Seeking info on AuthorIt vs. FrameMaker

[Mark Barratt]

Maxwell Hoffmann wrote:
> I have 3 potential customers who are rejecting FrameMaker in favor of AuthorIt. All 3 accounts are in e_Learning. Does anyone have an experienced opinion on what areas AuthorIt may have any advantages over FrameMaker?
>  
> I want to make sure that these accounts are making an informed opinion. I have gone over AuthorIt's website fairly thoroughly, and a comparison with FrameMaker is not obvious, based on their data.

I have evaluated AuthorIT on a couple of occasions but not built a 
production system with it (yet).

AuthorIT is very attractive for users because it is based on Word, but 
offers a template-controlled environment (within Word's templating 
abilities), good-enough content management and repurposing, decent 
access to translation tools, and import/export to XML, Frame and other 
formats including online help.

It's not a tool you would use if print is a key output format for you, 
unless you are prepared to put up with Word's limited abilities in this 
area.

Many documentation professionals (and all designers/typographers) are 
appalled by aspects of AuthorIT, which is crude in many ways compared 
with Frame. But it has a fairly shallow learning curve for authors and 
editors, and is relatively inexpensive. It suits organisations because 
it imposes a documentation workflow model which may replace a fairly 
disorganised existing documentation 'system'.

It is proprietary and locked to Microsoft workstation and server solutions.

-- 
Mark Barratt
Text Matters

Information design: we help explain things using
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