Tony Duell wrote:
The one that drives me mad (and it's in some
classic computer manuals
too) is 'This operation eequires special tools and should be entrusted to
your dealer'. Darn it, I don;'t buy a service manaul to tell me to go to
a service engineer. I probably have the tools or could make them. I want
to be told how to do the job, _I'll_ decide whether or not I can actually
do it.
I agree.
But I have written some technical manuals for machines (not computers,
but machine tool) and used a similar phrase. The reason was because
there were several subtle options, and I *really* wanted to know what
was going on in the field. My assumption is that the customer is close
to our service department and so when he needs help, I will be there
too... The next revision of the manual might have more information. That
might be due to customer and field service feedback.
The problems come
a) Whnen the manufacture/service agent won't tell you how to do that job,
no matter how clueful you actually are (For example, changing SMD
components, at least the larger-pitch ones, hold no fears for me, it's
remarkable how many companies tell me I can't do it!)
b) 20 years on. The company is long-gone. Trying to track down a service
angineer from that company who remembers how to do the job is impossible.
All I have to go on is the manual. From many of the questions here, I
don't think that's a rare occurrance, alas.
FWIW, I have _never_ received useful information by e-mailing or phoning
a service department, technical support number, or anything like that. As
far as I'm concerned, if it's not in the manual, I have to work it out
for myself.
-tony