Re: Trends in documentation delivery?

As lousy as InfoSeeker is, I've gotten used to it.  Just select the "All
Books" bookshelf, then search for whatever you need, and let the PC find
the info.

I hope that the searchability they have now will be continued in whatever
format they decide to use.  I don't want to have to search through a lot of
manuals 'by hand' instead of doing a global search on the entire
documentation database.

We don' t print out the manuals.  Well, not all of them.  PDF does a
marvelous job of creating a printed manual.

--Paul E Musselman
PaulMmn@ix.netcom.com




>>IBM will drop Infoseeker in the next release of OS/400.  They plan to go
>>ahead with the Internet in both HTML and PDF formats, and then plan to work
>>on the Information Center CD.
>>
>>They don't like books, because they don't program on AS/400's.
>
>
>I like IBM's move to PDF. I have paid for an HP printer with the money I
>saved printing high-quality PDF downloadable files. Unfortunately, PDF isn't
>intended for online use, it is _very poor_ navigational/search tools.
>
>To further add to the frustration of PDF being unusable as an interactive
>aid, IBM has zapped the print button from the redbooks on the Web (the
>feature that used to collect user-selected sections or chapters is gone!)
>Thus, with redbooks your options are either download and print the entire
>redbook or use your browser's HTLP print page at a time (which generally
>features about 12 lines per page!). There is _no good way_ to print selected
>portions from redbooks on the Web.
>
>The answer is simple and IBM needs to get the message (give it to 'em Al,
>please!):
>    * Kill the current, nearly worthless softcopy library.
>    * HTML and PDF are fine formats--stick with them. I don't mind printing
>entire books with the PDF format. With a good laser printer's two-up
>feature, PDF provides great hard copy.
>    * Distibute manuals in both PDF and HTML on a CD and on the web--make
>either easily downloadable.
>    * Put the print by section/chapter feature back on the Web for _all_
>books.
>    * Include a Windows desktop HTML print-by-chapter component with the new
>HTML/PDF only softcopy library.
>    * And, fer cryin out loud, include a good x-ref index and search
>facility.
>
>It seems so easy to me!
>
>rp


+---
| This is the Midrange System Mailing List!
| To submit a new message, send your mail to MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com.
| To subscribe to this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-SUB@midrange.com.
| To unsubscribe from this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
| Questions should be directed to the list owner/operator: david@midrange.com
+---