What a tease you are Rob!!!
Looking really good, but not quite as good as if it were on my iMac, so I could test it out and create some damn fine menus!
Probably not the right place to ask, but does anyone know how to get around the fact that a Google site command lists more MenuMachine entries than content pages? Appreciate it.
Looking good, but at this rate I’m afraid the cost will be more than buying the whole CS5 suite in order for you to recoup your investment of time.
I hope to see the final soon like everyone else, but I’m afraid it may be too late for me as I am moving pretty much all my sites to open source CMS which gives me so many more options.
will it work with good old golive cs2 and 9?
or only dreamweaver? I still could not bring myself to learn the beast. fiddeling around with golive and rapidweaver for the last 2 years now
The new version won’t have direct plug-in support for GoLive, we just can’t justify the development and support resources. However, you will be able to insert menus in your pages using the MenuMachine app itself.
So how goes it? Reviewed the blogposts… sounds like you are quite close! Looking forward to seeing how this new rev plays with Coda, as I have been messing around trying to revamp my existing vert menu, to no great avail.
Ditto to the previous poster. Since the Dreamweaver CS5 release seemed to be a sticking point, now within weeks of shipping, what is the status of the release date? Getting close is getting old.
Back in Feb you indicated you would be posting more regular about progress of MM. I know this has taken far longer than expected but it would be great if a realistic date could be had on when it will be available? Seems that every quarter, it slips another quarter. A lot of people would love to know where this really is in the cycle.
Me to. I’ve also been holding off on design work for this tool. I’m now completely broke as a result. I’m losing my office next week and will soon be living on the street. The ironic thing is that I will no longer be able to afford the upgrade when it comes out.
August 17, 2008:
“…Rewriting MenuMachine as a standalone application from scratch has been a major effort for us and while it’s not ready to go just yet, we are working very hard to deliver it as soon as we possibly can…”
April 19, 2010:
Still no release date and nobody knows if MM3 is any closer to reality than it was in 2008. Please let us know if MM3 is anywhere near being released or if it’s a lost cause.
I”ve already purchased the upcoming CS5. Have to stay on top for the business. Can’t wait for MenuMachines for Dreamweaver. Really hated giving up GoLive but…
Even if I have CS5 installed on the day it arrives any professional will need to keep CS4 running during the interim glitch resolution period. I originally heard talk of a standalone app which makes more sense to me then tying your self to another Adobe app.
Now, speaking as a Golive user, the writing was on the wall for the death of GoLive more then two years before Adobe killed it so it seems clear the denial of its imminent death was the cause in delay of future MM development. That being said, I strongly advise NOT tying the value of your product to ANY outside application.
I wouldn’t post any more estimated release dates unless you are clearly on target to produce the final release candidate as it makes it hard to plan future site development.
** Hints at how menu content will fit in with current & future layouts may help developers plan for your menu system.
Hate to be a pest but you offered back in Feb that updates would be more regular. Its now been a month without any news / update. Even if MM is not ready, I would think that a lot of info could be shared. Adobe has even done that with CS5 at this point.
Wondering if the wordpress menumachine has come out yet. I am the owner of farmvillefreak.com and we created a navigation bar that we have not been able to implement on wordpress. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Echo standalone for me. I probably won’t upgrade to CS5 for quite a while. Not much value except the PhotoShop toys…
Release now as standalone makes more sense to most users I see here. BTW, Adobe hurt you once, why ride their coat tails anyway. Let anyone who creates web pages use what they want, but for great menus, use your product….
Look, if it isn’t obvious to everyone by now, the truth is that this version of MM is nothing but vapourware. You want to give us a “glimpse”? Try releasing it as it is and then worry about upgrading it to CS5 later. No??? Why not? Because it is not ready to be released in any form is the real truth. We have been waiting for years with nothing but promises, blurred out “glimpses” and a lot of excuses. I am tired of being jerked around. MM was great for Golive but I am going to have to find another solution, even if it means going to a much simpler menu system. Too bad. I was a huge fan. Now I just feel like the donkey chasing the carrot.
I can assure you that MenuMachine for Mac is very real. Unfortunately we haven’t been able to ship it as soon as we hoped, for a variety of reasons. I’m not going to give any more shipping predictions, it was a mistake for me to do so in the first place. When it’s done, we’ll ship it.
Been a long time user of MM and can’t wait for the new version, just started using DW CS3 after years of pondering, originally a long time user of Cyber Studio before Adobe got hold of it and changed it to Golive.
MM3 in DW would be really handy right about now……‹(•¿•)›
Well. After reading all the above comments, I donot know what to believe any more.
Do we begin to collect gold for our golden calf, or do we wait for moses to come down from the mount to give us the commandments and lead us to the promised land???
Rob, I hate to say it but your last response was rude, like a kid who does not like the way things are going, so he quits the game.
Let me remind you that it was you who promised to be more open with more updates. This is what everyone is looking for. Anyone that understands software development understands “STUFF” happens. But considering the history of this project, I think you owe your customers and public more transparcency.
I believe that you should consider a 0.9 release with limited features (that are solid) and priced properly. Later as other features are worked out, release them as you wish and then offer the 1.0 version when you are ready as a reasonable upgrade and at a price that makes sense.
This is funny. I, like everyone else here, have some projects on hold for ages while waiting for something.
For the people who think it’s all vaporware, think of TypeStyler. Check out my review . I also had “given up” on that product until suddenly it was there. If Rob says it will happen, trust me, it will happen.
For those who want something now, and let CS5 happen when it does, sorry, but that means you’ve never built anything in your life. There are hooks and links throughout code that are dependent upon everything else. That’s like asking for a 3 story house and when things are taking too long, telling the contractor to leave out the 2nd floor “you can add it later, can’t you?”
My favorite part of this blog thread is the first comment after Rob’s frustration lament is one that has completely ignored Rob’s frustration lament. Thanks, I got a big laugh from that.
At home right now I’m just about to finish this week a woodworking project I started over 3 years ago. I’ve had a series of delays and complications but my wife has been patient and perhaps by tomorrow I’ll be bringing it inside. I thought it would take me a year, but it didn’t. It took me as long as it took to finish the job. It was a much more complicated job than I anticipated and, well, shit happens.
Point is simply: a number of people are hurting because Rob has spoiled us rotten with MM 1 & 2. We have been waiting and expecting v. 3 for way too long. But trust me: being angry, nervous, anxious, or upset will not speed anything up. If anything it will make it seem so much longer. (The watch pot never boils.)
Hang in there, be patient, let Rob do what’s necessary.
As someone who was using MM1 and MM2 for GL, and still keeps GLCS2 around for MM2, I first started hearing about MM3 for DW about the time my copy of DWCS4 arrived. Now, a year and a half later, my copy of DWCS5 should be arriving tomorrow and all I want to know is if MM3 will be out before DWCS6 ships. How about before DWCS7?
I can’t keep GLCS2 or 3 around for MM2 because clients want web standards based layouts and css based search engine friendly menus and neither of those fit these standards.
I’m still using Adobe Pagemill on my trusty Apple Performa 6300… which I just upgraded! It’ll last for ever Wayne says. I got a deal on a used PowerPC 604 processor and my tech, Wayne, rebuilt it all for only $1,200! Will you be supporting Pagemill? Can I get it on a floppy disc?
