Theos-Talk Archives (July 1994 Message tl00032)

Hi Everyone:

I went diggin in compuserve and dug up some info about FM4.  It has
about everything we need:

1. Multiplatform (PC, Unix, Mac)
2. Can embedd graphics and multimedia
3. Can do complex formatting
4. Reads RTF, word for windows, and WP files
5. Creates stand-alone documents for electronic distribution.
6. Has open architecture.

Nuber 6 is useful if we want to write our own code and interface it to
the program.  There is a developers kit available.

I don't know about royalties but it sounds like the viewer can be
freely distributed.

The only thing at this point I don't know about is indexing.  I don't
know if makes searchable indexes like what we need or if it only has an
indexing feature like Word For Windows.  I posted a msg in compuserve
about this and will let you know ASAP.

I got a blurb about FM4 for you all to check out and its at the end of
this letter.

So, we might want to seriously consider using this product.  It looks
like exactly what we need.  Let me know your thoughts about this.  The
following blurb has phone numbers so if anyone calls the company post
what you find out here.

Thanks all!

Don

FM4 blurb:

FRAME TECHNOLOGY INTRODUCES FRAMEMAKER 4
FOR UNIX, WINDOWS, AND MACINTOSH PLATFORMS

More Than 100 New Features Add Power and Ease-of-Use
to Award-Winning FrameMaker

SAN JOSE, CA, September 13, 1993 - Frame Technology(R) announced today
the release of FrameMaker(R) 4, its next-generation writing and
publishing software for UNIX, Windows, and Macintosh platforms.
FrameMaker 4 includes over 100 new features and enhancements designed
to increase users' productivity for producing demanding business and
technical documents.

FrameMaker 4 provides a complete solution for companies that can no
longer meet their publishing needs using traditional word processing
and desktop publishing products.

FrameMaker 4's new features are designed to add more flexibility,
power, and ease-of-use to the product.  Specifically, these new
features fall into five major categories:

* Improved user interface

* More powerful formatting tools

* Advanced color and graphics support

* Improved information management capabilities

* Extensible architecture

FrameMaker 4 is targeted at business and technical professionals who
create, manage, and distribute "demanding" documents.  "Demanding"
documents typically have a long lifecycle, are frequently revised and
updated, and contain complex document content and formatting.
Important elements of these documents include multiple chapters,
automatically numbered sections, tables and illustrations,
cross-references, footnotes, indexes, and multi-level tables of
contents.

Examples of demanding documents range from business plans and financial
reports to books, manuals, and procedure guides.  Increasingly, these
documents are being written and published in a collaborative,
multiplatform environment.  Often they require constant revision and
updating, and are distributed electronically to save time and money.
The single-user desktop publishing and word processing models of the
1980s can no longer adequately address the complex publishing
requirements of these documents.  But FrameMaker 4's publishing model
enables multiple authors to collaborate on demanding documents in a
networked, cross-platform environment and distribute these documents
electronically for cost-effective on-line viewing.

SIMULTANEOUS MULTIPLATFORM AVAILABILITY
=============================================
The introduction of FrameMaker 4 marks the first time Frame has
simultaneously released a product on leading UNIX and desktop platforms
including Sun and HP workstations running X/Motif, the Apple Macintosh,
and PCs running Microsoft Windows.  Unlike any other writing or
publishing application, FrameMaker 4 files can be shared transparently
across all these platforms, with no file conversion.  FrameMaker
conforms to the native user interface on which it runs so users can
work with familiar menus and commands.  In addition, FrameMaker takes
advantage of the unique capabilities of each platform by supporting
platform-specific features.

NEW FEATURES
===============
FrameMaker 4 provides a rich writing and editing environment, advanced
color capabilities, automated page layout, long document handling, and
the ability to easily incorporate complex graphics and multimedia
elements into documents.  FrameMaker 4 also includes a
context-sensitive Help feature that uses hypertext links to guide users
through its on-line Help system.

