When Do You Read the Instructions? 135
An anonymous reader asks: "I originally submitted this as a poll, but the answers I'm guessing, were way too long. However, I would like to ask the crowd at Slashdot: When do you read the instructions?"
"So when do you reach for that instruction booklet? Do you:
- ...research on the internet, in magazines and also pestering friends who own one, so you're an expert before buying said item?
- ...carefully read the box and all of the instructions even before unwrapping the protective plastic?
- ...study the instructions and the quickstart guide?
- ...refer to the instructions and study the quickstart guide?
- ...lose the instructions when throwing the packaging away, but study the quickstart guide hoping for the best?
- ...look at quickstart guide when it's not obvious how to turn it on?
- ...frantically search the instruction book after letting the 'magic smoke' out of your appliance hoping you'll find somewhere saying it's suppose to do that?
- ...after it's been smashed to pieces with a hammer?"
Importance... (Score:4, Insightful)
If I'm just playing around... that's it, I play around and look at the manual if there's a problem.
#define instructions (Score:3, Insightful)
The only case when I -very quickly- read them it's when I'm looking for the default password of a piece of networked equipment. which usually it's not even written down.
cheers
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open source is like poker: would you trust a deck of card that you cannot see being shuffled, but you have to trust who said it was done?
I'm confused (Score:5, Insightful)
It Depends (Score:3, Insightful)
Study the instructions and the quickstart guide (Score:2, Insightful)
But for complex gadgets with more than an on/off switch, and I'm talking things such as digital cameras, mp3 players and the like, there are typically more options than you could manage to figure out on your own, even if given the time. A lot of the extras in gadgets like these are harder to do than a street fighter combo.
Take the time to read through the entire manual, usually while sitting on the pot, and aquaint yourself with all the tricks and extras it has to offer. There's no other way.
problems (Score:2, Insightful)
like horizonal or vertical frequencies of a monitor. Most of the time those QuickStart guides
are useless for be because they focus on setting up the hardware in windows environments.
I bought a new TFT Flatscreen and the manual was provided on a CD. My luck was that the screen
accepted my XOrg settings and worked right out of the box. The manual itself was a set of html pages
that didn't work under linux using firefox due to some hardcoded uppercase filenames (probably javascript)
that couldn't be found. If instruction manuals are provided only on CD - please as a PDF.
Re:Difference between boys and girls (Score:4, Insightful)
Reading the manual gives you the CD-ROM drive. Playing with things gives you the cup holder.
Re:Difference between boys and girls (Score:3, Insightful)
At a minimum I will skim the docs. Even if the item is very simple. The item may use new features or have a different interface. I want to get the most out of anything I buy.
The sibling post's cd-rom or cup holder comment is true.
Safety (Score:3, Insightful)
I might read the instructions for expensive/irreplacable items, as well. Unless I don't own them.
c.
on the throne (Score:3, Insightful)
Depends on risk to life and limb (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:#define instructions (Score:3, Insightful)
Nowadays, you are lucking if the modem manual says "User are to make under installing the device apon application to Window 97 device mangler by demanding d:\setup with perseverance." And then repeating the same thing in French, German, Korean, and Afrikaans, so the book looks thick and informative.
Old school manuals, I used to read cover to cover, excited to learn new things. New school manuals, I just don't bother, unless I don't have teh opportunity to use the device, and I am bored, I might flip trhough it while waiting at a red light on the way home, or something...
Re:Difference between boys and girls (Score:2, Insightful)
It did take me awhile to get over a childhood of being yelled at for messing with stuff my brother always got to play with.
Leave girls alone and give 'em tools, and they'll break stuff too!