[Mr Rick]

My idea of a proper manual is the one included with the RME ADI-2 DAC. Seventy pages in English and seventy in German. Spiral bound on heavy paper with color pictures and diagrams.

Did I mention I'm a retired QA Engineer, and spent much of my career writing inspection manuals?

 

[Sinister Whisperz]

The problem is that ‘AI’ will be programmed by the same morons.

Yeah those are the AIs (actual idiots) doing the programming.

 

[AstronomerXI]

Let's discuss manuals:

1. I know if we get rid of them, someone's gonna complain about us being cheap/assholes/etc. Understood.
2. However, if we get rid of them, we're right there with $3500 products (Cintiq) with no manuals and with massively complex apps and other stupid stuff with no manuals.
3. Most manuals are about 10% useful information and 90% scolding (looking at tools especially).
4. Manuals are almost always somewhat wrong.

So: manuals? Pro? Con? Indifferent?

Edit: I linked Tyler to this, so he'll definitely read your opinions.

Edit2: also, for the high school debate team champions, don't try to shift this to plastic bags and other crap in the box. We get it. We've been trying to eliminate plastic bags. Nothing is good enough so far. You get to choose between weirdo semi-plastic molded stuff to hold the non-bagged product in place, and bags. Some things (Tyrs) require foam, period. Magnis and Midgards and stuff like that have been moved to, or are being moved to, all-recycled cardboard. We beat FedEx to this, FWIW.

I’m perfectly fine with downloaded and prefer it. I misplace the paper ones and end up downloading to my iPad anyway when I need to refer to one.

Please collect current and deprecated product manuals into one linked archive on the Schiit website.

 

[Oveja Negra]

My idea of a proper manual is the one included with the RME ADI-2 DAC. Seventy pages in English and seventy in German. Spiral bound on heavy paper with color pictures and diagrams.

Did I mention I'm a retired QA Engineer, and spent much of my career writing inspection manuals?

I don't own the ADI-2 DAC, but I remember reading reviews about it and one aspect that was highlighted everytime is how fantastic the manual is. It seems the RME guys gave their best in that regard.

 

[Sinister Whisperz]

Regarding Manuals:

I'm not sure people read them. Reddit is littered with posts easily resolved by the manual or troubleshooting section of the website. I like having the hard copy, and I've read pdf manuals for products I don't even have yet because I hate to see people having issues while I'm scavenging the back corners of the internet for every detail of products that I am interested in.

The trouble is, how many of those simple problems are the manuals solving for people? Would nixing the paper copy significantly increase the load of frivolous emails? I'm not sure it's worth finding out, in reality. How many problems are prevented by someone thumbing through the manual when they open the box? That and adding steps (Scanning QR, downloading, and reading the manual) between the problem someone is having might be significant. Or not. Hard to say.

I will be fine either way, just something to consider.

You said it all when you said Reddit. That place is proof the human race is doomed. It's like theJerry Springer show had kids with Idiocracy

 

[hearditontheX]

I prefer paper manuals, but I could survive on electronic only. I dig the weird sizes that Schiit uses for their manuals.

 

[AstronomerXI]

I strongly vote for paper manuals. I see the benefits of e-based docs. Heck, I started using the Net in the ‘70s when it was called Arpanet but a physical technical product should have a comprehensive paper manual. Apple doesn’t have them and it’s simply wrong.

I respect your opinion, but I feel just the opposite. All my pdf manuals eventually go onto my NAS and are indexed in my DevonThink app/server on my MAC with associated phone/iPad app. Paper, for me, is a waste and the convenience of a pdf outweighs a physical copy by an order of magnitude. YMMV.
.

 

[45longcolt]

Definitely keep paper manuals. I far prefer a page that exists in real space, as opposed to a phone or a tablet that turns itself off to save power. And Schiit's manuals aren't exactly extravagent wastes of paper. In fact, I wish they were more comprehensive. And if - Odin forbid - Schiit ever folds, will there even be a website behind that QR code?

Oh, and stickers, please. The more the better. I put them on my tool box.

 

[45longcolt]

Boeings still have cockpit paper manuals, I bet.

They need 'em.

 

[Ripper2860]

What’s wrong with plastic bags? I keep them in the shipping box in case I need to ship the unit later.

Other than the fact that Bill keeps putting them over his head and passing out, nothing!!

 

[Pandahead]

I vote to keep the dinky little manuals and the folded stapled dinky manuals.

Every piece of Schiit I've sold has had the original box, plastic bag and manual and as someone also mentioned it's a ready reverence not just for us, but how about the new second owner person?

Will the secondhand owner just naturally get the cryptics? It may help them be potential new customers via old Schiit gear by aiding decipher the microscopic input selection code nearly invisible on the front as well as the miniscule labeling on the back. Or maybe it just doesn't matter. Still nice for resale.

I would also vote that the 2¢ manuals can afford to come with more and better stickers. UV makes quick work of them and soon start looking like......

 

[cschock]

Print a qr code on the inside of the box flaps and call it a day. Make it both viewable on your website and downloadable. Keep a page with access to all discontinued product manuals.

Done.

QR codes are not accessible to people without smart phones. Believe it or not, not everyone has one. If you do away with the manual in favor of an online one only, which I am personally ambivalent about, please include a slip of paper with a link to the Schiit webstite that has all the manuals in perpetuity. Never know how many years from now you might want the manual, I still have several 30+ year old components in use. That's the best argument for a physical manual, Schiit might be gone (or acquired after Jason's demise at age 90) or whatever and then the link won't likely be any good.

 

[Ripper2860]

Electronic is fine, but maybe Schiit can add the option for a paper manual right underneath the chassis color, voltage, and power cord option.

* I suspect if there was a note saying "May delay shipment of your order by up to 2-days", NO ONE WOULD ORDER ONE!

** A QR Code is simply a means to get to a web link w/o having to type the URL. If one does not have a smart phone, they should be able to go to the Schiit site via a computer and click a link. Odds are pretty good they bought it online using the Internet - either directly or via 2nd hand market.

 

[golfbravobravo]

We moved all of our documents to the iPad a few years ago. We only carry one paper manual in the cockpit now. It's the "something bad just happened manual" and most of us prefer the paper version to the electronic version when things get busy.

To answer Jason's question, I'm fine with either a paper version shipped with the kit or a printable electronic version. I'd prefer the printable version to be something meant to printed on standard 8.5 x 11 paper.

Yoiu mean "standard" in one country in the world??

 

[mystaiced]

LOL, of course:

Yeah we'll launch Aegir 2 tomorrow (plenty in stock)...

...but...

...manuals being late may mean a 1-2 day shipping delay.

This is why Tyler keeps telling me to lose the manuals, stick a QR code in there, download the stupid thing yourself.

We moved all of our documents to the iPad a few years ago. We only carry one paper manual in the cockpit now. It's the "something bad just happened manual" and most of us prefer the paper version to the electronic version when things get busy.

To answer Jason's question, I'm fine with either a paper version shipped with the kit or a printable electronic version. I'd prefer the printable version to be something meant to printed on standard 8.5 x 11 paper.

Or if someone wants a manual, have it printed on toilet paper! "Want your manual? We got it for ya right here!"

All kidding aside, I would be fine with just a downloadable manual for most products. Or make the printed manual optional