Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!van-bc!mdavcr!ewm From: ewm@mdavcr.UUCP (Eric W. Mitchell) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps Subject: Re: Frame Propaganda (was Word 5 Wishes - Word SUX!) Message-ID: <1122@mdavcr.UUCP> Date: 18 Jan 91 19:21:05 GMT References: <9617@frame.UUCP> <1991Jan17.230535.4356@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au> Distribution: comp.sys.mac.apps Organization: MacDonald Dettwiler, 13800 Commerce Parkway, Richmond, BC, Canada V6V 2J3 Lines: 109 In article <1991Jan17.230535.4356@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au> typ125m@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au (John Wilkins) writes: >jmp@frame.UUCP (Jeff Papineau) writes: > >>In reply to your question, the most elegant way to put landscape and portrait >>pages in the same document is to use FrameMaker. >>FrameMaker is a technical publishing program that will replace PageMaker, > >>For real Power Users, there is simply no other choice. Forget Ventura, >>and the other long document solutions. >>No other pacage offers so much, and is as easy to learn and use: Actually, I would say FrameMaker has a quite steep learning curve to be able to use it for large documents. I have been setting up corporate templates for documents, and there are some distinct difficulties. In particular, I find unforgivable: - the lack of heirarchical styles - storing all style sheets and templates with each file. (rather than having a common set for the whole document). Besides memory and storage overhead, this prevents simple formatting changes across an entire document. - page numbers of the form - (i.e., 3-1), can be created automatically at the bottom of a page, but they cannot be pulled automatically into the table of contents (only the page number can be done automatically). You also cannot reset the page number (to 1, for instance) anywhere within a single file. This makes it impossib These may not seem important, but they become extremely so when working with multi-section documents. >>Page layout within an authoring system, full Postscript functionality, >>Math editor, Hyper-Text, and many other features. >>And in the new version coming April '91, Tables, and Conditional Text. Don't take these dates too seriously, folks. I talked to Frame last week and they had no official date for the release of their next version. When I originally talked to them last year, they said these features would be released in December '90. >>IMAGINE: One document master for several differing versions of the same >>document. Tailor each document for the audience, verbosity, platform, etc. >>More power than most mortals will ever need. > >>GET A CLUE. Buy FrameMaker. >>MICROSOFT and CLARIS stay in business, and lead the market, because people >>use what they have heard of, not what is best for the job at hand. Get a life, Jeff. These companies stay in business because their product is the right one for many users. We are finding experienced engineering professionals and document production staff are finding Frame difficult to use effectively. I sure as hell am having second thoughts about throwing it at the secretaries. >>FINALLY, the best thing about this program is that Unix/SUN, DEC, and Mac, >>and soon Windows 3.0 will have one interchange format: MIF. >>Maker Interchange Format. Share formated text and graphics across all >>platforms known to mankind. True platform independance. Definitely one of the prodduct's pluses. >>The future is here, and it's name is FRAMEMAKER. Not quite yet. >>For ordering info call: >>Frame Technology, >>San Jose, CA. > >If this isn't an ad, I'll eat my FoxBase manuals. While it may be what >the poster says (and I believe it is), can we have a disclaimer as to >the relationship of this guy to Frame? > >-- >John Wilkins, Manager, Publishing & Advertising, Monash University >Melbourne, Australia - Internet: john@publications.ccc.monash.edu.au >Disclaimer: IF Standard(disclaimer) THEN Applies(disclaimer) ELSIF >Nonstandard(disclaimer) THEN PROBABLY (Applies(disclaimer)) ENDIF You can save yourself the fibre, John. Look at the "Organization" line in the poster's header. He works for Frame Technologies. By the way, folks - don't get the impression that I really dislike Frame. It's got some great features. But this guy is spouting a little too much propaganda to stomach. Especially while trashing other people's products. Oh, yeah. A disclaimer. I have no connection to any of the products discussed, except as a user. Eric disclaimer: My company doesn't listen to me, either.