No one in their right mind ever said MM3 would be available for CS4 however a stand alone was mentioned. Writing for specifically CS4 would be a major step backwards causing even more delay. CS4 isn’t even cocoa.
The code behind modern menuing systems is in the midst of major change with jquery. I’m not surprised it would take a bit longer with all the very recent turn in coding trends and innovations. Hell even Google is jumping into the game.
You may not know it but there is a major web evolution happening now that will affect MM3′s viability.
So stop the whining and learn a bit about coding. It makes you sound like a newbie part time hack.
So I had to take the plunge and learn DW CS5… Accctually it’s pretty nice! Nowhere near as scary as I thought… my workflow is DW CS5, create a blank page. Create a GL9 project. Create the folder structure and all the pages i THINK I need. Create my menu in MM. Save it all out then edit the site in DW CS5. It all works pretty well… the hassle comes if you need to create or change the structure – back into GL to do that!.
Phhhhh… that’s me stopping holding my breath waiting for the new MM. I can live this way… for a bit!
It’s not in any of your clients best interest to program with MM2 & GoLive. It’s more work to update. You miss the benefit of html list links converted to drop downs. Your menu updates simply consist of an outline. Anyone using MM2 & GL these days brands themselves in a catagory of unknowledgable developers.
I’m using DW, MM and GL !
I rebuild the pages (only, no content) in GL and from that I create the menu system, I want.
Then Copy/paste the MM code from GL source to my real site in DW.
Works extremely well.. Must copy the MM folder as well.
Until we get MM for DW.. This will do. Fortunatly GL2 still runs under 10.6.3
I don’t believe, that the new MM will be released this and/or the next year.
I’m very disappointed from Big Bang Software and the developers of MenuMachine
Only a bonehead would still use GL and MM2 with all that is available menu wise… and I’m not talking about the age old finicky Projectseven.com examples. MM2 does not allow for the easier list format that search engines love easily styled by css for mobile devices and screen formats of all types.
Remember, when you use MM2 & GL (any version) you are not creating html standards sites that are capable of morphing to the end devices viewing dimensions.
…and I say that as a GoLive user since the beginning… all versions including CyberStudio and all versions of MM1 & 2.
But those days are over and admitting to any studio you may collaborate with that you use tables and the heavy MM code will surely be met with a lack of respect for you abilities.
TO: PATRICE
I said if you are still using GL and MM you are a bonehead. Its so out dated that it doesn’t even work anymore on recent browsers hitting the market not to mention search engine listings. You are doing your client an injustice by using it.
And Rob isn’t fine tuning MM he’s rewriting it as it will be using all the new coding standards and a new software structure so I’m not sure why that would make one keep using outdated tools unless your under the impression that its going to transfer over.
I’ll chill out when I’m done ripping all this old non functional MM code from others client websites to meet new coding needs.
Your point is taken – you’re chilled. What you’re forgetting is that many GoLive users used GoLive ’cause they weren’t propellor-head coders (sorry coders!!!). GL + MM let me create some really good looking sites that my customers liked. I’ve authored sites for my own businesses – not others. It worked for me.
I’ve spent the time and learned enough of Dreamweaver to be comfortable there (I now have a semi-spin-top hat. /irony Yay), so that bit is cool. I’ve worked out an interchange between GL9 + MM + DW that works well enough for me and maybe others. Poking around the web, I haven’t found a tool that works as well given my non-geekiness status than MenuMachine. Which is of course why we’re all hanging’ around here hoping to read the post that it’s in open-beta or released or whatever.
So. Remembering that we’re on Rob’s site, why don’t you let us know why you’re still here if there are “better” tools out there? That create good-looking menus in a friendly environment? You obviously know what you’re doing so don’t need it, right? I’d really like to know.
To Rob: We’d love to see a release of something soon… Pretty Please?
I to was a long time GoLive & MM and clients loved the results… Until they hire an SEO and were told to dump the menu. And now we have the mobile market with touch screen devices. The iPad for instance, hitting the market at 3 million in 70 days has left me scrambling to quickly remove MM code at irritated client requests… Usually at my own cost because it is considered a bug by the client. Whether or not you like the iPad, shocking sales of the devise will secure it’s place in the future of the Internet. Since touch screen devices do not have an arrow/pointer (your finger replaces that) there is no hover support which MM and Flash rely on.
And since it only takes one person in your clients staff hitting the website on their personal or professional iPad hover only menus are dead. Dead.
Jquery has resolved the issue. I’m sure Rob knows this and hope it’s the new core engine of his tools because aside from all the obvious reasons for going with Jquery-CCS-list based menus is that they can be edited without special tools or knowledge of coding.
Dave: So I googled jQuery. Yes. Very Cool. And propellor-head inducing. It forced me to learn about Dreamweaver Templates to drive out updates to the existing pages. I also had to purchase a single design menu template as I’m not a coder.
So, thanks. I’m now using jQuery, Dreamweaver, Templates and have access to a single menu – it’s not perfect but it’s good enough right now for me.
It doesn’t qualify as a solution. I can’t design my own menu as I’m not interested in learning to code java. I don’t have a friendly design environment. I can’t place bitmaps as menu element backgrounds. To change things within the menu I have to poke around someone else’s css as the purchase didn’t include that amount of detail. And, I’m beholden to someone else’s design taste. Boy, some of those menus are tacky!
So please, before you go ‘boneheading’ people for trying to get a job done, remember we’re not all as clever as others obviously are.
Rob said:
Yep, we’re definitely using jQuery as the core of the new MenuMachine browser code.
Great! jQuery is my latest obsession… still learning, but loving it so far… only a few weeks, but can see the possibilities… new redesign on my own site for practice.
I don’t follow this blog religiously anymore, so apologies if I’m re-hashing previously discussed ideas. Anyway, here are some ridiculous notions: 1) the Golive code base is just sitting there gathering dust at Adobe, 2) Apple needs a decent web development tool, 3) MM3 is essentially an Apple app. Rob, why not broker a deal to get Apple to buy Golive (thus making nice with Adobe)? Then, help Apple dust it off and update it, e.g., HTML5, etc., and integrate MM3 as the primary means for menuing on an industrial strength Apple version of Golive. As I said, totally ridiculous, impractical, impossible, etc., but we’ve been waiting several years anyway, so why not dream big, i.e., a total solution? Wishful thinking, right? But what else can I do while waiting, waiting, waiting…
Rod – I like your dream. GoLive was always better than DW. Adobe were off the pace in their promotion of GoLive, they should have been able to conquer DW in the same way they killed off QuarkXpress. Oh! if only GoLive could be resurrected for continued development… and especially by Apple! what a dream and happy existence that would be….
Dreamweaver was only better at a few things than GoLive, coding, it’s find and replace, and stability.. Everything else I think GoLive was better for. I think GoLive had a much better use of it’s interface space and site management especially.
10.7? Summer to Fall 2011 based on Apples current pattern of 1.5 to 2 years between OS updates. Keeping in mind that a year, or more, ago a MM3 release was being teased for possible release.
Sadly, wondering if MM3 will be out this, or next, year is not out of the question.
I switched to OS X. Even learned DW (and I don’t like the interface AT ALL; GL’s interface was far better, IMO).
