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From: BL.JPL@forsythe.stanford.edu (Jonathan Lavigne)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Desktop Publishers???
Message-ID: <3943@lindy.Stanford.EDU>
Date: 19 Jul 89 05:34:36 GMT
Sender: news@lindy.Stanford.EDU (News Service)
Distribution: usa
Lines: 57

In article <1100@hydra.gatech.EDU>,
russ@prism.gatech.EDU (Russell Shackelford) writes:
>In article <8703@attctc.Dallas.TX.US>, rcj@attctc.Dallas.TX.US (Robert Johnson) writes:
>> I need some help.  Our department at work has been producing ~200
>> page manuals recently.
>>          [Text ommitted]
>> Briefely, this is what I need:
>>
>>         1) Capability for >150pg documents.
>>         2) Lotus Freelance & Harvard Graphics compatability.
>>         3) Word Perfect compatibility (need I ask for this?!)
>>         4) Ease of use.
>>
>> I think that #4 is the real stickler here.  I have looked into Ventura,
>> and it definately does not addapt itself to ease of use from what I have
>> seen.
>
>I believe that you are on the verge of making a common-but-serious error,
>namely:
>
>Confusing "ease of use" with "ease of LEARNING to use".
>
>Specifically, I have some experience with Ventura and I have found it to
>be EXTREMELY easy to use .... once I "got a handle" on it.
>        [Much text omitted]

I agree completely.  All the articles and messages I've read suggest
that Ventura is by far the best PC program for doing long structured
documents -- unless perhaps you have a fast '386 machine with lots
of memory and can afford Interleaf.  I've been using Ventura on an
XT for over a year and I've found that, though the program offers a
wealth of possibilities, you can use it effectively without
necessarily mastering very many of them.  If you're not interested
in doing much design work on your own, there are ready-made style
sheets from various sources.  Also quite a few introductory books,
as well as classes, and users groups.  Personally, I've always
stayed away from programs that claim "ease of use".  It usually
means they don't do very much -- or least they don't do the things
you end up wanting them to do.
One great feature of Ventura is that it keeps your text files
separate from other files, so you can work on them in your favorite
word processor or in Ventura itself without have to import and
export files.  Right now I'm writing a 200 page manual and designing
a style sheet for it at the same time.  When I'm in the mood to
write, I can concentrate on that and when I want to see how things
look, I can load the files into Ventura and watch text get set up in
the proper margins, with the right fonts, and with rules and boxes
drawn where I want them.  If that isn't ease of use, I don't know
what is.
One area where Ventura doesn't excel is in creating complicated
graphics.  But my XT couldn't handle the program if it did do great
graphics, and, anyhow, Ventura is able to import graphics from most
PC graphics packages.

Jonathan Lavigne                 BL.JPL@RLG.STANFORD.EDU
Research Libraries Group
Stanford University