(About 689 words)

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.