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David Tinsley wrote:> I am evaluating a trial version of (unstructured) Frame 8 with a view
> to updating from Frame 7.0. My initial finding is that version 8 offers
> me no significant improvement over version 7.0, certainly not enough
> to warrant the whole team upgrading.
>
> I would appreciate comments on other folks experience/opinions.
The improvements in FrameMaker 8.0 are primarily new features,
and if you don't need those new features it may not make sense to
upgrade. Many Frame users find one or more of the features to be
worth the price of admission, but it all depends on what kind of
documents you develop and what your workflow is. If you don't use
any foreign languages, the Unicode support won't matter to you. If
you don't use conditional text, the ability to use Boolean logic in
the show/hide rules won't matter to you. If your workflow can't
benefit from revision tracking that is roughly comparable to that of
MS Word, that feature won't matter. And if you're not using
structured mode or authoring in DITA, the assortment of improvements
and enhancements on the structured side won't matter to you.
If you don't need any of these features, you probably don't need
FM 8.0.
Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
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