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I'd recommend learning about Help development (including terms) & *then* researching a tool. The resources you mention are all good - but it's unrealistic to expect a Help tool review (or reviewer) to also provide you with a primer on Help.
There are resources where you can get an introduction to & gain familiarity with Help development. You can go to any online bookstore, type in online help, and get a list of books - many of which are geared to the beginning author.
As a technical writer & help developer - it's good & important to develop skills in research and to be able to figure out where/whom to go to for the info you need.
If you think there's a lack of info available to writers in your situation - then do something about it. Why not create & maintain a website that will be available to newbie writers to help them to choose a Help tool. Of course, you could get someone complaining on a public board that it's too basic for experienced writers to use.
Tim Mantyla <TimMantyla -at- nustep -dot- com> wrote:
So far, there is no excellent comparison matrix that would help a
beginning HAT user sort out which HAT is best for his needs and purposes.
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Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
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