I did my homework, so now, please, please…
Yes, I’ve switched too. Mac & DW, but what on earth were Adobe thinking??? Templates don’t work properly – actually due to the appalling code that DW generates I don’t think they could ever work properly, the UI is a mess and shamefully incomplete. Views move origin as you change mode, it’s madness. It is a horrible product now. I wish I hadn’t bowed to client pressure and converted, to be honest. GoLive was pretty weird but it was a better product. Where did the August rumour start? Did it come from wishful thinking or a trustworthy source? I’m not holding my breath, but I do want MM3 to surface. If John Metawig wasn’t pulling our collective legs then a beta has existed since at least mid April. Keep going Rob, I know it will be worth the wait in the end!!
I would say since Adobe bought Macromedia in April 18 of 2005, MM3 has had 5 years for development and anyone that didn’t see GoLive’s death coming as a result was living in a dream world for thinking Adobe would be willing to fund development for two parallel applications.
Yup. We all saw it coming. But in my case, I didn’t like it. DW had and has a bigger established users base. All in all, GoLive, even now, still has a better user interface, more intuitive, more responsive, “better behaved”, if you get my strange use of english. What a pity there’s no company there taking GoLive to keep it going. I switched to OSX. Learned DW. And wait forMM·. But as for now, I still work on GoLive. It’s still a pleasure, it goes swift and smooth, it’s even “silky”. Atta shame. Sometimes progress goes a step back.
Rob, I’m not sure how much this matters to you anymore, but the current version of menumachine doesn’t play to well with iPad. The highest level menu works, a sub-menu works, but if there’s a sub-menu attached to the sub-menu, the entire menu path is rendered useless, i.e., inaccessible. FYI: sort of thing DOES matter to those of us who still maintain menumachine/golive on certain projects — while waiting (interminably) for mm3.
IMHO, Project Seven leaves much to be desired when you have used MenuMachine for years. I am sure it will be worth the wait, then I can get back to the Ferrari and lose the Camry. Sure it gets you there, just not in style…
It sure is disheartening to see nothing posted since March. It was an entire year ago that I assured a client I would have new menus any day. Oops. Learned my lesson.
We’re more likely to see Jesus Christ descend from the heavens than we are to ever see another product from this company. Seriously folks, when someone takes 3 years to build a frickin’ menu, are you really going to trust them to provide continued support or ongoing development in the years to come?
I lost a major client this morning due to the fact that I had promised menu machine updates early this year to support the new standards of today. We’ve seen to releases of the Adobe Suite since GoLive’s demise and to many promises for a Menu Machine update.
I’ve lost faith in the future of this application. I’m done waiting.
I do hear though that there is a “real” application in production from a company that I know is capable of pulling it off and it won’t be called Menu Machine.
Rob, You REALLY owe it to the (dwindling) fan-base of menumachine to provide a genuine date. I agree with Jeff D. (although not so emphatically, perhaps a little bit more plaintively) and many many others that your lack of communication on YOUR OWN BLOG is beginning to inflict REAL harm to those of us who have hung in there with you for all of these years. C’mon, PLEASE tell us: Is MM3 going to happen, or not? And if so, WHEN??
Greg, can you reveal the name of the company that is working on a real application? (this comments section has become a support group for us hapless MM3 customer wannabes) Oy!
A post that was removed mentioned ‘GB Inc’. I googled that but didn’t turn anything up. Someone is monitoring this blog. The message they’re giving out is that they DID give up their (MM) day job and have a new one. MM3 is obviously a no-priority task now. I’m guessing that if we google ‘menu machine 3 replacement’, something will pop up sometime…
It’s a real pity – there is a real opportunity in the market for MM3. Big Bang have squandered that – I doubt many people will bother when a valid replacement arrives.
If I read Boots’ post correctly, Rob and company have moved on, and aren’t paying any attention whatsoever to MM3 development/release, or to any current (loyal) bigbangextensions users. Right? I hope this isn’t true, but if it is, Rob, will you please show us some courtesy by letting us know what the hell is going on?? Personally, I’ve grown weary of all of this nothing for all of these years!
I use several of Project Seven’s extensions for Dreamweaver, and besides being beautiful and functional, they have great documentation and incredibly fast customer service. I use their Pop Menu Magic (they have other menu systems too) and they are beautiful. This is my last visit to the Steam Engine blog. Good luck everyone. P7 it is.
I have no ‘inside information’ about what’s going on – I’m just looking at the complete lack of developer involvement here. One comment back in July from Big Bang. Years ‘in development’.
I used to be involved in software development. It doesn’t take THAT long – 3 years now – even if it’s only one developer – to release >something< if someone's at the wheel. Something else is going on, and it doesn't take much economic nouse to realise that MM2 ain't paying the bills. MM3 isn't either.
To Big Bang – communication doesn't have to be "here's the release guys!'. It can also be, 'Yes, the project is alive but it's going to be a while'. But silence is death in this case. Your users are leaving the building. Now.
Not everyone is leaving. I may be using WebAssist CSS MenuWriter for now, but I’m definitely watching for MenuMachine 3. I’m sure it will be a great product when it’s finished. Hang in there, Rob!
What’s more pathetic?
1. The fact that Rob can’t release a follow-up to Menu Machine in three years time?
2. The fact that he refuses to communicate with his disappearing customers?
3. The fact that people on this board (myself included) have deluded themselves into believing that it will be released someday and they (I) won’t have to learn something else after all?
Rob, you are breaking the cardinal rule of business. Shattering it in fact. Why are you so obstinate toward your most loyal customers, those of us who actually take the time to visit your blog and write little missives of encouragement to you and each other. Why? All of this could easily be remedied on your part if you would simply give us an update, specifically as to when this app of yours will be available. No obfuscation either. We are all tired of that. You owe us this much.
Hey Uri, Project Seven isn’t quite there. If you are using several templates and using P7 navigation within library items. I had to use a separate P7 file for each of these templates. Seems I confounded their customer support on this one. So, one navigation change to the site, I have to do it 5 times, (5 templates).
Although, they did try to answer and get back to me quickly. At least communication is one of their strong points…
Using P7 for now, checking back once in a while just in case Rob pulls it off. I would switch back in a heartbeat!
I think if the final product is good those who say they’re done with MM will be back. Come on…it’s not like there’s anything that compelling out there now. What I’d love to hear is that the delay was to include Windows guys like myself back in the fold! Ya, I know, probably not. Sniff sniff.
Could all the whiners and naysayers please just stop? Obviously it’s a tough project, especially when you look at all the other companies that have menu systems and they all suck. If all those other companies with all their other developers can’t pull it off, then I for one will be first in line when MM3 comes out, because we already know the quality of the work that they do.. Even if it’s not on OUR schedule.
Rob, do you know how easy it will be to integrate the new menus into WordPress pages?
I’ve switched most of my sites from Dreamweaver over to WordPress. I still use DW to customize them, but I rarely ‘build’ the sites with DW anymore. Adobe took all the fun out of it.
I am done. Year after year, promises of a cool product that is nothing more than screenshots. I have ben extremely patient, but you have had NO respect for your customers to keep me here. I understand projects are hard, but don’t string us along, unless you know you can complete it in a reasonable amount of time. You don’t even offer the respect of giving a meaningful status.
There are lots of frameworks for which you could have attached, lots of options as a stopgap until you had a final, but you have given us NOTHING. No alphas, no betas, nothing beyond a screenshot and only when people get desperate to see anything. The fact is that if you wanted this to be a business, you should put it as a business priority. If you want it as a hobby, then tell us that were expecting business level products and services that you have no intention of producing such.
I am normally one of the nicest people you will meet, but I have just about had it with false promises.
