Re: Opinions re MS Publisher

[Elna Tymes <etymes -at- LTS -dot- COM>]

Emmy Aricioglu wrote:

>      I have a "friend" who wants to create his book (@ 120 pages
>      8 1/2 x 11, 75% text, 25% clip art illustrations) using
>      Microsoft Publisher.

I wouldn't touch Microsoft Publisher for anything other than a one- or two-page
newsletter. And even for that I'd use Word or Frame, mostly because I have
them, even though I also have Publisher.

Our experience with Publisher has been that it is a lame, limited-feature
wannabe in the desktop publishing business, and it has LOTS of problems talking
to more full-featured programs.

Word isn't that hard to learn - it's really quite intuitive - and it talks to
almost everything.  It also comes bundled in MS Office, which can be purchased
at considerable discounts if you keep your eyes open.

If your friend wants to hire anyone to write the book you describe, he's going
to be paying far more in extended writing hours to simply fight the package
than he would by buying MS Office.  Further, he can count on MS continuing to
stay compatible with subsequent versions of Word - but there haven't been that
many upgrades to Publisher.  in other words, down the road a piece, he may have
trouble finding someone who can actually handle Publisher files, whereas
finding someone who can handle Word files shouldn't be all that difficult.

Advise your friend that Publisher is no bargain.

Elna Tymes
Los Trancos Systems

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