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Subject:Re: Maximum File Size For Word Documents From:dmbrown -at- brown-inc -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 26 Mar 2003 09:19:20 -0800
Sean,
What a load of baloney! Your points have nothing to do with what I actually wrote.
>
> So since millions of people drove Trabants for years,
> and not Ferraris, then Trabants were better cars, or
> more beneficial?
If you can't afford a Ferrari, and a Trabant is the only car you *can* afford, and you need a car, then a Trabant is *exactly* the right car for you--not a better car, just the right car for you.
>
> Because millions of people eat at McDonalds versus
> 5-star restaurants, the food at McDonalds is better,
> or more beneficial.
If you can't afford a five-star restaurant, or you don't have time to spend two hours at lunch, or you just happen to want a hamburger with beef-infused fries, then McDonald's is the right choice--not necessarily better food, just the right food for you at that time.
>
> I think people use Word
> because, a) it's ubiquitous, b) it's perceived as
> being free because it's bundled with hardware
> purchases, c) people making the decisions are not in a
> position to know its shortcomings for some
> applications, d) it's available in a variety of
> languages.
A and D: These are obviously HUGE advantages and quite legitimate justifications for selecting Word over some other tool.
B: If a company needs the hardware and needs Word for hundreds of tasks for which it is perfectly suited, then it IS free to the tech writers who might prefer something else.
I know, you'll argue that they lose time using the wrong tool; but in many (if not most) cases, that represents far less money than the cost of purchasing licenses and training for a more expensive and more complicated tool.
C: If you're in one of the few situations in which this is this is the case, do a better job of making your case for a different tool. I've never had a manager deny me a purchase when I demonstrated a genuine need.
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