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Subject:RE: HTML or PDF? From:"Goldstein, Dan" <DGoldstein -at- DeusTech -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Mon, 28 Feb 2005 10:30:55 -0500
David Knopf commented on TECHWR-L last year:
"PDF is not a suitable format for online Help. We've worked with many
clients who have attempted to implement a PDF-based Help solution, but 100%
of them abandoned the effort due to negative feedback from users and
customers."
IMHO, the best-designed HTML online Help is easier to use than the
best-designed PDF online Help. YMMV
-- Dan Goldstein
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Erika Yanovich
> Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 10:12 AM
> To: TECHWR-L
> Subject: HTML or PDF?
>
> This is one of those things nobody remembers why we do in a
> certain way - what is called 'for historical reasons'.
>
> A pair of fresh eyes pointed out to me that the help files we
> produce can be replaced by cheaper PDFs with the same functionality.
>
> I feel reluctant because I haven't seen this approach widely
> used for applications in general (apart from Acrobat of
> course) and NMS applications in particular. The relevant R&D
> and Marketing people feel OK about it, but I am still
> reluctant. Please help!
>
> Our help files are cross-platform, single-sourced from the
> user manual with some investment in the look and feel.
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