Frame has redesigned the FrameMaker 4 user interface to improve access
to frequently-used features, making the product easier to learn and
use.  For example, FrameMaker's menus can be customized to support
different styles of working.  Users can view complete menus, quick
menus (a subset of the complete menus), or even customized menus.  By
adding flexible menus to FrameMaker 4, VARs (Value Added Resellers) and
system administrators can customize FrameMaker to meet specific user
needs.

A new C-based Applications Programming Interface (API) enables
corporate in-house development organizations, systems integrators, and
third-party software developers to create powerful application
extensions to FrameMaker 4.  Details regarding a Frame Developer's Kit
(FDK) and Frame's new API certification program for VARs will be
announced at a later date.

Other new features of FrameMaker 4 include:

* A document comparison feature that provides a detailed comparison
report on the differences between two versions of a document

* Enhanced color support for PANTONE(R), CMYK, RGB, and HLS color
models

* The ability to easily prepare and print spot and process color
separations, including process color separations of Encapsulated
PostScript and DCS color images

* An easy-access Formatting ruler to quickly select paragraph alignment
settings such as left-, center-, or right-alignment, line spacing, and
tab settings

* Styles by example, a method that enables users to design paragraph
formats visually and store them in a catalog for future use

* Automatic placement of side- and run-in heads

* A Quick Access bar that provides single-click access to the most
commonly used commands (Mac and Windows only)

* Arbitrary rotation of text and graphics

* A built-in Thesaurus

* Eight different dashed-line patterns

* Improved hypertext commands and automatic generation of hypertext
links

As with previous versions, FrameMaker 4 incorporates timesaving
features such as intelligent tables, FrameMath(TM), conditional text,
and electronic distribution of documents using FrameViewer(R).

Files created in FrameMaker 3.0 are directly usable with FrameMaker 4;
all formatting is completely preserved.

UPGRADE INFORMATION
=======================
FrameMaker 4 will be available in U.S.  and International English,
French, German, and Swedish versions.  The product is available through
authorized U.S.  dealers, value-added resellers, and international
distributors.  FrameMaker 3.0 customers with a currently active
FrameMaker Support Subscription (FSS) will automatically receive the
FrameMaker 4 upgrade at no cost.  Customers who purchased FrameMaker
3.0 after August 15, 1993 are eligible to receive a no-cost upgrade to
FrameMaker 4.

NORTH AMERICAN PRICING & AVAILABILITY
=========================================
FrameMaker 4 will be available in late September for PCs running
Windows and Apple Macintoshes at a suggested retail price of $895.
FrameMaker 4 will also be available in late September for Sun SPARCs
and compatibles, and Hewlett- Packard computers running X/Motif at a
suggested retail price of $1495 for a personal license, and $2595 for a
shared license.

Upgrade pricing for Macintosh and Windows platforms is $199.  UNIX
Personal license upgrades including 1 year of technical support and
upgrades are $895($695 through 12/31/93).  UNIX Shared license upgrades
including 1 year of technical support and upgrades are $1295($995
through 12/31/93).

For international pricing and distribution information, please contact
Frame International Ltd.  (011) 353-1- 8429-566.

FRAME TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
==================================
Frame Technology provides award-winning writing and publishing software
for the creation and distribution of demanding business and technical
documents.  Frame's products are compatible across PC, Macintosh, and
UNIX platforms, enabling companies to increase productivity by
leveraging valuable corporate data.  Frame Technology is a
publicly-traded company (NASDAQ:FRAM) located at 1010 Rincon Circle,
San Jose, California 95131 USA.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
========================
Frame Technology
Carol Kaplan
(408) 428-6143

Copithorne & Bellows
Steve Jursa
(415) 966-8700

Frame Technology, FrameMaker, FrameViewer, and Frame are registered
trademarks, and FrameBuilder, FrameMath, and Frame Developer's Kit are
trademarks of Frame Technology Corporation.  All other product names
are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.