Data on PDF vs PS (Was Re: Online docs page should ..) [With prelim patch]

[Jan Vroonhof]

[I should have said I am not subscribed to the list. I read from the
archives only. Please CC in direct discussion]

I had intended to not turn this into discussion, but one of your
points below is IMHO is wrong.

 > > 1. PDF files [produced with free software] are large and low quality.
 > 
 > At least this point is proven with your data (so there is not really a
 > lakc of knowledge in this point ;). both gzipped und plain pdf files are
 > larger than gzipped ps files.

Yes, but the gzipped pdf files are only about 10% larger. 

> But only when not gzipped. Which means that pdf files are about
> twice as large as corresponding postscript files. Both are not
> browsable online.

That is wrong. Have you tried the link in my messages? My browser
unzips it just fine before sending it to the PDF viewers.

> But actually, I doubt that a pdf version will be more sueful than a html
> version (that already exists).

Does the html version exist in a bundle for download? (if so it isn't
linked to from the website).

Personally I find the PDF version much more comfortable to read on
screen that the HTML version. In large documents, good typersetting
becomes important In addition the PDF version is much more favorable
to the "go online,fetch docs,go ofline,read" style of reading (and
that is probably easier on the server too).

Anyway, you decide what to do. If you want I can complete the "make
pdf" match at some later point.

Jan

P.S. As I more or less live in Emacs for me a precompiled set of info
files on the website would be the preferred option, but I would take
PDF over both HTML and PS.