Here are the top 5 tips (or answers) to the most common questions regarding SharePoint Designer 2010 you should consider before you start to install the application.
There are also some tips about SharePoint Designer 2007.
What can I do with it?
SharePoint Designer allows you as an advanced user or even as a developer to rapidly create solutions without code. It covers the following topics:
- Management… of sites and lists.
- Data sources… create and manage internal and external data sources.
- Views and forms… create views and forms to work with data.
- Workflows… create workflows to manage business processes.
- Branding… customize the look and feel of your SharePoint site.
Can I edit other sites than SharePoint 2010 sites?
- No. You can’t edit SharePoint 2007 sites or other sites using ftp which was possible with SharePoint Designer 2007.
Should I use the x64 or x32 version?
- If you need to use SharePoint Designer 2007 in order to edit SharePoint 2007 sites you need to install the x32 version of SharePoint Designer 2010.
Source: Matt Groves Blog
Where can I download it?
SharePoint Designer 2010 and SharePoint Designer 2007 are both free and can be downloaded here:
Here are some Product Information for SharePoint Designer 2010.
Can I control where and how people use SharePoint Designer within my sites?
Yes, but it depends on the version you are using:
Need more tips?
You can also have a look at different books... I only know the book Microsoft® SharePoint® Designer 2010 Step by Step by Penelope Coventry which is really good:
Need more SharePoint Designer resources? Checkout other SharePoint Tutorials in general and SharePoint Tutorial for beginners in detail or just take a look at a Microsoft's SharePoint Tutorials.