I have been a technical writer for the past 2 years and a very loyal one. I am adding the adjective loyal since I have been an Epic user for all these times. I am not an expert with Microsoft word but I manage. XML-based editors were the most talked of tools in the past. With the new age where users want content but the one which is media rich, XML-based editors do not allow that flexibility.

Any average reader has the interest rate of 3-5 mins. If you are not able to get the readers attention, promising him that this will get better as you read, you have lost your potential reader. As a user, when I am visiting blogs, too much of text (content) deviates my attention to other things on the page.

I feel people like multimedia rich content. With the advent of new tools in the writing market, we have an array of products that let you, even with the slightest knowledge of any imaging software, create content that is actually beautiful and makes sense.

I am listing a few tools, some which I have used and some that due to shortage of funds, I am yet to use. I am though trying to download the trial versions. I hate trial versions, because once you start getting the hang of the tool, the trial period is over. This in no way means that I am a slow learner.


Tool1 – Adobe Framemaker

Though many won’t agree that Framemaker is a user friendly tool, I adore this product. I think if you give time to learning it, you will get to know the kind of flexibility it offers. I have used FM 7.2 and found it really good to work with. This tool lets you work with images and text easily. I amyet to work with Framemaker 8 but really would love to explore it. I would recommend Framemaker for the print media. Has anyone used it for online media creation?

Tool2 – Camtasia

I am yet to use this but have heard a lot of this tool. This one is great for the online medium, with its features like screen recording and easy to use interface. The interface for latest version Camtasia 6 is amazing and eye catching. On the feature ground, it lets you select the media where the video is going to be used to intuitively set the width and height. Read the full review here.

Tool3 – Flare

It is a complete authoring system. Now that the rates have dropped, you can have your own copy at 499 USD. This tool offers Mimic, Capture, and Echo provide multimedia publishing integration, localization friendly, X-edit review support to insert comments after review, and much more. It has a really user-friendly interface. I wont comment much till I review it myself.

Tool4 – Robohelp 7

The good old tool called robohelp. One more on my trial list. The lates version is supposed to boast of feature to give a tough match to Madcap Flare. You can read the hands on experience of some here.