Is there a multi-authoring solution with RH Server apart from RH client?

Question

Greetings:
Is Adobe looking to price itself out of the HAT market?
Just got the pricing on RH Server 8 ($2000) and then another $1000 per RH 8 client (as I write this I am still verifying the pricing, because they first told me each user will need a full RH Server 8 license, meaning $10K for 5 authors). For five authors, that's $7000 (unless its $10,000 ;-), and about 99% overkill on the multi-authoring side, since we only need one RH 8 client for management and publishing, and a simple WYSIWYG for additional authors is all that is needed, and indeed the learning curve for RH versus a WYSIWYG makes this paying a lot of money for a huge training burden & support headache. Is this for real?
I'm researching HAT's and I've got the same or better featured server/multi-author scenario going with HelpServer for $4000 (unlimited additional authors), Doc-To-Help Enterprise for a mere $1500 (also unlimited authors), and Flare complete with Feedback Server and 5 X-Edit author/users for less than $3500, not including support packages. Considering the fact that there is virtually nothing RH does the others don't, and quite a bit the others do that RH does not, I have to wonder -- why is there no simple to learn, inexpensive to buy WYSIWYG (something like Contribute) for multi-authoring in RH Server?
Since it's all HTML, we could in fact go with Contribute, but direct changes would not be reflected back in the RH client files. That's about the only thing that would have to be automated beyond a Contribute-like WYSIWYG, or what am I missing?
Just occurred to me, could have Contribute users make changes to RH shared directory, then they could be published from there. Hmmmn.
Anyone have a workaround or other solution here?
Shame, shame, Adobe.
regards,
Steven
"I am but an egg."
--Stranger in a Strange Land

Answer 1

Hi Steven
Dems the breaks I suppose. One way past it would be to have one RoboHelp Server license and one RoboHelp Office license. Then have the other authors simply use Microsoft Word to maintain their content. The person that uses the RoboHelp Office (Client part) could then import and link the Word documents managed by the other authors. If you worked that way you would only be looking at a total outlay of $3,000 instead of $7,000. But I suspect that you might get a better deal than $7,000 if you worked with Sales.
Keep in mind that RoboHelp Server relies upon the content created by RoboHelp. There is no "limited WYSIWYG editor". All it does is provide reporting as well as project merging. There is nothing about it that lends itself to a simple WYSIWYG editor that provides a window into the server content.
I cannot speak to the other tools you cited. Maybe they do work in that manner and maybe they don't. And maybe you are misunderstanding the actual capabilities. I cannot say.
Additionally, it's helpful to keep in mind that the way RoboHelp works today was initially designed and maintained by the folks now known as MadCap. Because of that, I'd be surprised to find that the MadCap products operate in a totally different manner. Maybe they do. Adobe acquired the product by virtue of acquiring macromedia. So they didn't design the way it works. Although they have enhanced it. I see no reason to shame Adobe.
Can you expound on your claim that " there is virtually nothing RH does the others don't, and quite a bit  the others do that RH does not". What ios the "quite a bit" that others are doing that RoboHelp isn't? RoboHelp seems fairly competitive with its feature set to me.
Cheers... Rick
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