Re: Trends in documentation delivery?

[PaulMmn <PaulMmn@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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


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