RE: FrameMaker's next release -- longish explanation

[Dan Emory <danemory@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Lester:
You've described the fundamental enigma in Adobe's "marketing" of the Frame
product line. In the case of Acrobat, they spent years trying to figure out
how to promote it, without much success until it became the obvious
alternative to HTML. But, unlike FrameMaker, they have at least plugged
Acrobat hard throughout its life.

It's quite clear Adobe doesn't understand the Frame product line, or the
enormous market opportunity that's staring them in the face. Consider, for
example, the utter mess they made of the V5.5 documentation--not just the
user manual but also the on-line help.

If you're an executive at Adobe, I suppose it's simpler to wish that a
product would disappear rather than trying to understand it.  
=======================================================================
At 11:03 AM 10/5/99 -0400, Lester C. Smalley wrote:
>Question to all: When was the last time you saw FrameMaker/FrameMaker+SGML
>for ANY platform advertised in any form by Adobe?  Does it seem in any
>way rational that a company would completely "non-support" a product that
>has an important role in its marketing and development strategy?
>
>Adobe has one of the premier documentation tools (clearly arguable about 
>what is 'best' for any given task, but let's agree that FM is in the top 
>couple of places for the sake of this discussion) but seems to ignore it
>totally, as if hoping by neglect that it will disappear;
>
>Despite the announcement that 'Adobe is committed to FrameMaker and are
>        actively working on a new verison' (originally posted on this
>        forum by Dina Davidson from email by Judi Webster of Adobe in
>        November 1998);
>
>Despite the reports of FM being John Warnock's favorite tool; and that
>        the InDesign/PageMaker/FrameMaker marketing focus is that ID is
>        for very high-end publishing, PM is for highly-styled short pieces
>        (brochures, marketing collateral...) and FM is for technical
>        and long document publishing needs;
>
>Despite the fact that FM is the only truly multi-platform tool; and
>        really the only one capable of very long document production;
>
>Despite the fact that FM is one of the only tools available for the
>        unix platform (I know Interleaf is still out there).
>
>I work for a reseller of Adobe products.  And I am a big fan of both Frame
>and Acrobat.  But I intend to highlight what I see as an obvious omission
>in the fabric of the product umbrella.  A hole that should, in my opinion,
>be repaired. 
>
>This is solely my own opinion and in no way reflects either the views of
>my employer nor anyone else associated with the company (or anyone else)
>except by sheer coincidence.  Furthermore, this may be completely biased
>and unfair to the competition or even Adobe.  That's life--live with it.
>
>- Lester
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Lester C. Smalley                   | email:  LSmalley@Infocon.com
>  Information Consultants, Inc.       | Phone:  (302) 239-2942 ext-13
>  Hockessin, DE  USA 19707-0310       | FAX:    (302) 239-1712
>--------------------------------------+---------------------------------
>    * * Adobe Certified Expert -- FrameMaker and FrameMaker+SGML * *
>INFOCON is an ADOBE SOLUTION SALES PROVIDER and offers hardware/software
>  dedicated to providing integrated office solutions for productivity.
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>                         http://www.infocon.com/
>
>
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>
     ====================
     | Nullius in Verba |
     ====================
Dan Emory, Dan Emory & Associates
FrameMaker/FrameMaker+SGML Document Design & Database Publishing
Voice/Fax: 949-722-8971 E-Mail: danemory@primenet.com
10044 Adams Ave. #208, Huntington Beach, CA 92646
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