I’ve decided to evaluate the manual for the IPad. Personally I don’t use any apple products not because I can get it, just because it doesn’t meet my daily needs. Because the IPad is something that is internationally want it the manual is written in many languages, so that is a good start.

This manual is divide in 25 chapters, and every one of them its very well explain it. The first three chapters are the most basic intrusions, and also show all the accessories that come with it. Also it show that location of the each button and switch, the use of them. But for anybody that is new with this product is very easy to follow the instruction because it is explain graphically too. The rest of the twenty two chapters also help to set and use the iPad in the easiest way that the new user can set up the new equipment very fast.

In general I like this manual because first it is in the language that I can speak so I don’t really waste too much time reading it. Also the use of graphics is very helpful, in many cases because you can get confuse in the step by step that they manual say. Although the language that is use in the manual is easy to understand. Use of color is it something very important to because is t not everything in black and white so it help the vision to get more attention in how to set up the IPad.

The example that they show in the manual also it’s very important, also the most common mistakes are list there so this help to prevent the wrong connectivity ot set up of the new equipment. As most all the manual it also displace the damage and warranty that the product have in case of accident.

Overall the manual it is very well designed. It is easy to find the manual in the many languages that you want, the language is very easy to understand and the step by step explanation is very easy to follow and with the use of the graphic and different colors it made the manual more efficient that other that are in black and white.

http://manuals.info.apple.com/MANUALS/1000/MA1595/en_US/ipad_user_guide.pdf

The Nexus 7 manual under consideration consists of seven sections, which are titled according to their content. Effective and clear titling allows the user to quickly find the necessary information and to save time when a particular problem needs solution. The sections are not only united by certain technical aspect, but are also presented in a logical and consistent manner.

The information is presented in a readable and  understandable way, an easy language being applied.  The extensive use of various visualizing tools, such as images, illustrations, pictorial elements, photographic elements,  highlighting and others contributes to the uncomplicated and effortless perception of information, despite the general complexity of such kind of discourse. Also, the general structuring of the text is simple and convenient for reading. Comments are provided for all the images and graphical objects. The author uses listing, markers, proper spacing between the passages, effective color decisions (for highlighting important ideas or phrases), and other means of efficient presentation. The manual is not overloaded with either graphical or textual elements, being compositionally balanced.

In terms of the content, the manual serves as a helping tool, since it provides a highly detailed information about the use of the product, allowing the user to find out any technical aspect and explanation. The words and terms are used efficiently and concisely. The overlapped sentences are avoided. The usage of details is balanced in accordance to the needs of the audience for clarity.

It can be concluded that the message of each section is straightforward and clear. The visualizing techniques and structuring of the text helps to achieve an effective presentation, contributing to the clarity, usability, and accessibility of the manual.

Reference

http://nexusmanual.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Google-Nexus-7-User-Manual-For-Android-4-Jerry-Bean.pdf

For this assignment I will be evaluating the online user’s manual for the Audio-GD NFB-15.  This product is a headphone amplifier, preamplifier, and DAC, made in China.  The manual is very easy to locate, being linked on the product page itself.  Surprisingly, it’s not even in PDF format, and the manual’s web page isn’t exactly print friendly so this can be an immediate problem for some people.

One thing that stands out is that the manual is broken off into sections, opposed to being a wall of text.  This is a strong benefit, since it makes it easier to read.  It also uses pictures and graphs which again really improve its accessibility.

The manual starts out by telling you how to properly turn the unit on and off.  Since the user should turn it on and off in a certain order, they used arrows to indicate what order should be used when powering it on and off.  The problem is, the NFB-15 is a multi-purpose device that can take on several roles.  For powering the NFB-15, the manual lists “Source power ON —-> NFB-15 power ON —-> Amp power ON “.  So it’s telling the user to first turn on the source, then the NFB-15, then the amplifier (amp).  The source could be the computer that the NFB-15 is connected to, or it could refer to another DAC which would mean that the NFB-15 is being used as a preamplifier in this statement.  Further clarification is necessary here.  The NFB-15 can act as a source and/or an amplifier, or as a preamplifier.  Since the NFB-15 includes its own amplifier, the “Amp power ON” statement doesn’t apply to everyone.  This step of the manual simply doesn’t cover every use of the product.  In addition, these exact problems also apply to the instructions for turning it off.

So for this section of the manual, more information is needed.  They should have made three additional sections, instead of just the one section which they call “The rule of the power ON / OFF”.  Not only does that sentence indicate poor English translation, it doesn’t cover everything.  It should be renamed to “How To: Powering The NFB-15 as a Preamplifier”, and then there should be three more sections called:

• “How To: Powering the NFB-15 as a Source Only”
• “How To: Powering the NFB-15 as an Amplifier Only”
• “How To: Powering the NFB-15 as a Source and Amplifier”

Or something along those lines.  Now a user would know where to look.  This part of the manual needs to be streamlined more.

The next section is quite clear-cut and to the point, but again the poor English is going to throw some people off.  It’s not something one can skim through, you have to try and figure out what it’s saying especially if you’re unfamiliar with products like this.  If the English translation was more clear, the second section would be just fine.

Poor English translation is really the story for the rest of the manual.  The third section (“Please note”) is just some simple lines of text, and the last section is very detailed and filled with a table and pictures.  It also lists an older version of the same product, so this manual isn’t just for the latest version.  It’s clearly labeled however, so there shouldn’t be any serious problems when reading the last section.  They just need a better translator.  They also didn’t mention anything about USB drivers, for those who wish to use the product in USB mode.  They do mention this elsewhere on the website, but it should really be in the manual.  So the manual is not perfect, and it could use a lot of work especially for those who would be heavily reliant on a user’s manual.

Audio-GD NFB-15 Online Manual

For this post I’ve decided to describe and evaluate the manual for the Samsung galaxy note 3 smartphone. The manual has twelve different sections in total of 245 pages. Each section focuses on a specific function of the phone. The first section of the manual starts with explanation on the basic fundamental functions such as starting up the phone and how to charge it. Then moving on to the next sections where they show the user how to make a call, the types of features that is on this phone, methods to use to add your contacts, how to use the camera functions on taking pictures and videos, accessing and changing the settings of the phone, mobile and WiFi connections, applications that are implanted on the phone, and the last three sections provides the information on warranty, product registration and health and safety. Each section features pictures to provide a better understanding for the users on what button he or she needs to press as well as where the button is located.

The featured picture also shows usage examples of each features on the phone, let’s take the s pen feature for example, the manual provided a clear image showing the functions of the s pen in writing down a contact’s number and adding them into the contact list, and draw or write on screen captured pictures. The manual provides detailed information for each icons that is featured within the smart phone, and the usage of the command keys.

In my evaluation, this manual has done a great job in providing clear and easily accessible information. It provides great clarity in term of separating the functions of the phone into twelve different sections, with each focusing on a certain part of the phone, and featured images showing each steps with written instruction above the image. This manual was easy and to the point, since it provides images of each step, anyone that is literate will be able to follow the guide without any difficulty. This manual was easily accessible because it’s uploaded on to a website and are available to everyone, it also comes with the smart phone when you purchase it.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/C1z-lXI9wAS.pdf The Samsung galaxy Note 3 Manual.