Arbortext versus FrameMaker Compared

[John Smart]

To answer an earlier post about Arbortext and FrameMaker.

We support and know both worlds very well. The Arbortext Editor is found 
in most
of the regulated industries, pharmaceuticals, aerospace (Airbus), 
telecoms, automotive (Caterpillar) and defense.
Arbortext is true SGML/XML, but tends to be more complex to setup. 
Example, to generate
a .pdf book is a major task. FrameMaker .pdf is far easier to use. There 
is a scripting language called
ACL which uses Java or .COM. By comparison, FrameMaker has the FDK and 
FrameScript.
Like FrameMaker, Arbortext does not support Hebrew, Thai or Arabic. If 
you need
good Arabic publishing, InDesign Middle East edition is the only tool.
You will see the two products come closer when DITA becomes the standard.
They are both excellent products, but for ease of use, FrameMaker is the 
winner.
Anyone looking for FrameMaker to Arbortext conversion, contact us off list.

-- 
John Smart and MAXit Team
SMART Communications, Inc.
115 East 57th St., 11th Floor
New York, NY 10022 USA
Tel:   +1(212) 486-1894  +5GMT
Fax:  +1(212) 826-9775
jsmart at smartny.com
http://www.smartny.com
"We make Complex Documentation Simple and Global"