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Anybody read a good manual lately?
03-02-2014, 06:50 PM
Post: #8
RE: Anybody read a good manual lately?
Matt; As many wrote, and I'm sure you know; it's because of time and money. When things would cost five times more there was more room for "extras" such as instructions on how to use it. Also, IMHO, I don't think many manufacturers care any more. The wp34s team's approach is an example that should be copied more by people in technology.

Steve: You might find interesting, or comforting, something that Ted Kirber once told me. He said that he and his wife Phyllis spent more time writing the manuals for their D'zign Software surveying programs than they did in writing the programs. That was expensive too as many of their packages came out before the era of home computers and easy self publishing. They used spiral bindings too.

Bill: You said "As calculators matured, then the attitude is that everyone already knows how to use a calculator. So manuals are no longer required. We can see the same attitude on a lot of consumer products today." You hit the nail on the head. That's why 35 years ago the 41, for instance, had a "pocket guide", a "basic operations" book and an "operation in detail" manual, but now calculators ship with little or none. The 34s has lots of documentation, That is now one big basic guide, bigger than most full manuals.

As Steve mentioned: The Museum DVD set has reams of indispensable information on use and programming, and it'll save several lifetimes of thrift shop and used book store searching.
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RE: Anybody read a good manual lately? - d b - 03-02-2014 06:50 PM



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