Apple is offering users of its subscription-based .Mac service another incentive this week with the release of a trial version of Contribute 2, Macromedia’s Web page design software.
Users who download the trial version are eligible for a US$20 discount off the purchase price, and they can also download exclusive Web page designs to use in conjunction with their .Mac account, designed by Macromedia.
For an annual fee, .Mac offers users an e-mail account, Web page service, the ability to store files online, and access to an ever-changing bevy of free or discounted software.
The 13 Contribute Web page designs made available to .Mac users include different themes like Brochure, Portfolio, Travel, Entertainment, Education, Restaurant and others. Each design includes five types of pages suitable for home pages, text and photos — some themes even include catalog and product pages designed for e-commerce sites.
Released in late July, Contribute 2 is designed to be a visual Web page editor suitable for individuals or groups. Contribute 2 is the first version of the software to be made compatible with Mac OS X.
The trial version of Contribute 2 available for download from .Mac deactivates after 30 days of use without a registration code. It can also connect automatically to .Mac for easy uploading of Web pages.
The 22.7MB demo download is now available from .Mac; the 568KB templates are available as a separate download.