Re: FM and InDesign

[Bill Briggs <web@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 3:15 PM -0800 08/12/03, Ephemeral wrote:
>I am a power-user on Word (like some of it, dislike a lot of it), and have
>moderate facility with InDesign (like it a lot).

  You'll find FrameMaker's table editor very similar to ID's table 
editor. A few differences, but pretty close. Probably modelled after 
FrameMaker's.



>I work on a G4 in OS-X/Jaguar (and will probably move to Panther).

  Panther is an improvement, no question.



>  I started out on a PC waaay back in DOS, know Windows, made "the 
>switch" to Mac and never looked back, so if FM only continues to 
>evolve in the MS world, I think I'd still be looking for an 
>alternative.

  Having gone the same path, I share your view on this. But I plan to 
get many more years out of FrameMaker even if I have to keep on using 
FrameMaker 7 in classic. Classic isn't likely to go away any time 
soon, and I've got some Macs around here that will likely run for 
many more years.



>FMs old code, sent off to India to die,

  I'm not sure that that's accurate. I think it was more like "sent 
off to see if it could be reborn at a reasonable cost". But I'm not 
privy to any better information.



>Isn't it a reasonable guess that instead of packing more stuff 
>directly into ID, Adobe is developing it by adding capacity to work 
>with other programs in their line and by recommending third-party 
>plug-ins? Wouldn't this prevent code bloat?

  The problem with plug-ins if that if they are done by 3rd partys 
they bloat the cost of the application once you have all of the 
plug-ins. I've known many Quark users who complained about this.



>And further afield -- what is with Nisus? They are working to bring 
>an older OS-9 program into OS-X. I have never worked in Nisus 
>Writer, but I downloaded a trial and it looks like it was pretty 
>robust. Are they trying to make it into a modern version of FM; if 
>so, are they likely to succeed? It has a certain appeal to buy an 
>inexpensive new product under active development and then ride with 
>the upgrades.

  I think Nisus is a good word processor, but not a replacement for 
FrameMaker. I'd be looking to LyX or wait to see what the OS X 
version of Textures 
http://www.bluesky.com/products/products_frames.html
It was a nice application in OS 9, and the X version is on the way.

  - web

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