I've stayed out of this till now but... Tom, the requirements you listed are really not requirements for what a tool can do. They are requirements for how you will write your docs. And unless I'm mistaken, so far, there isn't any tool out there that will actually write the content for you.
So better questions that you should be asking and getting answered are: 1. Do you have existing content? Can the tool import that content? 2. Are you going to provide multiple output formats? If so, what type? PDF? HTML Help? HTML pages (web site or help?). 3. Is this the only document you'll produce? If not, will you use the tool to create user docs? 4. How many people will be working on this project? 5. Is this project a one-off or must it be maintainable? What about expansion? There's more, but you get the idea, yes? If you are thinking of an online format (such as help or Web), pretty much any help authoring tool will do what you want. If you also want to provide PDFs, then your choices narrow somewhat. Framemake with an ADDITIONAL tool allows for print and online. RoboHelp does online well and print less easily. Ditto with Flare. AuthorIT does both well and allows for easier reuse of content. So my advice would be to narrow down the requirements of what you want the TOOL to do, and then go and download evals of the top 3 or 5 tools. Check out www.hat-matrix.com for a help authoring tool comparison. And then come back and ask more specific info or tips/tricks for the tool you've selected. (BTW, MadCap Flare is not necessarily "gaining" as much momentum as they would have you think. They gained a lot of users off the bat because of the RH-like interface and the special offers when it was that that RH was in the stages of becoming a sunset app. Now that Adobe is actively developing RoboHelp, some who may have been on the fence are going back to a known tool. I know the guys at MadCap and they are great folks, but they are not the market leader no matter how much they may think they are. And yes, I own AuthorIT, RoboHelp, and MadCap Flare!! <grin>) ...sue On 9/25/07, Tom Johnson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hi Tim, > > You'll get a bunch of opinions here. First, you should decide if you're > goal > is print or online. If you favor one or the other, that might influence > your > decision. If it doesn't matter, then you might choose from a few of the > products that do both fairly well. > > Some would argue FrameMaker is among the best for printed manuals. It also > does well as the basis for PDF. It is also capable of creating online, > hyperlinked manuals, but it takes some forethought and work. > > Flare seems to be gaining ground with the online help crowd, but I think > it > falls short for print. That's where Madcap hopes to break in with Blaze. I > really would recommend against trying to use a beta product (Blaze) for a > high-profile project. That is, unless you have unlimited time and patience > and are willing to beat your head on the desk while you deal with the > inevitable bugs. > > You're right, Publisher is not up to the task. > > AuthorIT is a possibility. I don't know enough about the other online help > packages to offer much advice. To me, those seem like they do a good job > of > presenting topic by topic information, but they lack something when it > comes > to organizing a linear document like a sales training manual. How will the > reader know when he or she has finished reading? Other than that, I > recommend you visit Char James-Tanny's HAT Matrix to get a good overview > of > different Help Authoring Tools. http://helpstuff.com/hats.html > > > Tom Johnson > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > On > Behalf Of Tim Mantyla > Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 1:19 PM > To: tcp@techcommpros.com > Subject: [TCP] Best software for a training manual? > > Hi all, > > My mission: create a user-friendly sales training manual. > > I am wondering if anyone can offer some tips, or point me toward someone > who can advise me on what software might be appropriate for this venture. > We are thinking about a mostly online, easily revisable and hyperlinked > format. > > I'm a writer familiar w/ MS Word, unfamiliar with much other software. > Word has problems displaying images, as I'm sure you're aware. (A huge > memory upgrade seems to have solved this problem, at least for now.) Might > we consider RoboHelp as an authoring tool, or put it on an intranet within > the company? Other options? MS Publisher seems too limited. > > Going to trial demo ExtremeEase, Madcap Flare, on the list to test Madcap > Blaze, maybe test others I find. > > I'd appreciate your "hip-pocket" reviews of software you use. > > My goals for the manual include: > . As user-friendly, easy to read & understand as possible > Visual when possible > Encourage hands-on learning > Describe hands-on procedures when helpful > Easy to revise - on the network > Usable as a training manual and a reference > Keep or link updated procedures thru a central source > > I'd appreciate your "hip-pocket" reviews of software you use. > > Thanks for any help you can offer! > > Best wishes for healthy living, > > Tim Mantyla > Account Representative > NuStep, Inc. - www.nustep.com > 5111 Venture Drive, Suite 1 > Ann Arbor, MI 48108 > Ph: 800-322-2209, Ext. 173 > Fax: 734-769-8180 > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > "Transforming Lives" > > > ______________________________________________ > > Author Help files and create printed documentation with Doc-To-Help. > New release adds Team Authoring Support, enhanced Web-based help > technology and PDF output. Learn more at www.doctohelp.com/tcp. > > > Interactive 3D Documentation > Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com > _______________________________________________ > > Technical Communication Professionals > > Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: > http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com > Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com > ______________________________________________ Author Help files and create printed documentation with Doc-To-Help. New release adds Team Authoring Support, enhanced Web-based help technology and PDF output. Learn more at www.doctohelp.com/tcp. Interactive 3D Documentation Parts catalogs, animated instructions, and more. www.i3deverywhere.com _______________________________________________ Technical Communication Professionals Post a message to the list: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, account options, list info: http://techcommpros.com/mailman/listinfo/tcp_techcommpros.com Subscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe (email): send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Need help? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] Get the TCP whole experience! http://www.techcommpros.com
