why is it that i can be sitting there on the couch staring at my ipad tablet for 30 minutes and i get grief from the wife…“get off that thing, im sick of you disappearing into that thing and switching off, get up and do something”…but i can be sitting there reading a book for hours on end peacefully and not get disturbed.
thats why i printed the manual. for this and 100 other reasons like being able to leave the manual in my car and not be worried that its going to be broken into and stolen, and lets face it, the biggie …ie taking the manual into the bathroom.
Used to be, if you wanted the printed manual you buy the boxed set (and pay a little more), otherwise you go for the download.
Now the boxed set has no manual (even the main program is just a loader, so in effect you’re paying more for a download) and instead offers a lot of advertising and demo discs (and you still pay a little more). Ok I have to concede you do get that sexy cardboard box
The above notwithstanding however, I think it would be a waste of money to have the PDF printed at this stage, I think at some point they’re going to have to revise it, making the hardcopy obsolete (and a real waste of paper ).
Yeah, I’ve just been updating my book with C7 stuff, re-did a whole load of stuff, got the proof copy back from the printer’s, and then noticed that they’ve altered the send pre display from the little triangle to a different colour slider in the inspector. PITA as I now have to re-do the book. And also because I’m colourblind and it’s a crappy way to do things, it’s not different enough by default (I don’t even know if it’s editable, but whoever does the GUI stuff clearly doesn’t think at all about colourblindness). So as you say, the printed book would be out of date in the details pretty quickly during the first part of a release cycle.
why is it that i can be sitting there on the couch staring at my ipad tablet for 30 minutes and i get grief from the wife…“get off that thing, im sick of you disappearing into that thing and switching off, get up and do something”…but i can be sitting there reading a book for hours on end peacefully and not get disturbed.
LOL
also taking an ipad to read manual in bathroom is not like taking a book, cuz u know after 1 min u goona surf those other sites
I’ve always enjoyed the feel and convenience of printed manuals, but with frequent updates I kept having to insert photocopies of the updated changes. In a year that can add up to a lot of paper stuffed in various places into the big manual. I finally gave up trying to stay current with the hardcopy. Way easier to use the PDF docs which are updated automatically with each release.
my rule is just print the damn manual, and dont worry about little updates.
after all you only will be reading it until C8. which will be in 12-18 months. so the book only really needs to hold the glue together for that long before it is dumped on the side of the road like parsley on the plate of a truck-stop diner…
I don’t really care about the death of a tree…because they usually plant 2 for every 1 they cut down. What I do care about is speed when searching the manual…and searching a printed manual is a PITA compared to a the PDF which is always on my DAW with Cubase. I’m in my mid-40’s and was raised on gold-old books, but I have to admit that tablets readers are slowly replacing my book collection… I can read them at night in bed without having to have the lights on disturbing my wife.
As much technology-oriented as I am as well, this is probably one of those very few instances where a printed manual I find has no substitute whatsoever. I filled a 500-page 3-ring binder that makes flipping pages quickly, looking for references and comparing subjects much more efficient that anything I could do on my tablet, making quick marks, writing notes and stickies, etc.
Tablet comes in handy for traveling, taking the kids outs, etc. But the actual use experience doesn’t even come close to how it feels to work with the convenience of printed pages, in this case. Yes, the bulky binder is not too practical to lug around, but I much prefer it for almost everything else.
How angry those ipad lovers will be! I can hear their howls in the night. “Give me a computer version of something. Anything”, they cry. If coffee could come in an ipad they would not only drink it but try to force everyone as well.
Send me a copy man. If Steinberg crys foul on the copyright it is their own fault.
I hope somebody from Steinberg is reading this. Perhaps they will ponder…
Seriously though, I was one of those who enthusiastically embraced computer technology in the 1990’s. Problem is when I criticize trends in modern computer practice, such as software companies failing to print manuals, or in some cases, not provide instructions at all, some of my students just think I am not hip. What they do not realise is that I have been there and come out the other side. Technology is only as good as it is good. If you end up messing round all day fixing up the developers mistakes, forget it.
As for the printed manual it looks very cool. So why not print it? If Steinberg wants a percentage of the price fine. Why not print it themselves, using economies of scale and make it affordable? Why not put it to the test? Print a thousand copies [at a reasonable price] and see if they sell. Are you listening SB?
heya Gavin, yeah well exactly…Steinberg should be doing this. As a service to their customers it should at the very least offer hard-copy versions to be available to buy, even if it is limited edition at the start of a new release. I would sure sign up. And they would probably even make a profit out of it, as well as keeping their customers happy.
of course theres lots of great ideas for making money in this world, if i did every one that crossed my path i would never have time or energy to make music. i like to focus on music
no, musicians are not poor because they are not chasing 10 other ways to make money, they are poor because there is no money in music. i wish i was excited to be a real estate agent from the age of 5 but it seems music was to be my direction in life. hmmmpff.
wouldnt want to do things any other way. (just would like to be able to afford something occasionally hehe)
I have a Korg Kronos, there’s been numerous software updates for it and the manuals currently on version 5, often people ask questions on the Korg forum and are told to see page xyz on the manual, they come back and say there’s nothing about it mentioned on that page, it turns out they have the older manual, they download the newer one and all is fine.
Yes yes. I use manuals differently. Much of my Cubase work is routine.
For example I do not use Loopmash but occasionally will want to use it so refer to the relevant pages and update my understanding ready for the session. Please note the word ‘refer’. That is what manuals are good for. Reference.
So they need to be updated. Fine. No problem. Maybe once a year. Or at major updates. Your comment although quite reasonable does not change what has already been said. People like books, even when they are a little out of date.
Man - so much trouble just to get a book!
Anyone else what to tell me why they think I should not read real books? Go on - do your worst! [sigh!]
Honestly i would like a book my self , but i dont see one in sight , or the DIY , there is a solution to what i said , using a clip rolling binder , introduce the latest updates , n we r ready to go, so thinking back , seems like i ll go 4 the book after all… sm
Ah. The voice of reason. Maybe you are right. What will probably happen is in about three years time some newbie at Steinberg will come up with a new idea at the Tuesday meeting along the lines of “What about we make print copies of the manual and sell them to clients who want a paper version?” The pretty blond [CEO] says 'Cool. Let’s do that!" n we r ready 2 go.
me too , i love reading books before i sleep , how about audio book format , that would help as well , for Cubase Pro 8.5 … Wow . that would be a welcome
Why not put it to the test? Print a thousand copies [at a reasonable price] and see if they sell. Are you listening SB?