| From: | Jonathan Day |
| Date: | 17 Aug 2000 at 20:17:49 |
| Subject: | Manuals (was Re: Amiga Piracy) |
Hi Don
> Much the same happens with pirate copies of programs - without the
> manual, the person with a pirate copy gets very little use out of the
> program and soon gives up. So it becomes a null transaction - the
> company doesn't get the money and the individual doesn't get the fun or
> use from the software.
Then the next time they consider another program, they remember how little
fun they got out of the pirate copy, so pirate the next one just in case...
:-(
> The exception is the very popular and expensive programs like Photoshop,
> where there is an industry turning out books on "How to Use Your Pirated
> Software".
Some of the PC manuals/help systems I`ve seen are very poor, they say what
you can do, but are not very good at explaining how. These "How to" books
can be a god send.
The Wordworth manuals (several versions) have always been very good IMO, but
I cannot testify to the quality of their CD based manuals.
> Tutorials in magazines must also be mainly of use to owners
> of pirate copies, unless the manual is bad.
Or if like me and you have little imagination, tutorials are great. They
give you something to do/aim for. And if the mags include (with a 3D tutes
for example) the objects at various stages, animations, finished renders etc
on cover CDs they are even better.
You learn much more by doing rather than reading. Many manuals state how to
do something, but a well written tute (hi Andy Kinsella :-) ) provides
examples of when to do something too and the consequences there of.
Amiga companies say they can`t afford the cost of "proper" bound manuals,
however a well written manual is a great way of encouraging sales from
otherwise 'casual' pirates, and rewards 'honest' users with a better manual.
Jon
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