atw: Re: New Software for Documentation Department

John; another input from me which I wrote before the first post I sent:
(Colin and I agree on most things Tech writing btw)

For the range of products you are looking at producing, Adobe Creative 
Suite 2 could be a way to go. However it would depend on how much 
information you are going to be managing. If you are running a large 
department, high quality, constantly changing and evolving information or 
products, then don't consider the Adobe suite, and look closely at 
AuthorIT.  Also, are you going to be designing documents or is your role 
content management? If you are managing only, then maybe you should go 
with AuthorIT.

If you are with a smaller company, and you can manually control the flow 
of information, and go with Adobe, you would convert Word source material 
generated with SME input, using Indesign for your manuals, brochures, 
training materials.
Brochures and so on are usually glitzy and meant to be graphical, and 
adobe is the industry standard for that. Training materials tend to be a 
bit glamorous these days to.

Go-Live is a (so far) useful html editor (with a familiar 
Dreamweaver/Frontpage style GUI) that could be used to create really cool 
on-line based information, although how good you are with html and 
javascripting I don't know, and you may have to hand code some of the 
Go-Live output (I have only vaguely played with Go-Live, and I don't even 
know if it has an embedded FTP?). AuthorIT might be the better product for 
on-line help based projects. How it is with creating sales and marketing 
brochures is the question I can't answer. Although Colin mentioned Word 
output only - a limiting and worrisome problem, while really good XML is 
clunky and cost inefficient as far as I can see. 

The one thing that you don't have in the Adobe suite is a content 
management system.
It is also a very VERY big learning curve... And requires a very powerful 
computer, with well in excess of 1Mb of RAM, and more grunt than a randy 
Brahmin bull.

HTH some more!
Warren Lewington
Technical Writer
Metso Minerals
Arndell Park, Sydney.
NSW, Australia.

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