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Subject:Re: The Writer's Kit From:"Peter Ring, PRC" <prc -at- ISA -dot- DKNET -dot- DK> Date:Tue, 6 Jan 1998 09:56:23 +1
Jason Willebeek-LeMair wrote:
> For example, would it be reasonable to suggest that TWs not only have
> knowledge of but also own their own copies of:
>
> FrameMaker
> PageMaker
> Word (in various incarnations)
> Wordperfect
> WordPro
> Quark
>
> Plus, don't forget the graphics
>
> Corel
> Designer
> Visio
> ABC FlowCharter
> PhotoShop
> etc.
>
> And any other miscellaneous programs
>
> Microsoft Project
> Acrobat Distiller
> DynaWeb
> etc.
>
> That would be quite a sizable investment, which could possibly be worth
> it if you did not have to keep pouring money into it to keep it current.
> And it probably would not be worth the money if you only had to use
> PageMaker once every several years.
Definately an interesting question which I recognize far too well. My
policy has so far been:
If a large client ask me to use a specific software I don't have, I
will buy it, or we will find other solutions. In some cases "other
solutions" has been that the client gave me one of his licenced
copies. In other cases he lent me a an unused licenced copy which is
then uninstalled when the job(s) has been completed. Some clients
preferred to let me work in their office with one of their licenced
copies.
My limit for buying a new client-specific software is that it should
give me an additional turnover/year of at least order of magnitude
10x the price of the software. And I don't buy it before I have got
the first order, which should at least be 2 to 3 times the price of
the software. My training time has typically been shared with the
client.
Greetings from Denmark
Peter Ring
PRC (Peter Ring Consultants)
- specialists in user friendly manuals and audits on manuals.
prc -at- isa -dot- dknet -dot- dk http://isa.dknet.dk/~prc/
- the "User Friendly Manuals" website with links, bibliography, list
of prof. associations, and tips for technical writers.
