Now, Coda isn’t all that bad. In fact, it’s been a web designer’s most-wanted application for, well, ever. It’s got a collaborative text editor, terminal/shell emulator for shh access to the server, web browser, CSS editor, and (S)FTP all wrapped up in a sexy little bundle with a hefty price tag attached to it.
I have dealt with the backwards/standard way of designing with TextMate/Smultron and Cyberduck in the past, and Coda has been a great gift from Panic. However, Coda does have it’s pitfalls:
The file manager and FTP feature: Slow. Really slow.
The CSS editor: In visual mode, it’s the most confusing thing I’ve ever seen or used. I have no idea how to use it, nor do I plan to. I work best with the raw code. (I can “see” the page better that way).
The browser: Nice, handles javascript just fine. Lacking in many essential development tools such as header examination, javascript debugging. It would be nice to be able to validate the page internally or externally.
Finally, the editor: powered by SubEthaEdit, allows for friends and fellow designers to work on the same document and then upload it to the server, without a hitch. Even though SubEthaEdit may be an excellent collaborative editor, it is terrible for actually getting editing done. It has no text completion for many other languages, nor does the function complete function properly work (when you use it, it leaves the syntax hints in, even when you type what you want).

I’m sticking with TextMate.