Online Help, Online Documentation

[Bill Sullivan <bsullivan -at- SMTPLINK -dot- DELTECPOWER -dot- COM>]

I am posting this at the request of my boss.

At my company, Deltec Electronics, we want to improve our online help
and documentation beyond what we have been doing. In the past, our
help has been cross-platform -- Windows, OS/2, Unix, Macintosh --
text, hotspots, no graphics, an index, nothing really fancy. We now
are thinking about going to the next level, if there is a next level
and if going there is a good idea.

Should we stick with WinHelp modified for OS/2, Unix and Macintosh?
The new version of our software will be in English and Japanese and
possibly other languages. Should we go to HTML or Java-based help?
The software will be written in Java. What about animation? What
about talking help?  Video?  Wizards, coaches, tutorials?  Separate
help programs for different user groups depending on experience?

In the area of online documentation, the way to go the last time we
looked was .pdf. Is this still true?

We are interested in feedback from all who have been there before.
We are interested in personal advice, web sites, articles, books,
courses and any other sources of information, anything anyone wants
to say.

Thanks.

Bill Sullivan
bsullivan -at- deltecpower -dot- com
San Diego, California

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