toconstructing a piece via icons along a flow line. And you are told thelogic of the "what & why" of the step-by-step examples beforeyou do them -- a great aid in understanding (and actually learning) how toutilize Authorware's features. Too many times I've followed the tutorialsof other books and end up with a nice looking functional result -- withoutreally understanding along the way "why" I used the steps andprocedures I was told to do. A must have for Authorware developers at any skill level
This book contains information about the inside workings of Authorware that will allow you to easily advance to intermediate and advanced programming methods.It even provides the intermediate and advanceddeveloper with inside information about the inner workings of the program;I know of no other guide to Authorware that does this.What is unusualabout this book is the clarity with which it is written.It readsunusually smoothly, and sets the standard for which reference manualsshould be written.This is a very wise investment for the Authorwaredeveloper at any skill level.

super book, I recommend it for anyone new to authorware!!!
This is a super book for both new users and advanced users alike.Mr.Roberts takes you through all the facets of authorware and gives you supertips for developing your piece for either mac or pc.I had never used aauthoring program before, including authorware and after reading this bookfor couple of nights, I was developing my own stand alone windows basedprojects.I really wish to thank Mr. Nick Roberts for writing a easy tounderstand book.Keep up the good work. Cheers Rick ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authoring programs    2. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computer-Aided Instruction (General)    5. Computer-assisted instruction    6. Computers    7. Computers - Languages / Programming    8. Interactive & Multimedia    9. Interactive multimedia    10. Macromedia Authorware    11. Multi-Media Hardware & Software    12. Operating Systems - General    13. Programming - Object Oriented Programming    14. Computer graphics software    15. Desktop publishing software    16. Multimedia    17. Reference works    18. Utilities & tools   

Reviews (16)

TAAM?Nope. Spend your money elsewhere
At first glance TAAM seems to be full of the kind of information a person new to Authorware needs - but soon one will find out that it isn't worth the inflated price.You can (and probably should) purchase a couple good books (such as Authorware 6 [Inside Macromedia])for the price. Not worth the money
The book is not bad, but not better than other books on the subject, certainly not worth the inflated price.The supporting graphics files on the disk would not open, but the practice Authorware files would.I had to do the exercises substituting my own graphics.The authors invite you to contact them by email, as I did, but got no response.At first I was impressed at what seems to be a self-publishing success, but now I feel taken advantage of by an over-priced, substandard product.If you are only going to buy one book on Authorware, don't buy this one.

Only for Beginners
This book provides some additional exercises for those just starting with Authorware. Not for anyone with experience. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computers    2. Computers / Multimedia    3. Computers / Programming / Software Development    4. Macromedia Authorware    5. Multimedia    6. Programming - Software Development   

Reviews (1)

Excellent Authorware Book!
Having had the priveledge of reading a pre-release of this book it mypleasure to share my findings.The book is a great place for people new toAuthorware to start.Yet, there are many chapters that even an experiencedAuthorware programmer can gain from.The book is written in a light andeasy to understand fashion.As well, the Author has a good sense of humorthat make's reading this title even some-what fun. I highly recommend thistitle to those intersted in picking up Authorware. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Authoring programs    2. Authorware    3. Computer-Aided Instruction (General)    4. Computer-assisted instruction    5. Computers    6. Computers - Languages / Programming    7. Equipment, Appliances & Supplies    8. Interactive & Multimedia    9. Interactive multimedia    10. Multi-Media Hardware & Software    11. Programming - Object Oriented Programming    12. Programming Languages - General    13. Science/Mathematics    14. Microsoft Windows    15. Multimedia    16. Storage media & peripherals    17. Technology / Electronics / General   

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Apple / Macintosh    2. Computer Books And Software    3. Hardware - Personal Computers - Macintosh   

Subjects:  1. Computer Books And Software    2. Computer Software Packages   

Reviews (7)

Good Start
I've been using Authorware since early 98.This book started it all for me.Granted it is a book for beginners.You won't find anything in it for scripting, tracking users performance, etc.If you know nothing aboutAuthorware, this is a great book to get your feet wet.If you have tostart from somewhere and don't want to spend money for a course, this isthe place to start.

Excellent book for teaching someone the basics of Authorware
I teach three Authorware Development classes for employees of my company.I use Authorware 4 Authorized for the Indroduction and Intermediate courses.The exercises are easy to follow and have real-worldapplications.I am also drawn to this book because it provides studentswith a copy of Authorware (50 icon version) to practice with at home.Itis a great way for students to get familiar with Authorware before spendingthe money for the full version.If you are a beginner in self-study or areteaching a course in Authorware, you really should consider this book.

Incredibly detailed instruction makes novices look like pros
This book combines ease of use with high quality instruction which will make any new user a pro in no time flat. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books And Software    2. Computer-Aided Instruction (General)    3. Computers    4. Computers - Languages / Programming    5. Interactive & Multimedia    6. Macromedia authorware    7. Multi-Media Hardware & Software    8. Multimedia systems    9. Programming - Object Oriented Programming    10. Programming - Software Development    11. Multimedia   

Subjects:  1. Computer Books And Software    2. Computers - Languages / Programming    3. Programming Languages - General    4. Computer Software Packages   

Reviews (1)

good for kids (in Thai : Houy-Tak!!)
no good for adul ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Certification    2. Certification Guides - General    3. Computer Bks - Other Applications    4. General    5. Programming Languages - General    6. Educational resources & technology    7. Multimedia   

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Other Applications    2. Computer Books: Operating Systems    3. Computer Graphics - General    4. Interactive & Multimedia    5. Miscellaneous Software    6. Multi-Media Hardware & Software    7. Multimedia   

Subjects:  1. Aids & Devices    2. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    3. Computer Books And Software    4. Computer-Aided Instruction (General)    5. Computers    6. Interactive & Multimedia    7. Multi-Media Hardware & Software    8. Programming - Object Oriented Programming    9. Computers / Multimedia   

Reviews (4)

Don't Devlope Without It!
As many versions of Authorware I have used (3 through 6.5), this book has proven to be one of the "must have" in anyone's reference library. Great examples and simple explainations of all functions and variables. I only wish Joe Ganci would publish a new revision for Authorware 7.

This book is still invaluable!
Even though Macromedia has released Authorware 5 Attain, this book still is a very handy reference. The explanations and examples are great, if just all programming manuals were this clear and to the point... Highlyrecommended! /Johan Lundstrom

Best reference for an Authorware Programer.
This book is a must have for any serious Authorware programer.It is easily the best reference for an Authorware Programer and a nice addition to the documentation that comes with Authorware 3.X.This book is filled with usefull and practical tips on how to get things done in the most popular multimedia authoring language around. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    2. Computer Books: Desktop Publish    3. Computers    4. Desktop Publishing    5. Interactive & Multimedia    6. Interactive multimedia    7. Macromedia Authorware    8. Multi-Media Hardware & Software    9. Computer graphics software    10. Text & document processing: general   

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Operating Systems    2. Computer Books And Software    3. Operating Systems - Windows   

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Electronic Measurements    3. Engineering - Electrical & Electronic    4. Microcomputer Operating Environments    5. Programming Languages - General    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Technology