Reviews

Issue 229
May 2005
by Richard Cobbett
Go to PC Plus Article

“The humble multimedia creator takes on that vital middle ground between basic PowerPoint, and the ultra-expensive Director”

“The most important of the set... is the ability for multiple users to work on projects simultaneously via a network, each assigned to their own specific section. While not necessarily a feature that you’ll need to use for most personal Mediator projects, it will certainly come in useful if you have to rely on someone else for graphics or text work.”

“Mediator remains an exceptionally strong multimedia package to work with, with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface for creating your presentation’s logic, and support for plenty of stylish graphical elements like bump-maps and panoramic images. Mediator defaults to full executable presentations where all these features are available, with the option to export in Flash or HTML format for web use.”

Issue 129
July 2005
by Kevin Partner
Go to PC Pro Magazine Article

“The traditional downside of drag-and-drop authoring tools is that developers are limited to the built-in feature set. Since version 6, Mediator EXP has shared two features in common with Director aimed at bridging this gap: scripting and ActiveX controls. Using VBScript or JavaScript, developers can add features or control Mediator objects in code.”

“The most obvious change in version 8 is an overdue facelift. The new interface is slicker and more efficient, bringing Mediator's look and feel bang up to date, complete with dockable, customisable toolbars and a scrollable workspace.”

“Version 8 of both Pro and EXP support multi-user editing, meaning a number of users can edit a document concurrently over a network, as long as they don't try to edit the same page. This feature is likely to be most appreciated in the school setting, where Mediator has proved popular, but it's also useful for large commercial projects.”

“With this latest version of EXP, you can access script functions directly from Mediator expressions ....the most useful development is the facility to temporarily disable individual Actions.”

“For professional multimedia productions, Mediator 8 EXP offers a balance between ease of use (and therefore productivity) and power... this application... deserves to be in the toolkit of all professional developers creating disc-based multimedia content.”

Issue:
February 2003

“We have always been impressed by Mediator's exceptional distribution options, but this latest release boasts by far and away the best yet. What makes it stand out is the inclusion of not just 'standard' export options... but the extras, notably the inclusion of Install Maker 4.” “There are so many features worthy of note here, from screensaver creator through to easy database connectivity, that Mediator really does have to be seen to be believed.”

Issue No.100
February 2003.
by Kevin Partner
Go to PC Pro Review Article

“The most noticeable change in version 7 is a drastic improvement to the user interface, which now has a slick Windows XP-style look and feel.”

“MatchWare has listened to it's users, rather than simply throwing in new features to grab the headlines.”

“Perhaps the most important newcomer is the Set Property action that was added to Pro's bib brother Mediator 6 Exp. Set Property lets you change an object's properties at run-time.”

Issue No.64

General multimedia creation is superb and simple drag-and-drop functionality gets you started quickly." "The range of multimedia functions is more extensive than you would expect, with options such as Export to Screensaver, Publish to Diskette and- unusually - a handy export capacity to CD-ROM installation files. Add the ability to import PowerPoint presentations and you have a tool, which can significantly enhance business creativity.”

Issue 81
March - April 2000
by Luke Peters

“..its sixth version of the highly popular Mediator series, it's clear that multimedia authoring needn't be something that's left to experienced graphics professionals. ”

“Mediator's straightforward approach is probably the strongest feature.”

“Once you've harness its power, its potential is limitless.”

Issue 78
April 2001
by Kevin Partner
Go to PC Pro Review Article

“..its sixth version of the highly popular Mediator series, it's clear that multimedia authoring needn't be something that's left to experienced graphics professionals. ”

“Mediator's straightforward approach is probably the strongest feature.”

“Once you've harness its power, its potential is limitless.”

Issue No.70

“Mediator's main strength is it's simple and highly intuitive, drag-and-drop interaction creation interface, it means that, even for highly complex functions, you can't create interactions that don't work.”

“The big new features in EXP, other than direct scripts control, is the integration of ActiveX controls. Thousands of ActiveX objects are available.”

“By adding ActiveX components, you can incorporate pretty much any format of file into your project, whether it is supported or not. With more than 1000 ActiveX components available free and commercially, this is enough to make any programmer drool.”

“Programmers can realistically expect to complete multimedia projects two to three times faster than with Director, including projects which require the creation of complex interactions to perform tasks.”

“The best feature of the software for cost and time-conscious professionals is undoubtedly the range of publishing options it handles. Standard executables, screensavers (no need for stand-alone Cinematic ), HTML, DHTML, compress for email, Internet-based plug-ins and - the daddy of them all - CD-ROM installation files are all catered for.”

“The list of features really does go on and on. On top of these, you are also given two thorough and well-written tutorial manuals and a huge, free Wrox VBScript programmers' reference guide. All in all, this makes for a product that feels like definite value for money.”

“It's also worth noting that Mediator 6 EXP costs about a grand less than Director and Dreameaver combined. A class act indeed.”

Issue no:48, June 2002

By Richard Boardman.
Go to Digit Review Article Article

“Another interesting online-multimedia addition is the ability to use ActiveX components, which opens up a vast resource of development potential in the form of commercial objects, plus a massive repository of free nuggets available all over the internet.”

“New to this version is the Animation Track action that allows you to customize object motion attributes through a special window. This method makes spinning, travelling, colour changing, and even transparency-fading effects quick to apply without getting lost in path curves on the page itself.”

“All this brings the package head-to-head with Macromedia's market-leading Director, although not a feature-for-feature substitute for it. Rather, Mediator 6 EXP is the better product for producing everyday multimedia applications with tight deadlines.”

“Unless you are already a whiz with LingoSript, most creators of everyday projects - such as in-house training materials, interactive catalogues and even application prototypes - should find Mediator 6 EXP's speedy tools leave Director feeling like a lame duck.”