Tango, I thought that you were not coming back according to your previous post. (see below)
“Signed:
Former Customer
Never to return again”
Glad to have your negativity here again… NOT.
Maybe you should practice what you preach. Are you a competitor fan boy/troll, out to discourage hopeful MM users?
Yes, it has been a long road waiting and using other options/products, it doesn’t hurt for us to check back once in a while to see how Rob might be doing. Rob doesn’t owe us for a future product, no one paid up front that I am aware of.
Dude, lighten up some. We get it when and if we get it. Then pay for it if you still want it. Sheesh!
I said I wasn’t coming back…but here I am to defend Jason. No matter what else, the primary consideration here is NO COMMUNICATION from the developer. I began to feel like a fool for waiting for years with precious little info. P7 menus are working for me in spite of, as Robert Cone says, they are “not quite there,” at least they ARE there. My first choice was of course MM, but a person can only wait so long. I’m not a whiner or a naysayer, I am a practitioner who had to move on. Good luck to you all.
Uri, I said that P7 didn’t work for a complicated template with library use and that P7 support could not solve the situation and required five different instances for one navigation. MM worked fine in this same scenario.
Get your facts straight please and don’t use my statement out of context. I did mention that P7 support communicates well.
Why does Rob have to be “there” for a product that isn’t supported anymore? I find it funny that so many people here think Rob owes them something.
I find it funny all the people who say they are going to move on, and keep coming back… And since Uri and Jason have moved on they won’t be responding to this anyway…. Right?
Not picking a fight, just practice what you preach and mean what you say!
Many are assuming non-performance or lack of interest on Rob’s part. Maybe there are external issues that are affecting development. Give the guy a break. When it’s soup, it’s soup. I know in my personal life, unexpected things have occurred that have changed a business goal. Lighten up. It’s only a tool, not the end of the world as you know it.
I hope MenuMachine works with other web tools other than Dreamweaver. I hate DW so much I’ve switched to Flux -far superior in many way. Although I haven’t abandoned DW completely I may if I make the final switch to Coda – which works in tandem with Flux.
Looking forward to seeing it soon – regardless of what it runs in.
George: I’m familiar with Flux and Coda. I wasn’t aware that they worked in tandem. I don’t remember seeing a reference to each other’s product on their respective web sites. Can you provide a reference to using the two products in tandem? Thanks.
March 26th, 2010 at 6:09 pm
What a tease you are Rob!!!
Looking really good, but not quite as good as if it were on my iMac, so I could test it out and create some damn fine menus!
March 27th, 2010 at 12:20 am
promising
March 27th, 2010 at 6:50 am
Mercy!
March 27th, 2010 at 9:09 am
Looks nice and a simple interface too. (for what I can see now)
March 28th, 2010 at 4:24 am
ooh pretty..
March 29th, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Please let us buy this product NOW. Never mind CS5.
March 29th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
Yes, please don’t penalize those of us not interested in CS5.
March 30th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
I agree with Alan…please don’t penalize us who will not upgrade to CS5 for awhile…if at all.
March 30th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
I won’t upgrade to CS5 for at least a year..
March 31st, 2010 at 11:18 pm
I agree, pease, please, please. I am dying for Menu Machine!
April 1st, 2010 at 1:05 am
Probably not the right place to ask, but does anyone know how to get around the fact that a Google site command lists more MenuMachine entries than content pages? Appreciate it.
April 3rd, 2010 at 5:13 am
How about a glimpse of a link to the page to buy MM.
April 6th, 2010 at 12:58 am
Looking good, but at this rate I’m afraid the cost will be more than buying the whole CS5 suite in order for you to recoup your investment of time.
I hope to see the final soon like everyone else, but I’m afraid it may be too late for me as I am moving pretty much all my sites to open source CMS which gives me so many more options.
April 7th, 2010 at 7:16 am
will it work with good old golive cs2 and 9?
or only dreamweaver? I still could not bring myself to learn the beast. fiddeling around with golive and rapidweaver for the last 2 years now
April 7th, 2010 at 11:04 am
The new version won’t have direct plug-in support for GoLive, we just can’t justify the development and support resources. However, you will be able to insert menus in your pages using the MenuMachine app itself.
April 9th, 2010 at 5:46 am
CS5 — not interested. I’ll pay for this one now and again if necessary when I go CS5.
You have to understand, there’s folk out here still tied to GoLive6… CS5 is irrelevant.
Interim release, PLEASE
April 10th, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Likewise, it will be at least a year before I would be investing in CS5 – an interim release would be fab!
April 11th, 2010 at 4:41 am
So how goes it? Reviewed the blogposts… sounds like you are quite close! Looking forward to seeing how this new rev plays with Coda, as I have been messing around trying to revamp my existing vert menu, to no great avail.
Otherwise: hope y’all are well
April 13th, 2010 at 10:06 am
Rob,
Thanks for letting us use the beta version of MM3. It’s created amazing results for my clients not to mention the time its saved.
Its been a real “wow factor” for our design work. Our clients are loving it. Very slick!
April 14th, 2010 at 6:53 am
Someone has the beta! No fair.. I have LOTS of sites that I could try out the beta version on and find bugs for you…
April 14th, 2010 at 9:18 am
Ditto to the previous poster. Since the Dreamweaver CS5 release seemed to be a sticking point, now within weeks of shipping, what is the status of the release date? Getting close is getting old.
April 16th, 2010 at 8:36 am
Rob,
Back in Feb you indicated you would be posting more regular about progress of MM. I know this has taken far longer than expected but it would be great if a realistic date could be had on when it will be available? Seems that every quarter, it slips another quarter. A lot of people would love to know where this really is in the cycle.
Thanks
April 16th, 2010 at 8:54 pm
Me three the beta! I want to be tester!
April 19th, 2010 at 12:25 am
I’m holding off jobs so I can use this tool…
April 19th, 2010 at 3:11 pm
Me to. I’ve also been holding off on design work for this tool. I’m now completely broke as a result. I’m losing my office next week and will soon be living on the street. The ironic thing is that I will no longer be able to afford the upgrade when it comes out.
April 19th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
August 17, 2008:
“…Rewriting MenuMachine as a standalone application from scratch has been a major effort for us and while it’s not ready to go just yet, we are working very hard to deliver it as soon as we possibly can…”
April 19, 2010:
Still no release date and nobody knows if MM3 is any closer to reality than it was in 2008. Please let us know if MM3 is anywhere near being released or if it’s a lost cause.
April 23rd, 2010 at 3:59 am
I”ve already purchased the upcoming CS5. Have to stay on top for the business. Can’t wait for MenuMachines for Dreamweaver. Really hated giving up GoLive but…
April 23rd, 2010 at 10:01 am
Even if I have CS5 installed on the day it arrives any professional will need to keep CS4 running during the interim glitch resolution period. I originally heard talk of a standalone app which makes more sense to me then tying your self to another Adobe app.
Now, speaking as a Golive user, the writing was on the wall for the death of GoLive more then two years before Adobe killed it so it seems clear the denial of its imminent death was the cause in delay of future MM development. That being said, I strongly advise NOT tying the value of your product to ANY outside application.
I wouldn’t post any more estimated release dates unless you are clearly on target to produce the final release candidate as it makes it hard to plan future site development.
