10 Jul 1996 updated
Several times a year I am asked to make presentations at events ranging from my local boy scout troop to the PowerBuilder Developers' Conferences - PB95 and PB96 - and International Sybase Users' Group - ISUG '96. My hosts always ask for a PowerPoint slide show (interesting how PowerPoint has become as generic as Kleenex and WindSurfer).
For the last year I have resolutely insisted on producing HTML instead. Am I foolish?
The current PC Week notes that Microsoft has announced it will abandon proprietary Windows Help files in favor of HTML based help. The article mentions cross-platform access and universialy available web browsers as compelling reasons for Microsoft. Check out our OnLine Applied Information Studies for PowerDesigner for a sample of the technique (user "olais"; password "xiao").
One might also throw in Java, Active-X, and all the alphabet soup supporting 3D / multi-media / live action video. Add to those the ability to generate help systems dynamically from databases and it is hard to see why Microsoft has taken so long to follow my lead. But I'm sure they will be sending a royalty check soon ...
Send along your thoughts and tips to ddwelle@aisintl.com.
