RE: InDesign -opinions and long document template?

Subject: RE: InDesign -opinions and long document template?
From: "Victoria Nuttle" <vnuttle -at- bridgeport-networks -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2005 11:14:25 -0600



-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Gold
Sent: Friday, January 21, 2005 9:51 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: InDesign -opinions and long document template?


> If you would post some specifics about your reasons for considering a

> move from Word to something else, I'm sure you'll get lots of useful
> and focused feedback.


We moved from Word because... well, it's Word. :)

Word was beginning to become problematic, and we really needed a
solution that allowed us version controls, the ability to go from a
single file (attempts at master documents proved to be a nightmare), and
frankly, no one was really that fond of Word. Those concerns are
addressed by moving to InDesign.

However, I'm finding that some of the functionality I thought we'd have
(and no, I did not get a chance to go in-depth and play around with a
trial version of the software, I should have and now regret it) like
better indexing, cross-referencing and conditional text, are things only
in Frame and not InDesign. I've used Frame before, and honestly do
think it would have been a better choice, but I fear the considerations
of price, the future of Frame and the attractiveness of the CS package
really made the decision.

For the documents we produce (for some pretty high-level software) I
really can see this tool turning into a "lipstick on a pig" situation,
and it's going to be harder to keep reviewers focused on making sure
information is accurate rather than the tint of blue that we should use
on page 23. As I see it now, InDesign will be great for making things
look pretty, but it's not making the information any easier to manage.
I really hope I prove myself wrong.


- Victoria

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