Conference vaxuum::online_bookbuilding

95.0. "VMS Online Doc. Library CDROM !!!" by BLUMON::WEISENFELD () Thu Mar 09 1989 22:44

                          ******  ANNOUNCING  ******

               VMS Online Documentation Library on Compact Disc

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               Library of books for use with the DECwindows Bookreader
               including over 30,000 pages of high-quality text and 
               graphics.

               + VMS extended documentation set
               + VMS DECwindows documentation set
               + VAX FORTRAN and VAX DBMS preview documentation
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          Introduction

          The VMS Online Documentation Library compact disc is one of the
          ways that the Software Business Technologies program provides
          effective solutions for enhancing the distribution, access, and
          management of Digital software and documentation. This online
          documentation library is a companion to the VMS Consolidated
          Software Distribution compact disc, and both offerings are
          released six times per year (See Sales Update, March 20,1989
          for more details about the software offering.

          Description

          The VMS Online Documentation Library, consisting of several 
          documentation sets formatted for retrieval by the VMS DECwindows
          Bookreader, is available on March 20, 1989. The Bookreader is
          an out-of-the-box DECwindows application that is included with
          the VMS Version 5.1 release. Digital intends to provide support
          for the Bookreader on the entire family of DECwindows platforms
          as part of the ongoing DECwindows program. At this time,
          however, Digital has no plans to support online documentation 
          on character cell terminals that do not support the DECwindows
          protocol.

          Since online documentation is, by definition, software (in the
          sense that executes as code on a computer), access to the VMS
          and VMS Layered Products online documentation is granted as
          part of every user's VMS software license, beginning with VMS
          Version 5.1. Customers can automatically read any VMS online
          documentation for which they have registered a corresponding
          software Product Authorization Key (PAK). For example, a PAK
          registered for FORTRAN software will allow users to access the
          FORTRAN online documentation automatically.

          In addition by registering the VMS BOOKBROWSER PAK, included
          at no extra charge on every VMS Online Documentation Library
          compact disc, customers have access to all of the online docu-
          mentation provided that disc. Instructions for setting up the
          compact disc and registering the VMS BOOKBROWSER PAK are in-
          cluded in the cover letter for the VMS Online Documentation
          Library compact disc.

          The March VMS Online Documentation Library disc contains the 
          following documentation sets:

          +  VMS Extended Set (Version 5.1)
          +  VMS DECwindows
          +  VAX DBMS Sample Documentation
          +  VAX FORTRAN Sample Documentation

          The compact disc is pre-formatted for online use so that no
          additional installation is required. Once the compact disc has
          been properly mounted, the online documentation files can be
          accessed by multiple users simultaneously using the DECwindows
          Bookreader.

          The Bookreader provides a unique user productivity tool and
          a quick and simple method of access to online documentation.
          Bookreader features include:

          +  Multi window, multi book display
          +  Integrated text and graphics
          +  Mouse selection of objects
          +  Table-of-contents access
          +  Index access
          +  Next page/previous page
          +  Next topic/previous topic
          +  Scrolling bar for scanning text
          +  Automated cross-referencing
          +  Library of books and bookshelves
          +  Online help


          Ordering, Availability, and Price

          At this time, the VMS Online Documentation Library compact disc
          is available only as a separately purchased a la carte product,
          and not under update service. The name and order number for the
          March edition of the disc are:


          External (Customer) Orders -- 

             VMS Online Documentation Library-March 1989   QA-VYRAA-G8
             (MLP $895)

          Internal Orders -- 

             VMS Online Documentation Library-March 1989   AI-NC68A-BE
             (Internal transer aprox. $50)

          A new compact disc will be available every other month, and,
          over the next several months, will contain additional layered
          product documentation sets, as well as any updates to the docu-
          mentation already released. The next disc is scheduled for early
          May.


          What Customers Need

          In order to utilize the VMS Online Documentation Library, cus-
          tomers need

          +  VAXstation processor
          +  VMS software Version 5.1 (or later) with DECwindows installed
          +  CDROM reader (either RRD50 or RRD40 model, depending on the
             CPU bus)
          +  VMS Online Documentation Library Compact Disc

          The CDROM reader can be purchased separately (for instance,
          the RRD50 CDROM reader with Q-bus controller included sells for
          $1325 - please contact Anne Blanchard (DTN 291-9624) for more
          information about CDROM readers). By attaching the CDROM reader
          either to a single CPU, to a CPU resident in a VAXcluster, or to
          a CPU in a network, a VAXstation customer can access the online
          documentation using the DECwindows Bookreader application.
          Multiple users (or VAXstations) can access a single online
          documentation disc simultaneously.

          If customers prefer, they can copy all of the files included
          on the VMS Online Documentation Library compact disc to another
          (magnetic) disk from which users can also access the files using
          the DECwindows Bookreader. Accessing the online documentation
          files from a magnetic disk may provide only a marginal increase
          in performance, and this depends on the number of simultaneous
          users.



          Customer Benefits

          Online documentation provides several benefits to customers.

          +  Access to a library of Digital's technical documentation
          +  Compact storage containing thousands of pages of text and
             graphics
          +  Software designed to maximize the information retrieval
             capabilities
          +  Increased integration of documentation with software
          +  Rapid access to all documentation by all users
          +  Access to latest version of manuals

          Digital has always produced high-quality technical documenta-
          tion. Now Digital is providing the same excellent documentation
          in the most innovative and convenient fashion.


          Competition

          Digital leads the industry in providing a consolidated library
          of technical documentation on CDROM for use with an online
          Bookreader application. Other vendors, such as Apollo, Sun,
          and Symbolics, offer online documentation for their systems.
          However, their documentation is not distributed on CDROM, nor
          does it include the extensive use of online graphics represented
          in the Digital documentation sets. Hewlett-Packard and MicroSoft
          have also distributed a limited set of documentation products
          on CDROM, but only Digital combines the advantages of CDROM 
          delivery with the innovative DECwindows interface to provide a
          superior user productivity tool on line. The technology and 
          information offered by Digital are unique, and equally important,
          Digital has it now!

          ________________________________________________________________
          For more information contact:

                                                      Marian R. Weisenfeld
                                     VMS Base Systems Platform Engineering
                                                             DTN: 381-1469
                                                            MS: ZKO1-3/J35
                                               VAXMAIL: BLUMON::WEISENFELD
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