** Hints at how menu content will fit in with current & future layouts may help developers plan for your menu system.
April 23rd, 2010 at 10:36 pm
I hope there’s another round of releases to new beta testers soon
April 27th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Hi Rob.
Hate to be a pest but you offered back in Feb that updates would be more regular. Its now been a month without any news / update. Even if MM is not ready, I would think that a lot of info could be shared. Adobe has even done that with CS5 at this point.
April 28th, 2010 at 5:57 pm
Echo… Echo… Echo…
April 29th, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Wondering if the wordpress menumachine has come out yet. I am the owner of farmvillefreak.com and we created a navigation bar that we have not been able to implement on wordpress. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
April 30th, 2010 at 4:39 am
Echo standalone for me. I probably won’t upgrade to CS5 for quite a while. Not much value except the PhotoShop toys…
Release now as standalone makes more sense to most users I see here. BTW, Adobe hurt you once, why ride their coat tails anyway. Let anyone who creates web pages use what they want, but for great menus, use your product….
My 2 cents.
April 30th, 2010 at 9:33 am
Look, if it isn’t obvious to everyone by now, the truth is that this version of MM is nothing but vapourware. You want to give us a “glimpse”? Try releasing it as it is and then worry about upgrading it to CS5 later. No??? Why not? Because it is not ready to be released in any form is the real truth. We have been waiting for years with nothing but promises, blurred out “glimpses” and a lot of excuses. I am tired of being jerked around. MM was great for Golive but I am going to have to find another solution, even if it means going to a much simpler menu system. Too bad. I was a huge fan. Now I just feel like the donkey chasing the carrot.
April 30th, 2010 at 11:26 am
I can assure you that MenuMachine for Mac is very real. Unfortunately we haven’t been able to ship it as soon as we hoped, for a variety of reasons. I’m not going to give any more shipping predictions, it was a mistake for me to do so in the first place. When it’s done, we’ll ship it.
May 1st, 2010 at 7:18 pm
So, any idea when the new release is coming out?
May 7th, 2010 at 11:19 pm
Will all the years of waiting happen to have a lucky end soon … ? By now I get a little impatient as a former customer …
May 11th, 2010 at 10:41 am
Looks exciting , do you maintain a mail list for when the big day arrives ?
May 12th, 2010 at 2:02 am
Are we there yet?
May 12th, 2010 at 2:36 am
“….Thanks for letting us use the beta version of MM3.”
Lucky beta testers… Is he a relative or best buddy?
Feels like I can’t get into this exclusive club…
Kidding aside. Can’t wait to use it! Good luck Rob.
May 12th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Been a long time user of MM and can’t wait for the new version, just started using DW CS3 after years of pondering, originally a long time user of Cyber Studio before Adobe got hold of it and changed it to Golive.
MM3 in DW would be really handy right about now……‹(•¿•)›
May 13th, 2010 at 8:07 am
DW CS3 sucks. Old school tools for old school code.
May 14th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
Well. After reading all the above comments, I donot know what to believe any more.
Do we begin to collect gold for our golden calf, or do we wait for moses to come down from the mount to give us the commandments and lead us to the promised land???
May 17th, 2010 at 12:48 am
Rob, I hate to say it but your last response was rude, like a kid who does not like the way things are going, so he quits the game.
Let me remind you that it was you who promised to be more open with more updates. This is what everyone is looking for. Anyone that understands software development understands “STUFF” happens. But considering the history of this project, I think you owe your customers and public more transparcency.
I believe that you should consider a 0.9 release with limited features (that are solid) and priced properly. Later as other features are worked out, release them as you wish and then offer the 1.0 version when you are ready as a reasonable upgrade and at a price that makes sense.
May 17th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Cool down people. You’ll get your copy when its good and ready.
“It’s gonna be greaaaat!”
– Tony the Tiger
May 18th, 2010 at 7:03 am
Are we not there yet?
May 20th, 2010 at 3:41 am
This is funny. I, like everyone else here, have some projects on hold for ages while waiting for something.
For the people who think it’s all vaporware, think of TypeStyler. Check out my review . I also had “given up” on that product until suddenly it was there. If Rob says it will happen, trust me, it will happen.
For those who want something now, and let CS5 happen when it does, sorry, but that means you’ve never built anything in your life. There are hooks and links throughout code that are dependent upon everything else. That’s like asking for a 3 story house and when things are taking too long, telling the contractor to leave out the 2nd floor “you can add it later, can’t you?”
My favorite part of this blog thread is the first comment after Rob’s frustration lament is one that has completely ignored Rob’s frustration lament. Thanks, I got a big laugh from that.
At home right now I’m just about to finish this week a woodworking project I started over 3 years ago. I’ve had a series of delays and complications but my wife has been patient and perhaps by tomorrow I’ll be bringing it inside. I thought it would take me a year, but it didn’t. It took me as long as it took to finish the job. It was a much more complicated job than I anticipated and, well, shit happens.
Point is simply: a number of people are hurting because Rob has spoiled us rotten with MM 1 & 2. We have been waiting and expecting v. 3 for way too long. But trust me: being angry, nervous, anxious, or upset will not speed anything up. If anything it will make it seem so much longer. (The watch pot never boils.)
Hang in there, be patient, let Rob do what’s necessary.
May 20th, 2010 at 3:43 am
[Ah, my review link got stripped Do a Google search on "Coyne Applelinks TypeStyler" - it will be the first link.]
May 20th, 2010 at 4:51 am
As someone who was using MM1 and MM2 for GL, and still keeps GLCS2 around for MM2, I first started hearing about MM3 for DW about the time my copy of DWCS4 arrived. Now, a year and a half later, my copy of DWCS5 should be arriving tomorrow and all I want to know is if MM3 will be out before DWCS6 ships. How about before DWCS7?
May 20th, 2010 at 5:08 am
Are we still not there yet?
May 20th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
I can’t keep GLCS2 or 3 around for MM2 because clients want web standards based layouts and css based search engine friendly menus and neither of those fit these standards.
jQuery & HTML5 or nothing.
May 21st, 2010 at 11:59 pm
aaaaarrrrrgrgggghhhhhh
When will it be ready????
May 25th, 2010 at 6:44 am
I say do it right Rob. Just do it right. So when it is released, it works.
May 25th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
jis git it out.
May 28th, 2010 at 2:50 am
Is there a mailing list somewhere that we can join to be notified when the new release comes out?
May 28th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
no.
May 29th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
I’m still using Adobe Pagemill on my trusty Apple Performa 6300… which I just upgraded! It’ll last for ever Wayne says. I got a deal on a used PowerPC 604 processor and my tech, Wayne, rebuilt it all for only $1,200! Will you be supporting Pagemill? Can I get it on a floppy disc?
June 1st, 2010 at 11:43 am
Help!!
Will happily have what works for CS4 now and worry about upgrading DW when MM is ready for CS5 instead of now as planned….
June 1st, 2010 at 2:29 pm
No one in their right mind ever said MM3 would be available for CS4 however a stand alone was mentioned. Writing for specifically CS4 would be a major step backwards causing even more delay. CS4 isn’t even cocoa.
June 1st, 2010 at 8:27 pm
At more than two months since the last update I think it would be both polite and politic to tell us how things are progressing.
June 2nd, 2010 at 3:41 pm
I don’t. I kinda like the suspense.
June 4th, 2010 at 10:59 am
The code behind modern menuing systems is in the midst of major change with jquery. I’m not surprised it would take a bit longer with all the very recent turn in coding trends and innovations. Hell even Google is jumping into the game.
