Laurie, I think you're overlooking the primary difference between the two programs -- what they're designed to do.
* FM excels at long-document management, projects where most layout is driven by a finite set of templates, and situations where documentation is single-sourced to multiple output formats. * InDesign is Adobe's Pagemaker replacement and is designed to work better in an environment where many pages use, or require, design-driven manual tweaking. I've used both, and each has a place in a writer's toolbox, but the most important consideration is the type of content and the requirements of the end-user. Art Art Campbell art.campb...@gmail.com "... In my opinion, there's nothing in this world beats a '52 Vincent and a redheaded girl." -- Richard Thompson No disclaimers apply. DoD 358 On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 1:05 PM, Laurie Little <llit...@words-tw.com> wrote: > Thanks so much Peter, this kind of comparison is invaluable. > > So why would one choose one over the other when they can both handle user > documentation (apart from any need to convert to help)? Is it a case of: > - "If you only have Indesign, it can do what you need, but if you have a > choice use Frame" > or > - "Use whichever GUI you're comfortable with or whichever (native) platform > you prefer" > ? > > If they choose Indesign, I hope your book is ready in time for me to buy! > Laurie > > > -----Original Message----- > From: knowhow...@gmail.com [mailto:knowhow...@gmail.com]on Behalf Of > Peter Gold > Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 12:41 PM > To: Laurie Little > Cc: Framers list (E-mail) > Subject: Re: Frame vs Indesign vs alternatives?? > > > Hi, Laurie: > > I'm an Adobe ACE for FrameMaker and InDesign, and I'm writing a book > for FrameMaker users who want to learn to use InDesign for the same > kind of long and complex technical publications. So, I've been looking > closely at the similarities, differences, workarounds, and tradeoffs > between the products, as well as the issues of cross-training both > FrameMaker and InDesign users to the opposite product. > > Briefly: > > * ID's conditional text (new in CS4) compares well to FM's. > > * ID's cross-references (new in CS4) compare well to FM's. > > * ID's numbered lists (significantly improved in CS4) , books, and > generated lists and indexes compare well to FM's. > > * ID's variables compare well to FM's. > > * There's no exact counterpart for FM's text insets in ID, though ID's > ability to import ID files may suffice in some situations. > > * If any kind of help system is a requirement, or will be, FM is the > winner here; ID currently has nothing so closely matched as Robohelp. > However, ID's XML and tagged text could be enlisted for some kind of > conversion to work with a help-creation tool. > > * ID's XML isn't up to FM's. ID'a structure features are not on the > same level as FM's structured authoring features. > > On my new Mac-Intel MacBook Pro, I've started using FM 9.x under > Windows 7 public beta release candidate with VMware's Fusion 2 > application. So far, it's the FM I've always known, and it's only a > keystroke or two to move between Mac OS X and Windows 7, just like > switching between applications on standard Mac or Windows. BootCamp > Requires a separate partition and can't switch between > concurrently-running OS X and Windows - you need to restart. Parallels > and Fusion don't have this limitation. Fusion and Parallels can easily > keep Mac and Windows files on a single file system, so any application > on either OS can work with any file it recognizes. BootCamp is harder > to set up for sharing files, and, again, can't switch between OS X and > Windows without a restart. > > If there was an open-source replacement for FM, with all of its > features and reliability, we'd all know about it. > > HTH > > Regards, > > Peter > __________________ > Peter Gold > KnowHow ProServices > > > > On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 11:16 AM, Laurie Little <llit...@words-tw.com> wrote: >> Hello from beautiful sunny Toronto! >> >> I need to recommend a tool for a client who works on Mac, and it's between >> FM (via Bootcamp/Parallels/whatever) and Indesign for Mac (major functional >> requirements are conditions/variables/text insets). >> >> We're pushing for Frame, since we're the ones who will be converting the old >> docs/maintaining etc., but the client (thinks he) will be doing some minor >> maintenance and therefore prefers a Mac (and preferably an open-source) >> solution if one can be found, so my boss wants to make sure we have all info >> to present. >> >> Since Indesign CS4 *can* do conditional text/xrefs/variables, I need to >> assemble a good argument for not using it :-D >> >From what I've read in various forums (fora?) and blogs etc., Frame is still >> the preferred tool for user docs, regardless of platform. >> >> Just to round out our proposal though, I need to include/eliminate any other >> alternatives. The ones I have looked at don't seem to do conditional text >> (which would be critical to this project). Does anyone know of another >> (Mac/open source) tool that handles conditional text, other than Frame and >> Indesign? >> >> Thanks for any advice/warnings/tips/rants/etc, >> >> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >> Laurie Little >> Words That Work >> www.words-tw.com >> 905-947-1557 >> >> > > > _______________________________________________ > > > You are currently subscribed to Framers as art.campb...@gmail.com. > > Send list messages to fram...@lists.frameusers.com. > > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > framers-unsubscr...@lists.frameusers.com > or visit > http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/art.campbell%40gmail.com > > Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com. Visit > http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info. > _______________________________________________ You are currently subscribed to Framers as arch...@mail-archive.com. Send list messages to fram...@lists.frameusers.com. To unsubscribe send a blank email to framers-unsubscr...@lists.frameusers.com or visit http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/archive%40mail-archive.com Send administrative questions to listad...@frameusers.com. Visit http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info.