Reading Product Manuals Online
By Gabe Goldberg, APCUG Advisor; Columnist
AARP Computers & Technology Website
 I'm reasonably well-organized; my wife thinks I'm a packrat
(she keeps trying to sneak my '70s shirts to the thrift shop). You'd think this
would mean that I can find product manuals for every appliance, gadget, PC
component and software, etc., I've ever bought. That's mostly true.
But sometimes my filing system fails me. Or I've forgotten
to whom I loaned something. Or someone else in the house (but I'm not naming
names) has moved it. What then?
Fortunately, manufacturers are increasingly making product
literature and documentation available online. While this isn't entirely out of
generosity -- it reduces their customer-support workload -- it's great for
consumers who can find and read the material.
A good starting place is the manufacturer's Web site. For
example, I'm writing this article using a Samsung SyncMaster 912n LCD video
monitor. Suppose I need to know what its control buttons do but can't find its
manual. Samsung's home page [www.samsung.com] offers a button, "Download Center:
Download Drivers, Manuals, Software, and Firmware". I can either enter a product
model number or name, or search via product group (audio/video, computers,
etc.), then product type, then product subtype, and model name.
Computers are very precise; searching took three tries,
since it wanted only "912n", not "SyncMaster 912n". The manual was then
available in any of 28 languages, from Bulgarian to Chinese. A PDF file (see
below for explanation), it's just under three megabytes, dated about a month
ago, complete, 83 pages including clickable Table of Contents. So a minute after
deciding to look for it, I'm looking *at* it.
Another way to search is via Google [www.google.com]
entering terms like 912n manual site:samsung.com which only searches the
samsung.com Web site. This took me to the right neighborhood on the Web site but
left me needing a few more clicks to hit the manual. Sometimes search engine
results are better than navigating within a site, so consider both techniques.
Manufacturers often update online material as mistakes or
shortcomings are found in printed versions, so for important products it's worth
checking Web sites occasionally. Sadly, they also sometimes package only
abbreviated versions with products, suggesting or expecting consumers to
download full versions.
Either way, online manuals are also useful when considering
purchases or comparing choices, since they give -- or should give! -- more
complete and useful information than is printed on the box. If you're evaluating
something pre-purchase, evaluate the manual's organization and quality -- Will
you be able to find information you need? Will you understand it? If you're
buying something used, online availability of a missing manual can make the acquisition much more pleasant.
Online manuals can be in many formats -- HTML (normal Web
pages), Microsoft Word documents, PDF (Portable Document Format), and others.
Each format has advantages and disadvantages. HTML is nearly universal; if you
can view Web pages you can read HTML documentation. But it may be harder to
download and save/organize all pieces of a large document. You'll need Microsoft
Word software (or free reader) to read MS Word files. Flexible PDF is becoming
the most popular online document format, but it too requires software, Adobe's
Acrobat Reader, for viewing. Fortunately, this is free and easy to
download/install; visit Adobe [http://www.adobe.com/] and click
"Get Adobe
Reader".
Some manufacturers take a different approach, offering
search tools and links within their Web sites for different material, such as
overviews, tutorials, problem solving tips, even video clips illustrating usage.
 Finally, LiveManuals [www.livemanuals.com] takes an
interesting/interactive approach, providing interactive product demonstrations.
Though it doesn't include every product – office equipment and appliances aren't
presently well-represented -- the Wish List page accepts nominations for items
to add.
This article originated on AARP's Computers and Technology
Web site, www.aarp.org/computers, and is copyrighted by AARP. All
rights are reserved; it may be reproduced, downloaded, disseminated,
or transferred, for single use, or by nonprofit organizations
for educational purposes, with attribution to AARP. It should
be unchanged and this paragraph included. Please e-mail Gabe Goldberg at gabe@gabegold.com when you use it, or for permission to
excerpt or condense.
There is no restriction against any non-profit group using
this article as long as it is kept in context with proper credit given the
author. The Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User
Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member,
brings this article to you.
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