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RE: webworks vs PDF for single-source online delivery
Subject:RE: webworks vs PDF for single-source online delivery From:"Richard Smith" <Richard -dot- Smith -at- windriver -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Tue, 12 Dec 2000 11:51:35 -0800
Cathleen wrote (which I snipped a teeny part of):
> I've been contemplating ...if a PDF file wouldn't be as
> sufficient [as HTML output from WWP].
As a user I truly hate PDF when deployed for online viewing. Most of the
docs distributed in PDF are formatted for a print medium and rarely display
well on monitor without resizing/tweaking in some manner. Also the way the
PDF viewer scrolls on a windows box is not very fluid.
I'm sure PDF can work OK, but I haven't seen one I liked for online use yet.
This is my opinion as a USER. You should talk to your users and get their
opinions.
I think authors and designers like PDF more because it forces users to use
their docs they way the author wants, rather than letting users use the docs
as best suits them. The only effective use of PDF I've seen is as a deliver
online and print your own type of manual.
Speaking from a user's perspective, I'd go with WWP.
Richard Smith
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