I’m reading all the hoopla around David Pogue, Snow Leopard and his Missing Manuals and noticed he has a Missing Manual for Windows 7 on the way. The product description on Amazon reads:
“Beta testers of Windows 7 are singing its praises, but when it comes time for ordinary mortals to learn this new system, Microsoft offers little help”
Microsoft offers little help. Really? I popped along to Windows7.com and found an awful lot of help such as Getting Started which includes details on getting to knows the OS, a first week checklist, installing programs, setting up hardware and personalisation. Each of those section has a detailed list with subsections which cover things like UI changes from Vista, Aero shake, compatibility mode and more. A good number of them are supplemented by explanatory videos. All of these pages are searchable from Google, Bing etc too so a common question such as “Make older programs run in Windows 7” that people may type in to a search engine leads you to just the page you need (the page in question is the first hit on Bing and Google).
There is a tonne of other information on Windows 7 Help and How To, tour videos, communities, Twitter and more. I’m sure some folks still want a manual to refer to which is perfectly understandable. A quick search of Amazon turns up a number of Windows 7 books such as Windows 7 Plain & Simple and Windows 7 Step by Step which like the Missing Manual are available for pre-order.
I’ve nothing against Mr Pogue or his publishers and perhaps this is just some boilerplate text, but to suggest Microsoft offers little help seems somewhat disingenuous to me.
Maybe the next release of Windows must be shipped with a manual book? so there will be no "Missing Manual" book at the store ^^
Given that Mr Pogue has written the missing manuals to the following I don't think you need worry Steve, in fact I think you can safely say that Mr P is using very good products (minus the vista book:-)) and making money off them. I also can't believe that he's so well versed in so many things - it's truely amazing..
"Mac OSX Snow Leopard"
"Digital Photography"
"iMovie and iDVD"
"Switch to Mac"
"iPhone"
"iPhoto"
"Vista"
"iPod"
"Windows XP"
"Garage Band 2"
"Classical Music"
"Opera"
"The Internet"
"iLife"
"iPhone - including the 3GS"
"Magic"
"Flat screen iMac for dummies"
I'd say Win7 is a fair bit better than previous versions to be honest, as you say there's tonnes of online help available, and the out-the-box help is pretty good for first time users as well.
That's not to say I don't miss the inch thick Dos 5 manual though :)
T
I would say so. Maybe not every one needs some manual, but older people definitly need more than the internet. Thinking of my mother, she is barly able to use Google. Ok, that is one of the most drastic exmaples.
DITTO 3pESO, EXCEPT i'M THE GRANDFATHER.