TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
> >
> >> A general question to the list. Is InDesign focused on
> >> replacing Pagemaker?
> >>
> >> We have some marketing material that needs updating and
> >> I'm wondering if InDesign is the best way to go, or should
> >> I just continue with Pagemaker? Does anyone have a preference
> >> for either? I'll be incorporating tables/images/etc. into these
> >> files. I find PM difficult with tables.
>
> Stick with Pagemaker! Use what you know to get the job done, because
you
> will be efficient. (If you're like me, deadlines come up all too
quickly
> and there's no time to relearn everything and get a project done at
the
> same time.) Pagemaker won't fail to work
> tomorrow just because something newer and better has come along. It
> won't stop working because it's "old tech". Sure, you can get a new
tool
> when the budget allows, but I'd wait on it. After all, maybe something
> else will be the tool to learn when the project is done. :)
>
At my old job I used PM extensively and InDesign a little. In this job
I use InDesign all the time and don't have access to PM. I prefer
InDesign, but Imac makes a very good point. On my system at home I have
older versions of software bought through the years: InDesign 2.0,
Illustrator 10, and PhotoShop 7. Those programs work together fairly
well, but they're not nearly as smoothly integrated as the Creative
Suite Premier 2 I have at work. My point is this: if you can't upgrade
_all_ your software at once, there's probably a good justification for
continuing with "what brung ya to the dance" for the time being. There
is a learning curve between PM and InDesign. I didn't find it all that
steep (maybe that was due to the Adobe "Classroom in a Book" resource I
purchased), but then again I was puttering about with it at home and not
trying to write an essential document on a tight deadline.
So in a perfect world I would advocate that you push for the budget to
upgrade to the entire Adobe Suite, buy an older copy for your home PC
and get a good 3rd party resource to play around with it at a
comfortable pace before being forced to use it on a daily basis. Then
when you do make the transition at work, you won't have the stress of
having to learn new software in crisis mode.
That's just my $0.01417386592, adjusted for inflation...
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail may contain information that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure. If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail, purge it and do not disseminate or copy it.
Now Shipping -- WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word! Easily create online
Help. And online anything else. Redesigned interface with a new
project-based workflow. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l
---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archiver -at- techwr-l -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
