Other website building app alternatives?

You can use the FTP option and host you web pages anywhere you like. You do not have to use mobile me.
Rick

If you are new to web design, then you will hardly be able to use Dreamweaver and yes, there is a Mac and PC version of Dreamweaver. It is a steep learning curve and not the best to start with if you have no experience.

It is totally incorrect that you need to have a MobileMe account to use iWeb. You don't and can host your site wherever you want - if you have a domain name and hosting with GoDaddy, then you can host it here at the GoDaddy server. Just use iWeb built in ftp.

There are lots of free online web design packages offered such as http://www.weebly.com or http://www.wix.com. Go and check those out or do a Google search too.

Check out applications like Artisteer ( http://www.artisteer.com/) or Sandvox ( http://www.karelia.com/sandvox). Both come in Mac flavour, do not have steep learing curves and allow you to create a website from scratch (template based), not unlike iWeb.
However, in my opinion, they are very restrictive. Where it is fairly easy to enhance your website with third party solutions through HTML snippets in iWeb, one cannot directly in either Artisteer or Sandvox.
For a basic starting website these apps will do - but you will probably want more soon after.

Hi Tswifty –

As others have said, you don't need MobileMe to use iWeb. You can pay someone else to host your site and use an FTP uploader application such as [Cyberduck|http://cyberduck.ch] to place your iWeb designed site in there. MobileMe just makes it easier as it's a one-click and it's there service.

The Mac is well-served in terms of alternative web design software packages as the Mac is a popular choice of hardware with designers. Dreamweaver and the like do have steep learning curves, however there are easier to use alternatives which have a similar WYSIWYG interface to iWeb. Two examples are [Freeway|http://www.softpress.com> and [Rapidweaver|http://www.realmacsoftware.com/rapidweaver> although I've only used Rapidweaver briefly so can't comment on either.

Personally I'd have a go using iWeb and see if you need something more powerful once you're up and running – which shouldn't be long given iWeb's ease of use.