I would use MySQLi as much as possible and only use MySQL when necessary. That will make your future updates to all MySQL less complex because some of it will already be done.
Your friends over here at WebAssist! These Dreamweaver extensions will assist you in building unlimited, custom websites.
These out-of-the-box solutions provide you proven, tested applications that can be up and running now. Build a store, a gallery, or a web-based email solution.