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Subject:Re: HTML vs. PDF vs. HELP From:Ron Rhodes <rrhodes -at- IX -dot- NETCOM -dot- COM> Date:Sun, 10 Aug 1997 07:20:42 -0400
Alfred,
I have used all three formats, and all three have their advantages and
disadvantages. But if you want a battle plan, here is what I
recommended to my company. It's a plan that incorporates all three
formats.
1. Use Help at first, until the rest of the corporation is outfitted
with a web browser on the screen and HTML is a more realistic solution.
(Use Netscape, if your company is willing to pay for it.)
2. Make sure the your help program (Robohelp, HDK, etc.) is the most
recent and the latest and the greatest. That way, when we convert to
HTML, the help program will do most of the conversion for us and we
won't have to do much fixing. (I hear Robohelp for 95 does a good HTML
conversion. But I don't know for certain).
3. When we finally convert to HTML, use a Web page designer that
everyone knows, Front Page, Corel, Hot Metal Pro, etc. That way, you
won't be devastated when your Web writer leaves the company, as he or
she eventually does.
4. Last, when using HTML, be sure that you take advantage of PDF. Most
browser can view PDF file nowadays, and you may have a lot of useful
existing documentation that you can easily convert. You need to buy a
copy Acrobat Exchange for the writer, but the users only need Acrobat
reader and you can download it for free at adobe.com.
Hope this helps,
Ron Rhodes
rrhodes -at- ix -dot- netcom -dot- com
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