There has been a substantial evolutionary change in documentation and
support in technology, one that has put manuals in a much different
relationship to the user than they had a decade ago.
Some tech products come with no manual (e.g. iPhones). There are big hairy
software extravaganzas that come with no manual (e.g. Photoshop). These
products are not necessarily rejected by users. A manual is one way to get
info to the user, but there are other ways: menu captions, tool tips,
on-line help, context-sensitive help files, and (most importantly) a design
that is laid out so that the user can sometimes guess what to do.
Many products get support through user forums and/or books written by
independent third parties ("VBA Programming for the Total Nitwit"). The K3
enjoys excellent support from both of these sources. When a manufacturer
gets a lot of complaints that people can't understand how to work his
product, he can't hide behind the assertion that his clientele are all
dolts; they probably own other tech products that they can work just fine.
If a program or gadget is hard to understand, it will sell poorly and
acquire a bad reputation; and the converse is true too. The burden is not on
the reader or user. It's on the maker of the product.
Tony KT0NY
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