So I took the plunge and migrated my ColdFusion MX 7 server into Adobe ColdFusion 8. Below, I’ve detailed the steps I took.

I did not uninstall MX 7 prior to installing 8 (this is the developer version since I did this first on my local machine before doing development and/or production to make sure that all of our websites work ok with version 8…I highly recommend you do the same.)

After downloading the developer version from Adobe.com, I went ahead and double clicked ColdFusion-8-win.exe. I then followed the wizard.

Shut down all CFMX 7 services, especially Verify, if you have any collections that need to be transferred over to version 8.
Make sure you have installed JDK 1.6 or above.
Splash screen - Choose language and click OK.
Introduction - Click next.
License Agreement - Accept and click next.
Configure Installer - Enter Serial #, select trial, or select developer edition and click next.

Wow! I can’t belive Coldfusion is in version 8 (and this version comes from Adobe).

I remember when I first used ColdFusion it came with O’Reilly’s Website web server (this is a long time ago). It was known as DBML back then. Before version 1. Then I went through version 1.5, 2, 3, 3.01, 3.11, 4, 4.01, 5, 6, 7 and now 8 (I skipped a few of the .01 and other updates in between).

The product started with Allaire (the original Allaire brothers created it), then it was purchased by Macromedia, and finally, of course, by Adobe (as part of the entire Macromedia merger with Adobe)

For those of you that don’t know ColdFusion, it’s a back end scripting language to create dynamic websites. If you heard of ASP.net (from Microsoft), then think of it as that, except, 10,000 times better (do you think I’m a ColdFusion fan?).

Here is a cool site I learned about when I attended the Adobe CS3 Conference:

http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/communityengine/index.cfm?event=homepage&productId=1&loc=en_US

This is the CSS Advisor site, where you can learn about all things “CSS”. For those of you who have no clue what CSS is, let me give you a quick explanation.

CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets and it’s used in conjunction with HTML to create websites. With CSS you create the “look and feel” of your site and with HTML, you define your content (or display it). That way, you can keep the look and feel separate from the content of your site, which in turn, allows you to easily change and update how your site looks without having to redesign the content as well.

Looks like they won’t be needing my services any longer if Adobe has a say in it. That is, my editing services. Adobe Premiere Express is an “online hosted” video editing (or as they like to call it…video remix) application that users can use to edit their online videos easily.

Ok, so they will still need professionals to do the good stuff, but the trend (and the rumors I heard at the Adobe CS3 Conference) is that all of Adobe’s “consumer” video (and image) editing applications will be going “online” and converted into “hosted” applications.

This means that there will be 2 types of media editing applications. The professional kind, such as Final Cut Studio, Adobe Production Studio and the “consumer” type that will be hosted on a server somewhere (read…no installation on the consumer side….automatic updates…ease of online publishing).

I love rumors! In fact, I love them so much, I like to start some of them sometime. Ok…Not really, however, MacRumors.com is reporting that Apple is considering creating a cheaper iPhone Nano to compete with cheaper phones in the market (in the $300 range).

Not a bad idea. I did play with an iPhone and I loved it, but the price is too steep for my budget.

I can see buying a cheaper Nano iPhone if the price/functionality ratio is a good one.

Want to read more about this cool rumor? Do a Google search for iPhone Nano and you’ll get tons of articles on it or just head on to the MacRumors.com site and read their rumor:
http://www.macrumors.com/2007/07/09/cheaper-iphone-nano/

Cheers!
- Marcelo Lewin
The Digital Media Dude
http://www.thedigitalmediadude.com/

Ok, I have to tell you, I’m pretty sick and tired of all the publicity, stories in the newspapers, web sites, radio and TV all saying the same thing, that is, drinking the Apple Kool-Aid.

“The iPhone will break new ground…”

“The iPhone is a revolution…just like the iPod”

“The perfect phone…the iPhone”

Please! Come on people…It’s a phone…Just like any other phone.

But, I’m open minded, and I do like Apple and its products. So I decided to go to the Brea Apple Store and check out what the big deal was.

After fighting with all the people that were in the front corner where the iPhone is displayed, I finally got to see it.

There it was…in all it’s glory…