If you don't want to read all the stuff below, I just want to find a low cost host that will set permissions, services, DNS for the Mac on a Windows 2000 server. All things that are required for me to use Ultra Dev 4 (mac).

I have been trying to learn Dreamweaver Ultra Dev 4 for the mac.
But what I am learning is that in order for Ultra Dev on my mac to work right on a Windows 2000 server, the person setting the Windows 2000 server needs to set file services for the mac and sharing privleges. I am trying to understand how DNS comes in to all this but the same DNS has to be the same name as on my mac and the remote Windows 2000 server. I went to Borders and Books near were I live and realized that most books on Ultra Dev 4 put very little information on how to set up mac using Ultra Dev 4.

I am finding by browsing through 7 or 8 books on Ultra Dev 4 that it is much easier to work with Ultra Dev 4 on a windows machine using windows personal web server toghether on the same computer, as it is doing it remotely on a mac. I plan on using ASP, and Microsoft office has Access which to my knowledge is not available on the mac.

So what I realize is that if I want to find an ASP host: no 1, it should be Windows 2000, IIS 2. There should be Microsoft Access on the server machine (if I want to use a database). 3. There should be permissions and sharing set for the mac on the server machine.

In Ultra Dev 4 for Dummies, the author states that I may not find too many hosts that will be willing to set the DNS and all the file sharing and file services needed for my mac to be set up properly. I am not sure, is this correct? I've joined two free hosting services, but they probably won't want to do all that right?

Is there such a host available? That is low cost? Complete set up for the Mac on a windows 2000 and IIS?

Any input would greatly be appreciated.

Thanks
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while I haven't used ultradev, I do use the regular dreamweaver on my mac and then upload my stuff to the server. I could be wrong but I thing the file shar and dns stuff are an issue only if you are connected to the server on a permanent basis from your mac.

in that case, the all the admin has to do is to go their "sharing" panel and create a new share, check the box that says "allow mac users to access" or something similar and shabam.

if it's for hosting needs, you can just develop your stuff and then upload it to whatever win2k server for testing. it can be tideous (sp?) at first but you'll get used to it untill the rest of the computer world (95%) realises their mistake and becomes mac users.

on a side note, you can combine mac OS X and the new dreamweaver mx and make your life easier by using php or python or whatever... osX is a *NIX (freeBSD) and you have your entire developing environment on one machine.

hope this helps. pm or e-mail if you need more info

Badr

Thanks badr for the reply.

That is probably the best way to go. Though I have all my apps in OS 9. I tried to make Apache compatable with PHP but that is totaly out of my league. I have heard that there is an extension for Dreamweaver Ultra Dev that uses PHP, but it takes so much energy to get Ultra Dev 4 going remotely on a Windows 2000 server that I think I'm running out of gas.

I browsed a fast and easy book on Ultra Dev 4 and it made setting up a pc with Ultra Dev 4 so inviting because I could use Windows personal web server plus there was great documentation.

There doesn't seem to be very good documentation on working with Dreamweaver Ultra Dev 4 with a mac. Maybe later they will come out with a good Dreamweaver Mx book that covers what is needed to set up a osx Apache with Dreamweaver MX. True, that would be nice to do it all on one machine.

OS X has apache built in, as well as all the other stuff you can expect from a full blown unix machine.
there are plenty of instructions online about how to set up apache/php/mysql and whatever else you might want to play with.
Also, Dreamweaver MX is just about out now; it combines the regular features with the ultradev features all in one package. you can DL a preview from macromedia.

all you need is a a couple of hours to set things right and bingo! ready to rock'n roll.
trust me.

I have an ibook as my primary machine on which I do all my development on the road and test things right then and there..couldn't be happier.