You may not know it but there is a major web evolution happening now that will affect MM3′s viability.
So stop the whining and learn a bit about coding. It makes you sound like a newbie part time hack.
June 4th, 2010 at 2:50 pm
Greg,
Take a deep breath…
June 9th, 2010 at 10:02 pm
What’s the haps?
June 10th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
So I had to take the plunge and learn DW CS5… Accctually it’s pretty nice! Nowhere near as scary as I thought… my workflow is DW CS5, create a blank page. Create a GL9 project. Create the folder structure and all the pages i THINK I need. Create my menu in MM. Save it all out then edit the site in DW CS5. It all works pretty well… the hassle comes if you need to create or change the structure – back into GL to do that!.
Phhhhh… that’s me stopping holding my breath waiting for the new MM. I can live this way… for a bit!
June 11th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
It’s not in any of your clients best interest to program with MM2 & GoLive. It’s more work to update. You miss the benefit of html list links converted to drop downs. Your menu updates simply consist of an outline. Anyone using MM2 & GL these days brands themselves in a catagory of unknowledgable developers.
June 14th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
I’m using DW, MM and GL !
I rebuild the pages (only, no content) in GL and from that I create the menu system, I want.
Then Copy/paste the MM code from GL source to my real site in DW.
Works extremely well.. Must copy the MM folder as well.
Until we get MM for DW.. This will do. Fortunatly GL2 still runs under 10.6.3
June 16th, 2010 at 12:01 am
I don’t believe, that the new MM will be released this and/or the next year.
I’m very disappointed from Big Bang Software and the developers of MenuMachine
June 16th, 2010 at 8:51 am
http://www.projectseven.com
Works for me! Check it out!!
June 16th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
70!
June 16th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
Only a bonehead would still use GL and MM2 with all that is available menu wise… and I’m not talking about the age old finicky Projectseven.com examples. MM2 does not allow for the easier list format that search engines love easily styled by css for mobile devices and screen formats of all types.
Remember, when you use MM2 & GL (any version) you are not creating html standards sites that are capable of morphing to the end devices viewing dimensions.
…and I say that as a GoLive user since the beginning… all versions including CyberStudio and all versions of MM1 & 2.
But those days are over and admitting to any studio you may collaborate with that you use tables and the heavy MM code will surely be met with a lack of respect for you abilities.
June 17th, 2010 at 7:00 am
TO: Hello, I’m Dave:
We are not boneheads, sorry.
Why do you think Rob is finetuning the new MM?
Chill out.
June 18th, 2010 at 3:30 am
Again – Are we there yet?
June 23rd, 2010 at 1:44 am
It looks like we’re not going to get an answer.
June 23rd, 2010 at 8:27 am
TO: PATRICE
I said if you are still using GL and MM you are a bonehead. Its so out dated that it doesn’t even work anymore on recent browsers hitting the market not to mention search engine listings. You are doing your client an injustice by using it.
And Rob isn’t fine tuning MM he’s rewriting it as it will be using all the new coding standards and a new software structure so I’m not sure why that would make one keep using outdated tools unless your under the impression that its going to transfer over.
I’ll chill out when I’m done ripping all this old non functional MM code from others client websites to meet new coding needs.
June 23rd, 2010 at 6:46 pm
To Dave:
Your point is taken – you’re chilled. What you’re forgetting is that many GoLive users used GoLive ’cause they weren’t propellor-head coders (sorry coders!!!). GL + MM let me create some really good looking sites that my customers liked. I’ve authored sites for my own businesses – not others. It worked for me.
I’ve spent the time and learned enough of Dreamweaver to be comfortable there (I now have a semi-spin-top hat. /irony Yay), so that bit is cool. I’ve worked out an interchange between GL9 + MM + DW that works well enough for me and maybe others. Poking around the web, I haven’t found a tool that works as well given my non-geekiness status than MenuMachine. Which is of course why we’re all hanging’ around here hoping to read the post that it’s in open-beta or released or whatever.
So. Remembering that we’re on Rob’s site, why don’t you let us know why you’re still here if there are “better” tools out there? That create good-looking menus in a friendly environment? You obviously know what you’re doing so don’t need it, right? I’d really like to know.
To Rob: We’d love to see a release of something soon… Pretty Please?
June 24th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Wait and see, please
June 25th, 2010 at 3:15 am
Boots:
I to was a long time GoLive & MM and clients loved the results… Until they hire an SEO and were told to dump the menu. And now we have the mobile market with touch screen devices. The iPad for instance, hitting the market at 3 million in 70 days has left me scrambling to quickly remove MM code at irritated client requests… Usually at my own cost because it is considered a bug by the client. Whether or not you like the iPad, shocking sales of the devise will secure it’s place in the future of the Internet. Since touch screen devices do not have an arrow/pointer (your finger replaces that) there is no hover support which MM and Flash rely on.
And since it only takes one person in your clients staff hitting the website on their personal or professional iPad hover only menus are dead. Dead.
Jquery has resolved the issue. I’m sure Rob knows this and hope it’s the new core engine of his tools because aside from all the obvious reasons for going with Jquery-CCS-list based menus is that they can be edited without special tools or knowledge of coding.
So Google Jquery.
June 25th, 2010 at 8:53 am
Yep, we’re definitely using jQuery as the core of the new MenuMachine browser code.
June 26th, 2010 at 1:11 am
Glad to see Rob responding =).
June 26th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Three months since the last update?
Still wondering if MM3 will be out before Dreamweaver CS6.
June 29th, 2010 at 8:16 am
Dave: So I googled jQuery. Yes. Very Cool. And propellor-head inducing. It forced me to learn about Dreamweaver Templates to drive out updates to the existing pages. I also had to purchase a single design menu template as I’m not a coder.
So, thanks. I’m now using jQuery, Dreamweaver, Templates and have access to a single menu – it’s not perfect but it’s good enough right now for me.
It doesn’t qualify as a solution. I can’t design my own menu as I’m not interested in learning to code java. I don’t have a friendly design environment. I can’t place bitmaps as menu element backgrounds. To change things within the menu I have to poke around someone else’s css as the purchase didn’t include that amount of detail. And, I’m beholden to someone else’s design taste. Boy, some of those menus are tacky!
So please, before you go ‘boneheading’ people for trying to get a job done, remember we’re not all as clever as others obviously are.
June 30th, 2010 at 7:46 am
Rob said:
Yep, we’re definitely using jQuery as the core of the new MenuMachine browser code.
Great! jQuery is my latest obsession… still learning, but loving it so far… only a few weeks, but can see the possibilities… new redesign on my own site for practice.
But, Rob, take mercy on us. When is it ready?
June 30th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
I don’t follow this blog religiously anymore, so apologies if I’m re-hashing previously discussed ideas. Anyway, here are some ridiculous notions: 1) the Golive code base is just sitting there gathering dust at Adobe, 2) Apple needs a decent web development tool, 3) MM3 is essentially an Apple app. Rob, why not broker a deal to get Apple to buy Golive (thus making nice with Adobe)? Then, help Apple dust it off and update it, e.g., HTML5, etc., and integrate MM3 as the primary means for menuing on an industrial strength Apple version of Golive. As I said, totally ridiculous, impractical, impossible, etc., but we’ve been waiting several years anyway, so why not dream big, i.e., a total solution? Wishful thinking, right? But what else can I do while waiting, waiting, waiting…
July 1st, 2010 at 7:40 pm
Apple would never buy GoLive in a million years. It’s not Cocoa and it’s outdated. It’s interface is also not as slick as Apple can do.
