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.
I've used the beta version of V4, and just got the release version
last week (Windows version). They've swapped a few menu items around
and added an icon bar below the menu bar that you can customize (similar
to WordPerfect for Windows). I have used (and still use at work) version 3
since it came out, and I haven't had to go to the book for anything (yet).
If you're proficient with v3, you shouldn't have a problem upgrading
to v4. You might have to hunt through a few menus to find some things,
but it shouldn't be a show stopper.
Be aware that if you're sharing documents between different machines, you
can't open a v4 document in v3 (unless you save it in MIF format first,
which means you might lose some information). We're facing this problem
at work, where we have a combination Unix (DECstation 3100s/Xwindows) and
PC environment. I've heard no news about FrameMaker version 4 for our DEC
workstations. :(
--
Charles Fisher
Senior Documentation Specialist
Program Manager/President-Elect, STC Washington DC Chapter
Datatel, Inc.
4375 Fair Lakes Court
Fairfax, VA 22033
(703) 968-4588 (voice)
(703) 968-4625 (FAX)
charles -at- datatel -dot- com