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.
>>>My department is wondering whether to consider using Word 97 instead of
>PageMaker for our major documents. We're being encouraged to do so by our
>translation agencies, who claim we'd save on costs, but the people who
>broker our printing don't want us to, for reasons that they aren't too
>specific about. Our manuals are about 50-100 pages and up, with a
>substantial number of graphics.
>I'd be interested in hearing from anyone with experiences to
share--positive
>or negative.
>
I use/we Word for most documents. The program is ideal for us, and works
extremely well. I just completed one draft that is 250 or so pages long and
contains graphics on almost every page. As far as your people who handle
printing for you, remind them that there are other printers in your area.
Do not let the printer make a decision for you. As you use one package more
and more, you get used to it. Also consider the requirements for site
licenses and the cost of deployment.
We now use Word corporate wide and the cost to set it up and support it
makes it quite expensive. It also lets me link to other documents across
the hard drive, across the Intranet and across the world. One Hacks
Opinion.