July 2nd, 2010 at 10:19 am
I wish Big Bang could buy GoLive and rewrite it..
July 5th, 2010 at 5:30 pm
Rod – I like your dream. GoLive was always better than DW. Adobe were off the pace in their promotion of GoLive, they should have been able to conquer DW in the same way they killed off QuarkXpress. Oh! if only GoLive could be resurrected for continued development… and especially by Apple! what a dream and happy existence that would be….
July 5th, 2010 at 11:52 pm
Dreamweaver was only better at a few things than GoLive, coding, it’s find and replace, and stability.. Everything else I think GoLive was better for. I think GoLive had a much better use of it’s interface space and site management especially.
July 7th, 2010 at 5:53 am
Will MM3 be universal for those of us still using PowerPC based MACS? I am still using OSX 10.4
July 7th, 2010 at 1:35 pm
Yes, it will be Universal and run on PowerPC machines. The minimum requirement will be Mac OS X 10.5.
July 8th, 2010 at 7:12 am
Will MM3 be shipping before OS X 10.7?
July 8th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
That depends on when OSX 10.7 ships.
July 9th, 2010 at 5:04 am
10.7? Summer to Fall 2011 based on Apples current pattern of 1.5 to 2 years between OS updates. Keeping in mind that a year, or more, ago a MM3 release was being teased for possible release.
Sadly, wondering if MM3 will be out this, or next, year is not out of the question.
July 10th, 2010 at 3:22 am
Will the new menu system do mega menus?
July 16th, 2010 at 9:06 am
I heard there is an August date scheduled for the release date of MM3… Is this true? I’d like to pat that extra fee to receive the early release.
July 17th, 2010 at 12:01 am
August might be the release date but what year?
July 22nd, 2010 at 11:14 am
I switched to OS X. Even learned DW (and I don’t like the interface AT ALL; GL’s interface was far better, IMO).
I did my homework, so now, please, please…
July 22nd, 2010 at 10:22 pm
Yes, I’ve switched too. Mac & DW, but what on earth were Adobe thinking??? Templates don’t work properly – actually due to the appalling code that DW generates I don’t think they could ever work properly, the UI is a mess and shamefully incomplete. Views move origin as you change mode, it’s madness. It is a horrible product now. I wish I hadn’t bowed to client pressure and converted, to be honest. GoLive was pretty weird but it was a better product. Where did the August rumour start? Did it come from wishful thinking or a trustworthy source? I’m not holding my breath, but I do want MM3 to surface. If John Metawig wasn’t pulling our collective legs then a beta has existed since at least mid April. Keep going Rob, I know it will be worth the wait in the end!!
July 24th, 2010 at 2:48 am
Luvin it!
July 24th, 2010 at 7:16 am
…and 100!
July 27th, 2010 at 3:53 am
MM3 will be released before the 200th post for sure… I know it.
July 27th, 2010 at 9:25 pm
That makes it four months away, almost to the day. Unless Rob releases yet another glimpse and restarts the counter…
July 28th, 2010 at 3:09 am
Rob, Can we see another preview? I can’t do another 100 posts.
July 28th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Why aren’t we there yet?
July 29th, 2010 at 1:56 am
I would say since Adobe bought Macromedia in April 18 of 2005, MM3 has had 5 years for development and anyone that didn’t see GoLive’s death coming as a result was living in a dream world for thinking Adobe would be willing to fund development for two parallel applications.
It’s been 5 years…
August 1st, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Yup. We all saw it coming. But in my case, I didn’t like it. DW had and has a bigger established users base. All in all, GoLive, even now, still has a better user interface, more intuitive, more responsive, “better behaved”, if you get my strange use of english. What a pity there’s no company there taking GoLive to keep it going. I switched to OSX. Learned DW. And wait forMM·. But as for now, I still work on GoLive. It’s still a pleasure, it goes swift and smooth, it’s even “silky”. Atta shame. Sometimes progress goes a step back.
August 2nd, 2010 at 11:13 pm
Rob, I’m not sure how much this matters to you anymore, but the current version of menumachine doesn’t play to well with iPad. The highest level menu works, a sub-menu works, but if there’s a sub-menu attached to the sub-menu, the entire menu path is rendered useless, i.e., inaccessible. FYI: sort of thing DOES matter to those of us who still maintain menumachine/golive on certain projects — while waiting (interminably) for mm3.
August 3rd, 2010 at 3:43 am
IMHO, Project Seven leaves much to be desired when you have used MenuMachine for years. I am sure it will be worth the wait, then I can get back to the Ferrari and lose the Camry. Sure it gets you there, just not in style…
August 3rd, 2010 at 7:15 am
It sure is disheartening to see nothing posted since March. It was an entire year ago that I assured a client I would have new menus any day. Oops. Learned my lesson.
Please communicate. Thank you.
August 6th, 2010 at 12:12 am
We’re more likely to see Jesus Christ descend from the heavens than we are to ever see another product from this company. Seriously folks, when someone takes 3 years to build a frickin’ menu, are you really going to trust them to provide continued support or ongoing development in the years to come?
August 6th, 2010 at 7:05 am
I lost a major client this morning due to the fact that I had promised menu machine updates early this year to support the new standards of today. We’ve seen to releases of the Adobe Suite since GoLive’s demise and to many promises for a Menu Machine update.
I’ve lost faith in the future of this application. I’m done waiting.
I do hear though that there is a “real” application in production from a company that I know is capable of pulling it off and it won’t be called Menu Machine.
August 6th, 2010 at 10:59 am
And the natives turn restless…
August 6th, 2010 at 10:23 pm
Rob, You REALLY owe it to the (dwindling) fan-base of menumachine to provide a genuine date. I agree with Jeff D. (although not so emphatically, perhaps a little bit more plaintively) and many many others that your lack of communication on YOUR OWN BLOG is beginning to inflict REAL harm to those of us who have hung in there with you for all of these years. C’mon, PLEASE tell us: Is MM3 going to happen, or not? And if so, WHEN??
August 7th, 2010 at 12:25 am
yes please, at least one point sustained
August 7th, 2010 at 12:56 am
Greg, can you reveal the name of the company that is working on a real application? (this comments section has become a support group for us hapless MM3 customer wannabes) Oy!
August 7th, 2010 at 8:06 am
A post that was removed mentioned ‘GB Inc’. I googled that but didn’t turn anything up. Someone is monitoring this blog. The message they’re giving out is that they DID give up their (MM) day job and have a new one. MM3 is obviously a no-priority task now. I’m guessing that if we google ‘menu machine 3 replacement’, something will pop up sometime…
It’s a real pity – there is a real opportunity in the market for MM3. Big Bang have squandered that – I doubt many people will bother when a valid replacement arrives.
Sorry Big Bang! It’s kaput!
August 8th, 2010 at 2:24 am
If I read Boots’ post correctly, Rob and company have moved on, and aren’t paying any attention whatsoever to MM3 development/release, or to any current (loyal) bigbangextensions users. Right? I hope this isn’t true, but if it is, Rob, will you please show us some courtesy by letting us know what the hell is going on?? Personally, I’ve grown weary of all of this nothing for all of these years!
