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Subject:Re: PDF versus HTML From:"Lydia Wong" <lydiaw -at- fpoint -dot- com> To:"Brent L Jones" <bjones -at- VersatileSoftware -dot- com>, <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 10 Sep 1999 17:35:37 -0400
Brent Jones wrote in response to Sean Brierly:
> > <snip> Is saving costs and making a product more price-competitive
> > customer-hostile?
>
> Well, as a matter of fact, I think the answer is "yes." Of all the uses
for
> PDF, the one that really bugs me is using it to save printed documentation
> costs by passing them on to the consumer.
<huge snip>
There can be exceptions where the customer is glad *not* to get the printed
docs. We were pleasantly surprised when we began selling our products
electronically with online help (WinHelp) and online books (PDF). Customers
have the option to pay for the shipping and get the printed book and product
CD, but many choose not to.
It turns out that our international customers save LARGE amounts of money by
not having to pay for the shipping costs. They have been very grateful for
the PDF versions of the books. They don't mind taking the time to print the
PDF vs. paying for the shipping. (Our products aren't very expensive; our
sales staff tells me that sometimes the cost of shipping to an international
customer can be as much as the cost of the product itself.)
We hadn't considered this when we made our decision, but we're glad it
worked out for our international customers. Of course, YMMV.
Lydia
------------------
Lydia Wong
Technical Writer
FarPoint Technologies, Inc.
www.fpoint.com
