FrontPage FREE or is it?

[shoggie]

Hi

I am currently looking into renewing my schools agreement. So all is simple apart from the Fontpage add on.

Is Frontpage 2003 Now free as Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer which is the new name for Frontpage is now being given away free.

SharePoint Designer 2007 is available as license-restricted freeware.

So does that mean under the schools agreement I can still carry on using FrontPage 2003 but no longer have to pay for it under the agreement as a bolt on?

Can anyone confirm this

Thanks

[tmcd35]

My guess (I don't know the correct answer, sorry) - No, the license for FrontPage 2003 is a payed for license. Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer is a separate product under another license.

But it does lead to the question - Why not just use the newer free Sharepoint Designer? Or better still - Amaya Home Page ?

[OutToLunch]

Is Frontpage 2003 Now free as Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer which is the new name for Frontpage is now being given away free.

Isn't Sharepoint Designer just for putting together pages for your Sharepoint site? I thought 'Expression Web' was the new Frontpage - and not free...

[shoggie]

According to what I have read both SharePoint designer and Expression Web are both replacing FrontPage.

I have just had a quote in from a supplier saying FrontPage is now free, Saving me 2K.

But it just seems to good to be true.

[shoggie]

well I have now had two quotes

1 from Softcat

1 from Ramesys

They both say that FrontPage is now Free as it has been Replaced by SharePoint Designer and is downloadable form Microsofts website.

Download details: SharePoint Designer 2007

[karlieb]

What product are you going to install? - Frontpage 2003 or SharePoint Designer?

[DMcCoy]

well I have now had two quotes

1 from Softcat

1 from Ramesys

They both say that FrontPage is now Free as it has been Replaced by SharePoint Designer and is downloadable form Microsofts website.

Download details: SharePoint Designer 2007

Then it's replacement is a free to use application, while the original is still a paid for product.

You could only install Frontpage 2003 for free if there are downgrade rights from Sharepoint Designer. I should think to comply with the licensing terms as they are then you will need to remove 2003 and install designer. Unless 2003 is actually a separate msi package etc in 2007? (not used it)

[shoggie]

I will still be using FrontPage 2003

[EduTech]

Microsoft Fontpage is what was used to develop Windows Sharepoint Services (WSS)

Microsoft Sharepoint is what is used to develop Microsoft Office Sharepoint Services (MOSS) (FREE)

Expression web is Microsoft's version of a WebDesign (HTML, PHP etc) (Licence)

If you are using WSS then you need to really use FrontPage although Sharepoint Designer can be used with WSS aswell.

I know that dont cover your licence question.. but thats how the different packages are used.

[shoggie]

Dont we all just love Microsoft and how they make things so complicated.

After further investigations I have found out the following

Currently I have SharePoint designer as a blot-on to my schools agreement which allows me to then use expression web as I have a Software Assurance in place before SharePoint Designer became free. Which in turn means, I can continue to use FrontPage 2003 as expression web is the downgradable licence for FrontPage 2003.

However when my schools agreement expires in September for me to continue to use FrontPage 2003 I would require to get the schools agreement bolt-on of expressions web as this is the downgrade path for frontPage 2003.

SharePoint Designer has no downgrade path to FrontPage 2003 even though it is now free and would have been nice for my budget.

Thanks to you all for your help in this as your comments pointed me in the right direction for my research.

And Thank you to Microsoft for not helping cash strapped schools by not allowing FrontPage to have become free.

Yes I am aware there are free alternatives but the powers that be want to use Microsoft products

[OutToLunch]

SharePoint Designer has no downgrade path to FrontPage 2003 even though it is now free and would have been nice for my budget.

Thanks to you all for your help in this as your comments pointed me in the right direction for my research.

And Thank you to Microsoft for not helping cash strapped schools by not allowing FrontPage to have become free.

Yes I am aware there are free alternatives but the powers that be want to use Microsoft products

It's hardly something you can moan to MS about - why would they give away a free product which gave a free downgrade path to a commercial one? It's like saying that Wordpad in Windows 7 ought to allow you a free downgrade to Word 2000...

[srochford]

You can use Sharepoint designer to create HTML pages - they don't have to be stored on a Sharepoint server (but they can be and Sharepoint Services is free if you're running Windows Server) so that gives you a free MS product to design web pages (and I'd also say a much better product; it defaults to creating standards compliant HTML!)

[shoggie]

You can use Sharepoint designer to create HTML pages - they don't have to be stored on a Sharepoint server (but they can be and Sharepoint Services is free if you're running Windows Server) so that gives you a free MS product to design web pages (and I'd also say a much better product; it defaults to creating standards compliant HTML!)

This would be great if I could convice the teachers to teach this instead of Frontpage

[srochford]

This would be great if I could convice the teachers to teach this instead of Frontpage

I'd install it - the kids might start to use it, particularly if you can find any good web based tutorials and link to them off your intranet/VLE.

The big problem with any new software is that "package X" works, does what's needed so why bother to come up with a whole new set of learning materials that don't provide any benefit!

[blue-orange]

I think its free