Illustrator v. Freehand

[poppins]

I am trying to determine the best design software for use at my office. I work for the government so every purchase needs to be justified and justified. Plus, I want what is going to be most useful for my needs. In any case, I was about sold on Illustrator but need a little more info on how it compares to Freehand. The majority of design projects will be in web design and not for print media. We use Dreamweaver as the web development tool so I'm thinking Freehand may interface better with Dreamweaver. I would appreciate any input, ideas, views on how the products compare and what would be best for my graphic needs. Thanks!

 

[askIllustrator]

It's really an end user preference, chances are here in the illustrator forum lots of people are going to suggest illustrator. I would go to both manufactures web sites and compare features from both and see which one lends itself to your workflow more.

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." -Einstein

 

[Pixelchik]

I agree with jAQUAN. I also use Dreamweaver for web development, and I use both Illustrator and Freehand for graphics. I prefer Illustrator, however, due to it's user interface that is relatively consistent with all Adobe products. Dreamweaver is the ONLY Macromedia product I use. So if you're comforable with Freehand, or prefer the Macromedia interface, Freehand will work for you.

 

[RickWolff]

Get specifics on just WHAT advantages Freehand + Dreamweaver have over Illustrator + Dreamweaver. Sometimes the compatibility streamlines are just hype.
And then, since we're Illustrator lovers here, Don't forget to tell us what you've learned! There's no reason these threads have to be all about "Help, I can't figure out such-and-such."

 

[Eggles]

I am just SO impressed with the responses to the original question. At so many other forums, you would have got answers like 'Freehand sucks'. But here, the responses were quite unbiased and useful, and I hope the original poster manages to find out what he wants to know. I would also suggest if it is possible to download any trial versions these apps may have at the manufacturer's websites and see which one you feel most comfortable with. I think if you are unlikely to get involved in print work, the choice is wide open.

 

[blueark]

...just don't mention CorelDraw

 

[poppins]

Thank you all for the great advice. I appreciate your objectivity. After looking at both software packages, I decided to go with Freehand. The print media I am doing is very, very minimal and with the Macromedia Studio package I also got Fireworks and Flash, which are both helpful in web design/development. It was a really difficult decision, both packages offer a lot features and flexibility. Thanks again.