You can download a full-feature trial version that expires in 21 days, and after that it's $49. On Windows 7, I had to reinstall the app using recommended OS settings as suggested by an OS dialog, since it was designed for earlier OS versions. After this it was smooth sailing. The app is only available for Windows; Mac and Linux users must look elsewhere (Muse works on all thre platforms). When you first launch the app, you'll see the small Tip of the Day box, in which you can page through future and previous tips, or just dismiss it and get going.
Interface The CoffeeCup app has the look of an earlier XP-style application, but large toolbar buttons across the top and left rail make getting to the functions you need pretty easy. The interface isn't broken down into major steps for planning, designing, previewing, and publishing the way Adobe Muse's is, but it's not a big hindrance to your process. The lack of a Plan view, however, means you can't build a tree view of your pages to set up navigation unless you download a separate Site Mapper program. CoffeeCup also doesn't use the concept of master pages to base more pages on, but it does let you add a duplicate page.
The left rail offers drawing and text tools, and other objects you can insert on your page, such as Flash elements you've created in other CoffeeCup apps. Along the top you'll find large buttons to customize objects you've added with links, styles, buttons, mouseovers. You'll also find buttons for adding and removing pages, previewing, and publishing. The CoffeeCup interface also lacks Muse's rulers, something professional designers may miss. You can, however, overlay a grid on your page design area to help align objects, though you don't get Muse's helpful guides that appear when you move an object into alignment.
Building a Website
The program includes 10 built-in themes, but you can download more online for $9 apiece. Those you'll find on the free online site builder Webs.com are just as well designed, but you can't move parts around and resize them as freely as you can in CoffeeCup. The CoffeeCup designs professional looking and well designed. I wish a larger view of the themes was viewable in the program when you're choosing one, however, as you can in Webs; Webs also has a larger choice for free. Muse has no themes yet, so CoffeeCup has it beat for now in that way.
After choosing a template theme, or not, you can start inserting elements onto your pages. When I based a test site on a theme, the Home button was selected and a tooltip asked me to associate the button with a page in my site. I could create more buttons out of any object on my page, and even have different text and styles appear when the site viewer hovers his or her mouse over them.
I could add shapes, text, and images anywhere on the page, using buttons on the left sidebar. You can tweak parameters for each item added by pressing the Object button at top center, which pops open a properties dialog. Settings include size (but not position), button text, font, and alternate text. Two more buttons control fill color, image use, a gradient option. I could also add effects like shadow, bevel, and glow to page objects. A color dropper lets you match objects' colors, and you can choose which shows on top of which with the Arrange menu option. With Photoshop chops behind it, though, Adobe offers more control over these effects.
