RE: Nielsen's Rating

Subject: RE: Nielsen's Rating
From: "Geoff Lane" <geoff -at- gjctech -dot- co -dot- uk>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2001 01:23:40 +0100

Bill Swallow wrote:

> :: Therefore, most PDFs
> :: cannot make optimal
> :: use of the available 'real-estate' of most computer screens.
>
> Only because they were designed that way. It's not a product
> flaw, but a
> designer flaw. :)
---
Most printed pages are in portrait. Is it a design flaw to follow this
convention? Are all properly designed PDFs in landscape?

>
> :: - With PDF, format is entirely controlled by the author.
>
> As with HTML...
---
No! With HTML, unless you use absolute widths etc., the page wraps to fit
your browser. The end user has (or should have) control over how page
elements appear. They can control the number of characters per line, font
family and size, etc. The PDF user has no such control. PDF is page
description, which specifies appearance; HTML is markup, which specifies
purpose. HTML and PDF are as apples and oranges.

>
> :: I just did. The first PDF that I viewed was unreadable
> :: until I maximised my
> :: browser and zoomed in. IMO, that was an example of why not
> :: to use PDF
> :: online.
>
> I believe the attempt there (I assume you're refering to
> acro5_shortcuts.pdf) was to electronically distribute an
> 8.5x11 landscape
> shortcut reference for printing.
---
No -- it was supposed to be a showcase for online PDFs (the Rollover1
example). FWIW, I used a laptop with a 800 x 600 TFT screen to view the
PDF -- pretty standard in the world of the road warrior. IMO, the Microtype
PDFs failed miserably.

>
> :: FWIW, as a writer, I'm a fan of PDF -- it makes my life
> :: much easier; as a
> :: reader, I hate PDF for online use and agree with Mr
> :: Nielsen. My vote goes to
> :: use PDF by all means, but offer HTML or other
> :: online-optimised format as well.
>
> Like PDF... ;) ...designed for online use. :)
---
So, you advocate providing two PDFs, one for printing and one for online
use! Surely this implies that each PDF be used for printing or for online
use, but not both. If you need to provide two PDFs, why not replace the
online version with something more suited to online work? After all, if the
reader wants to print the document, they can use the (superior for printing)
PDF form; if they want to view on line, they can use the (superior for
online viewing) HTML, WinHelp, et al.

Cheers,

Geoff Lane
Cornwall, UK
geoff -at- gjctech -dot- co -dot- uk


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References:
RE: Nielsen's Rating: From: Swallow, William

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