Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2004 22:41:26 -0400
From: Steve Smith <sgs at aginc.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Keith
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

Barry L. Newton wrote:
> Interestingly, Michael Pederson said:
>
>>Adobe has abandoned support for PageMaker to concentrate on making
>>InDesign their primary desktop publishing software so I'm not surprised
>>to hear that you had problems.
>
> I've never seen the attraction of desktop publishing software; it's
> generally overpriced, and recent generations of word processing software go
> a long way to meet the needs of almost anyone.  Admittedly my experience
> with these things is limited.  Anyone care to do some enlightening?

There are two main differences:  function and focus.

Function:  DTP software gives you *much* greater control over exactly
how  your document appears, and allows for far more complex layouts.
See a print magazine for many examples of things that are impossible or
very difficult for WP software.

Focus:  WP software is for people who create text.  DTP software is for
people who create layouts.  Usually all of the text and artwork is
created by somebody else, and the DTP user just "pours" it in.

--
Steve Smith                                           sgs at aginc.net
Agincourt Computing                            http://www.aginc.net
"Truth is stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense."