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Subject:RE: Which would you prefer and why? (Help Tool) From:Paul Hanson <phanson -at- Quintrex -dot- com> To:"techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:02:25 -0500
Deborah,
My assumption is that you have looked at Char's excellent http://www.hat-matrix.com prior to narrowing the field to Flare or RoboHelp.
Years ago, I took a copy of an existing project and attempted to import it into a downloaded trial version of another tool. The import process bombed and I ended up uncovering a bug. There was nothing I could do to really move forward. My standard advice is that before you decide, you need to make a copy of an existing project and work with the content and the HAT for the 30 day trial. If this is a new client and there is not an existing help system, you need to act as if you have just purchased the HAT and are moving forward with what you will do daily - TOC changes, index changes, adding new topics, changing existing ones, and whatever else you are going to do every day. After you are using it for 30 days, you will learn whether you are choosing the right tool *before* you recommend / purchase.
I would not want to recommend a tool and then, on my first day find out that I cannot do what I need to do. You wouldn't purchase a new splash cymbal without trying it out with your existing cymbals - same thing here. Take both tools for a test drive for 30 days and find out its strengths/weaknesses based upon your specific needs.
Paul Hanson
Technical Writer
Quintrex Data Systems Corp.
505 33rd Avenue SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
(319) 363-5508
>> 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?
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Deborah
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