This Australian PC Magazine gives Macromedia Studio MX 2004 a fairly good review, noting that Macromedia has broadened the product's appeal with its new interface, uniform feel across components, and with many of its new features, such as CSS support and the spell-checker and global find and replace. Still, the article does end with this caveat: "Some of the new Web application development features will suit seasoned site builders, while improved ActionScript handling makes the software more accessible to beginners. That said, experienced users not working with rich content won’t notice many usable improvements and would be best to hold off upgrading."
Macromedia Acts it Up (Studio MX 2004) (APC Magazine, December 9, 2003)