Owner's Manual Format

Because a lot of our customers are technotards.

Jim

--
"If you think you can, or think you can't, you're right."
--Henry Ford


"Richard Riley" wrote in message
...

Why bother with the CD? Just post PDFs on your website. Your cost
for the bandwidth of one customer downloading is cheaper than the cost
of duplicating, handling and shipping a CD (not that it's high either
way)

? They can build kit avionics but they can't open a pdf file and print
it (if they so desire)? I think having manuals on a company website is
a real bonus. CDs can get misplaced or lost in moves, etc. It's always
nice to know you can always go to the "manufacturer" via their website
and retrieve a lost manual quickly...


RST Engineering wrote:
Because a lot of our customers are technotards.

Jim


--
Scott
http://corbenflyer.tripod.com/
Gotta Fly or Gonna Die
Building RV-4 (Super Slow Build Version)

RST Engineering wrote:
Because a lot of our customers are technotards.


So they are going to have trouble printing out a copy on their inkjet
printer.

There is no indication that CD's will last 50 years banging around in
a flight bag, being tossed into the baggage compartment, thrown on a
shelf in the hangar where they go from 20 below to 120 degrees over
and over through the years...... I have printed manuals on Fat Albert
that are that old and have ... THey still boot up just fine...
Also, I cannot balance a CD on my tummy in bed and read it.. I vote
for the manufacturers to be required to supply a printed manual on
dead trees...

denny

There is no indication that CD's will last 50 years banging around in
a flight bag, being tossed into the baggage compartment, thrown on a
shelf in the hangar where they go from 20 below to 120 degrees over
and over through the years

They probably won't. Then again, how many pieces of avionics do you have in
the airplane that are 50 years old? 40? 30? 20, perhaps.


....... I have printed manuals on Fat Albert
that are that old and have ... THey still boot up just fine...
Also, I cannot balance a CD on my tummy in bed and read it..

So you are interested in assessing everybody who buys the equipment to pay a
$5 tax because you want a printed manual? That doesn't seem hardly fair,
does it? You want a full manual? Print your own from the CD. You only
need chapters C and G, print just C and G.


I vote
for the manufacturers to be required to supply a printed manual on
dead trees...

Ya know, one of the privileges of being in the manufacturing game is that
the customer can't "require" anything. You are perfectly welcome to vote
with your pocketbook, but you can't "require" anything.

Jim

RST Engineering wrote:

Ya know, one of the privileges of being in the manufacturing game is that
the customer can't "require" anything. You are perfectly welcome to vote
with your pocketbook, but you can't "require" anything.

Jim



Didn't this whole thread start Jim with you asking us our opinion on the
issue? And your privilege is only for those manufactures like yourself
that are selling ones and twos to a bunch of customers. Try doing
business with Wal-Mart and tell me how they can't require that you do
something.

Well, Jim is a grump when anyone disagrees with him, especially me..
Second, he is correct that the customer can vote with his feet - once
it becomes known on the chat groups that a manufacturer is a grumpass
who is not friendly after the sale...

The issue for Jim, is that the cost of a printed manual is a
significant fraction of the total price of his product.. And, what I
am reading betwen the lines is that he is hooked on the horns of a
dilemma where raising the price of his product will reduce sales
because his customers are looking for a cheap solution to their
needs, but continuing to supply a printed manual reduces his profit
margin below a sustainable level...
So he sees a solution as being either a CD or preferably a web site
with a down load PDF... But then, he laments that his customers are
'technotards' who aren't lining up in droves to save him money...
uummm,welcome to the real world, Jim

OK, I could on on for half of a thick book with trendline analysis,
similar product studies, etc., etc... But I don't see many of you as
being willing to read it...

The readers digest version is that Jim needs to change to a web based
site with download PDF files.... Make it clear in the sales literature
that the schematics, board photos, and the step by step instructions
are only available that way... For those who are total technotards,
also have a mechanism where they can call up InstyPrint, et. al. and
buy a manual shipped by express mail... Yes, this will impact your
sales, but not as much as a 15% or 20% increase in selling price....

denny

Much to the contrary. Our customers are techies who probably know the color
code by heart and certainly know which end of the soldering iron gets hot.
Otherwise they couldn't put the product together.

Jim

--
"If you think you can, or think you can't, you're right."
--Henry Ford



But then, he laments that his customers are
'technotards'

Hi Jim I've built 3 of your kits (intercom + 2 headsets ) and having
the printed instructions on my workbench while building is absoltely
neccessary. I don't think that many people are going to drag their
computer out to the shop so they can reference a CD directly. However
it doesn't really mater if I have to print it myself and it would be a
good opourtunityfor you to add some extra content to the manual. I'm
thinking of some quality colour pictures illistrating the process.
One satisfied customers opinion.

"Richard Riley" wrote in message ...
On Tue, 4 Dec 2007 22:59:48 -0800, "RST Engineering"
wrote:

Because a lot of our customers are technotards.

Jim

1) If they can't download and print a PDF - are they going to be able
to print a PDF from the CD? I mean, most of the equipment is the same
- computer, PDF reader, printer. One you have to have a CD drive -
and everyone with a computer has one, I think that's a safe
assumption. The other, they have to have an internet connection - and
I think that's a safe assumption these days too.

2) Given the choice, I'd rather have the PDF on the website. I can't
keep track of a CD to save my life, there are stacks of them around
here. They get damaged. They get thrown out. They get lost. I can
always get back to RSTengineering.com.

But if you go to the work of putting it on CD, it's only a few minutes
work to put the same data on your server, so I suspect it's not going
to be an either/or choice.

I say chuck the printed manual, do CD and host.

YMMV

Another bonus of the web based solution is that you can keep it up to date...