August 8th, 2010 at 4:53 am
I use several of Project Seven’s extensions for Dreamweaver, and besides being beautiful and functional, they have great documentation and incredibly fast customer service. I use their Pop Menu Magic (they have other menu systems too) and they are beautiful. This is my last visit to the Steam Engine blog. Good luck everyone. P7 it is.
August 8th, 2010 at 8:34 am
I am definitely paying attention to all the comments and we haven’t abandoned anything.
August 8th, 2010 at 8:45 am
I have no ‘inside information’ about what’s going on – I’m just looking at the complete lack of developer involvement here. One comment back in July from Big Bang. Years ‘in development’.
I used to be involved in software development. It doesn’t take THAT long – 3 years now – even if it’s only one developer – to release >something< if someone's at the wheel. Something else is going on, and it doesn't take much economic nouse to realise that MM2 ain't paying the bills. MM3 isn't either.
To Big Bang – communication doesn't have to be "here's the release guys!'. It can also be, 'Yes, the project is alive but it's going to be a while'. But silence is death in this case. Your users are leaving the building. Now.
August 10th, 2010 at 5:48 am
Not everyone is leaving. I may be using WebAssist CSS MenuWriter for now, but I’m definitely watching for MenuMachine 3. I’m sure it will be a great product when it’s finished. Hang in there, Rob!
August 14th, 2010 at 3:43 am
What’s more pathetic?
1. The fact that Rob can’t release a follow-up to Menu Machine in three years time?
2. The fact that he refuses to communicate with his disappearing customers?
3. The fact that people on this board (myself included) have deluded themselves into believing that it will be released someday and they (I) won’t have to learn something else after all?
#3 is your answer folks — move on.
Signed:
Former Customer
Never to return again
August 14th, 2010 at 8:21 am
Rob, you are breaking the cardinal rule of business. Shattering it in fact. Why are you so obstinate toward your most loyal customers, those of us who actually take the time to visit your blog and write little missives of encouragement to you and each other. Why? All of this could easily be remedied on your part if you would simply give us an update, specifically as to when this app of yours will be available. No obfuscation either. We are all tired of that. You owe us this much.
August 14th, 2010 at 8:29 am
Cue the sound of crickets chirping.
August 18th, 2010 at 2:30 am
Hey Uri, Project Seven isn’t quite there. If you are using several templates and using P7 navigation within library items. I had to use a separate P7 file for each of these templates. Seems I confounded their customer support on this one. So, one navigation change to the site, I have to do it 5 times, (5 templates).
Although, they did try to answer and get back to me quickly. At least communication is one of their strong points…
Using P7 for now, checking back once in a while just in case Rob pulls it off. I would switch back in a heartbeat!
August 18th, 2010 at 6:12 am
I think if the final product is good those who say they’re done with MM will be back. Come on…it’s not like there’s anything that compelling out there now. What I’d love to hear is that the delay was to include Windows guys like myself back in the fold! Ya, I know, probably not. Sniff sniff.
August 19th, 2010 at 8:46 am
I have tried many of them, paid the bucks… they all suck wind compared to mm
Some of us are not being gullible, some of us recognize a superior product and are hoping for the best…
August 19th, 2010 at 9:35 pm
…well said.
August 19th, 2010 at 10:16 pm
are we there yet? my projects pile up …
August 22nd, 2010 at 12:14 am
Could all the whiners and naysayers please just stop? Obviously it’s a tough project, especially when you look at all the other companies that have menu systems and they all suck. If all those other companies with all their other developers can’t pull it off, then I for one will be first in line when MM3 comes out, because we already know the quality of the work that they do.. Even if it’s not on OUR schedule.
Rob, do you know how easy it will be to integrate the new menus into WordPress pages?
I’ve switched most of my sites from Dreamweaver over to WordPress. I still use DW to customize them, but I rarely ‘build’ the sites with DW anymore. Adobe took all the fun out of it.
Thanks,
August 22nd, 2010 at 3:33 am
@BRIAN BURROW
You’re new here right? Otherwise you’d have known not to ask Rob a question and actually expect a response.
Noobie!
August 22nd, 2010 at 11:12 am
Ouch!
August 23rd, 2010 at 3:41 pm
I am done. Year after year, promises of a cool product that is nothing more than screenshots. I have ben extremely patient, but you have had NO respect for your customers to keep me here. I understand projects are hard, but don’t string us along, unless you know you can complete it in a reasonable amount of time. You don’t even offer the respect of giving a meaningful status.
There are lots of frameworks for which you could have attached, lots of options as a stopgap until you had a final, but you have given us NOTHING. No alphas, no betas, nothing beyond a screenshot and only when people get desperate to see anything. The fact is that if you wanted this to be a business, you should put it as a business priority. If you want it as a hobby, then tell us that were expecting business level products and services that you have no intention of producing such.
I am normally one of the nicest people you will meet, but I have just about had it with false promises.
August 24th, 2010 at 2:31 am
Tango, I thought that you were not coming back according to your previous post. (see below)
“Signed:
Former Customer
Never to return again”
Glad to have your negativity here again… NOT.
Maybe you should practice what you preach. Are you a competitor fan boy/troll, out to discourage hopeful MM users?
Yes, it has been a long road waiting and using other options/products, it doesn’t hurt for us to check back once in a while to see how Rob might be doing. Rob doesn’t owe us for a future product, no one paid up front that I am aware of.
Dude, lighten up some. We get it when and if we get it. Then pay for it if you still want it. Sheesh!
August 24th, 2010 at 5:02 am
I said I wasn’t coming back…but here I am to defend Jason. No matter what else, the primary consideration here is NO COMMUNICATION from the developer. I began to feel like a fool for waiting for years with precious little info. P7 menus are working for me in spite of, as Robert Cone says, they are “not quite there,” at least they ARE there. My first choice was of course MM, but a person can only wait so long. I’m not a whiner or a naysayer, I am a practitioner who had to move on. Good luck to you all.
August 25th, 2010 at 1:07 am
Uri, I said that P7 didn’t work for a complicated template with library use and that P7 support could not solve the situation and required five different instances for one navigation. MM worked fine in this same scenario.
Get your facts straight please and don’t use my statement out of context. I did mention that P7 support communicates well.
Why does Rob have to be “there” for a product that isn’t supported anymore? I find it funny that so many people here think Rob owes them something.
I find it funny all the people who say they are going to move on, and keep coming back… And since Uri and Jason have moved on they won’t be responding to this anyway…. Right?
Not picking a fight, just practice what you preach and mean what you say!
August 26th, 2010 at 6:25 am
Many are assuming non-performance or lack of interest on Rob’s part. Maybe there are external issues that are affecting development. Give the guy a break. When it’s soup, it’s soup. I know in my personal life, unexpected things have occurred that have changed a business goal. Lighten up. It’s only a tool, not the end of the world as you know it.
August 28th, 2010 at 3:42 am
I hope MenuMachine works with other web tools other than Dreamweaver. I hate DW so much I’ve switched to Flux -far superior in many way. Although I haven’t abandoned DW completely I may if I make the final switch to Coda – which works in tandem with Flux.
Looking forward to seeing it soon – regardless of what it runs in.
September 1st, 2010 at 3:49 am
George: I’m familiar with Flux and Coda. I wasn’t aware that they worked in tandem. I don’t remember seeing a reference to each other’s product on their respective web sites. Can you provide a reference to using the two products in tandem? Thanks.