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I've been at several companies when we dropped printed manuals in favor of
PDF versions. It seemed to bother tech support a lot more than it bothered
the customers.
Lynn
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+lchesler=auspicecorp -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+lchesler=auspicecorp -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
Behalf Of David Tinsley
Sent: Monday, March 31, 2008 3:27 PM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: Print manuals - keep or drop
Greetings,
So a program manager drops by my cube today and tells me "they" have
decided that, to save money, we will no longer ship printed manuals one of
our products. We currently provide the manuals in print, on a product CD
and via a support site.
As a background I should perhaps explain a bit about the product. It is a
spatial measurement system ( http://www.ndigital.com/medical/index.php )
which we market as the "gold standard" in the industry. My view is that
after spending a significant amount on one of these systems I would want
to see a print copy manual when I opened the box. Our manuals are more
than simple "How to" guides. In order to use the technology effectively,
the manual has to cover a lot of the underlying theory.
Does anyone have experience of dropping print manuals and relying on CDs
and website versions? Were there any negative outcomes from the strategy?
Any positive outcomes?
Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
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Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include support for Windows Vista & 2007
Microsoft Office, team authoring, plus more. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
True single source, conditional content, PDF export, modular help.
Help & Manual is the most powerful authoring tool for technical
documentation. Boost your productivity! http://www.helpandmanual.com
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