Greetings from Karelia Software!
Sandvox 1.5 is now available!
We're extremely pleased to announce that after weeks of intensive beta testing, Sandvox 1.5 is now available! Version 1.5 is a major upgrade, sixteen months in the making, that includes dozens of new features and over 150 improvements, updates, and performance enhancements, including:
- major improvements to media processing, making it easier than ever to create and publish multimedia and media-intensive sites;
- improvements to all pagelets, now 19 in all, including an enhanced Contact Form and a brand new YouTube pagelet;
- seven all-new designs, plus enhancements to other designs, bringing the total to 50 included designs;
- new blogging features, including a Collection Archives pagelet to better manage and display older entries, automatic navigation links between entries, and "continue reading" links to better manager longer entries;
- inspector improvements to allow editing of multiple pages simultaneously;
- improved compatibility with Apple's MobileMe service and site hosting;
- a new document format to make management and publishing more streamlined; and
- new Code Injection points that give Pro Edition users greater power to adjust design and content.
Our sincere thanks to all those Sandvoxers who tirelessly tested the betas and gave us your feedback. We couldn't have done this without you!
This upgrade is free to all registered customers. If you haven't tried Sandvox 1.5, you haven't tried Sandvox. Why not download it today?
(By the way, here's a peek at some of the new designs from Sandvox 1.5.)
Sandvox Success Stories
We've had an overwhelming response to our request to share your Sandvox-built websites. Here are a few recent submissions that caught our attention, and that we hope will inspire you:
Chuck Dresel is a middle school teacher at Redwood Middle School in Napa, California. Using Sandvox and the Cathedral design to create a website for his Social Studies 7 class means that Mr. Dresel can spend more time on student work and less time maintaining the site. He wrote:
I'm a middle school teacher who doesn't have a lot of time to maintain a quality website for my class/students. Sandvox is the perfect tool for me because it allows me to quickly and easily provide my students with all the information they need to stay successful in my class and it really looks great. I use the blog collection to post and manage homework assignments; most documents that students need for my class are available from various download collections; students are able to access their current grades which are posted on the same server via ftp and then linked back to the Sandvox site; students can earn extra credit by completing several web-based geolab assignments that incorporate QuickTime video and audio files; and of course it is very easy to contact me using the contact form pagelet. Sandvox also makes it really easy to incorporate some really cool add-ons like Google custom search. Thanks again for making a great product.
Michael Schein describes himself as a poet and attorney, but he might add website designer to that list! Based in Seattle, Washington, Mr. Schein used Sandvox and the Gnarled design to create a website that showcases his writing (including his latest novel, Just Deceits), announces readings and personal appearances, and lets his readers share their feedback with him.
Many of you may be familiar with the work of Blueball Design, one of the top third-party developers of Sandvox designs. Charlie Lockhart, Blueball's "design guy," was kind enough to point us in the direction of the website for the Lambrick Park Baseball Association in Greater Victoria, British Columbia. Using Blueball's Pro Tabs design, the league has created a site that offers a wealth of information on schedules, registration, and sponsors, handsomely and clearly presented.
For a range of examples of how Sandvox users have created sites based on Blueball designs, don't miss Blueball's Sandvox Design Showcase.
Summer isn't over yet, at least not here in the United States, but when the autumn winds begin to blow you might want to visit the site created by Bill George for Mountain Meadow Ranchon the Big Island of Hawaii. Mr. George wrote:
You folks are doing great work on Sandvox. The continued development of the product and excellent support make it a standout. I developed my wife's B&B site originally in GoLive. Sandvox makes updates quick and easy.
The Mountain Meadow Ranch site provides a welcoming and serene backdrop for information about visiting the B&B, activities in the area, and an array of photos.
See you in the Sandvox!