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Subject:Re: Which would you prefer and why? (Help Tool) From:Bill Swallow <techcommdood -at- gmail -dot- com> To:dvora -at- tech-challenged -dot- com Date:Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:30:06 -0400
> I have been given the choice of two tools to use: Flare vs RoboHelp. Output
> will be WebHelp, and possibly PDFs, maybe someday help for mobile
> applications as well.
>
> If you had the choice and cost was not an issue, which Help tool would you
> pick and why?
Answering the question as you phrased it won't help you one bit, as
both will create the output you need. Instead, I'll ask you some
questions that should inform your decision:
1) How many authors will be building the Help? And how many
maintaining it after your engagement ends?
2) Are you building from scratch or are you using pre-existing source
material (of what file type)?
3) How confident are you in the tool not changing in years to come?
That is, how great is your client's need of a migration path for the
Help content?
Never, ever, base a tool purchase based on its bells and whistles or
its comfortability. It's like buying a car based only on its creature
comforts, or a house based on the interior decorating. Instead, focus
on the big picture needs. Who is going to use it? How? And how does
content management (technological or methodological) play into these
needs? Answer that and look for the solution that best fits those core
needs. Everything else is just window dressing.
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and Doc-To-Help does the rest. Free trial: http://www.doctohelp.com
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