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Disclamer up front: I work for an Adobe / FrameMaker VAR
The two most important differences between FrameMaker and PageMaker IMHO
are these:
1. PageMaker is a collector application. You use it to bring in material
created in a wide range of other applications, text only, graphics only,
or combinations of text and graphics. It's easy in PM to "pour" such
imported material into page containers, either ones you've prepared in
advance, or create by dragging a "loaded mouse pointer" across a page
like a paintbrush. PageMaker is not suited to "authoring", writing text
and formatting it as you go, though you can do it. PM does offer fabulous
text-runaround powers, and many other features.
2. FrameMaker is an authoring application, best suited to creating
information in large amounts, with internal and external
cross-references (within the same "chapter" document or across chapters,
and even volumes). You can manage many individual such chapters with a
single "book file"; print any or all of the files that comprise a single
book, maintain references across them all, create TOC, index, etc from
all members of a set with little more effort than creating the same from
a single document. Many individual authors can collaborate and contribute
to a single project; changes in formatting can be easily propagated
across all the components of a large multifile project. And, of course,
much more.
Nutshell summary: PM for collecting submissions from many sources and
creating complex layouts. FM for collaborative creating, managing,
revising large and complex information document sets.
Currently, as far as I know, PM does not import ("place") FM files.
Regards,
Peter Gold
pgold -at- netcom -dot- com
On Thu, 11 Jul 1996, Kim Keegan wrote:
> Hello Fellow Techwhirlers,
> I'm going to ask what may seem a silly question, but I need to get some information.
> What is the big difference between PageMaker and FrameMaker? Are they each better
> suited to publishing different types of documents? A while back, I thought that they
> were competing products, but then Adobe acquired Frame.
> Is one "higher-end" than the other? My company uses PageMaker. We are running v.
> 5.0 in Windows 3.1. We have purchased the 6.0 upgrade, but it has yet to be
> installed. (And I am also waiting patiently to upgrade to Win95). Being the only
> writer, I want to know as much as I can about the tools that can help me accomplish
> the tasks set before me.
> If any of you can shed some light on PM vs. FM, I would appreciate it. If you wish
> not to clutter up the list, send comments directly to me at:
> keegan -at- explorers -dot- com
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TECHWR-L List Information
To send a message about technical communication to 2500+ list readers,
E-mail to TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU -dot- Send administrative commands
ALL other questions or problems concerning the list
should go to the listowner, Eric Ray, at ejray -at- ionet -dot- net -dot-
