Abaton Corporation was a leading manufacturer of image scanners for computer systems during the early 1980s. Abaton produced a range of software and hardware to satisfy the need for digital imaging in the Apple Macintosh market of desktop publishing.
TME wrote the User's Guides for Abaton's C-Scan Plus and PanelScan. C-Scan Plus took advantage of the Macintosh computer's graphic capabilities and operating system to allow users to scan and edit sophisticated graphic images. PanelScan was a utility that resided in the Macintosh Control Panel allowing immediate scanning from any Macintosh application.
In addition to writing and producing the User's Guides for C-Scan Plus and PanelScan, TME also created HyperCard stacks to be used with the programs. These system represented the electronic industry's first true "manual on a disk", complete with interactive animations describing detailed operating features of the scanner software and hardware, "point-and-click" interface with the user, and dynamic random access to all information that is typically found in an operation and installation manual. This revolutionary documentation product, which was used by novice as well as experienced Macintosh computer operators, was hailed as a breakthrough in the field of product training and documentation. Once again, TME has set the standard for the market.
The first screen of the C-Scan Plus documentation and training system
that TME developed for Abaton is shown here.
The interactive training system provided all information necessary to
configure and install the scanner. The user could point and click on any
part of the screen to gain detailed information about how to install the
product.
As can be seen here, the user was able to view detailed information about
how to use the C-Scan Plus software by simply clicking anywhere on this
screen. The system included animations and sound as well as text. It was
reported that Abaton's use of this system cut back their service calls remarkably.
In addition, users found the on-line documentation more convenient to use
that the manual because of its emulation features.
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