Filed under: iPhone, iPhone 101
iPhone for Newbies: Honey, I shrunk the manual
Caveat Emptor: This is for newbies only. If you've been around, you probably don't need this.
When I bought my last Verizon phone, it came with about three quarters of a pound of paper housed in three manuals allowing me to find just about anything through the index. Yeah, it was overkill -- but at least I knew where to go to learn about an option or feature.
When I opened my iPhone 3GS, I quickly searched for the documentation to show me how use this puppy. All I found was an accordion-pleated piece of paper, titled Finger Tips, telling me all the wonderful things my new iPhone could do... but it was awfully skimpy on covering just how to do anything at all.
On the last page of Finger Tips there were some links to get more information. Following the links would give you almost what you need. But I question how using a software-based paradigm of digital manual delivery relates to a hardware-based product like an iPhone 3GS.
Perhaps that's why an industry has sprung up to print instructional books. David Pogue's massive 'Missing Manual' series speaks to my point. If a good manual were to be included in a hardware product, 'Missing Manuals' would be superfluous.
Apple's manuals have been shrinking for many years; they have come a long way from that of the Apple ][+, in which Woz printed the entire ROM code of its 6502 processor.
The Apple way is to compactly package hardware. This seems way more elegant than being handed a big honking box. But adding half an inch to the height of the iPhone box, to accommodate a concise manual, wouldn't damage the minimalist look.
I don't feel quite right about having paid a goodly sum of money for the box and then having to download a 213-page manual using my own resources. My preference would be to have a manual the size of the iPhone 3GS right in the box, for immediate reference. With that, I could get started right away. After all, if you buy a new piece of technology, you don't want to be slowed down by needing to download and possibly print hundreds of pages along with reading a bunch of sites. You just want to push some buttons and play.
For those who have either lost the brochure or want some more information, see below for links where you can get it. Of course, you can always start with the "iPhone Help" section under the Help menu in iTunes.
The 213 page manual for the iPhone 3GS
Quickstart guides for various iPhone 3GS features
A video guided tour of major features of the iPhone 3GS
And here are some other resources to get you started:
Macworld's App Guide: Searchable by category
19 instructional books on how to manage your iPhone
Apptism - catalog and reviews of over 53,000 apps
Macworld's general listing of 3.0 features
TUAW's iPhone 101 series
I'm sure that many more resources are currently being written, but the links above are more than enough to get started.
I wonder how many agree with me that leaving out a decent manual is a poor idea, and how many of you consider this a non-event.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Tyler Durden said 11:12AM on 6-24-2009
I think this post screams of naivety. Apple reduced the shipping weight of the product tremendously by removing the manual that only a single digit percent of users even bother to read. They are saving paper by not printing it. They are saving fossil fuels by not shipping millions of these. They would add a significant amount of weight if they were to be included by default. If you can't understand the iPhone UI, go online to Apple.com and download the manual. Enough said.
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paul said 2:50PM on 6-24-2009
thank you for keeping me from having to write this
SpinThis! said 12:52PM on 6-25-2009
One of the best reasons it doesn't have a manual is you simply don't need one. Easy of use was one of Jobs' big selling points when the iPhone was released. 3-way calling on any other phone? Forget about it. On the iPhone? Super easy. Other phones you go through dozens of mislabeled menus to find what you're looking for.
Matt said 11:16AM on 6-24-2009
There is a iPhone opitmized site at: help.apple.com/iphone it's nice.
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David Winograd said 11:24AM on 6-24-2009
Matt,
Thanks for the reference. The site is very nice. But when you're opening the box for the first time, having a site like this is sort of a chicken or the egg thing.
Once up to at least shuffling speed though, this site will be a good, on the go, help.
Andrew said 12:02PM on 6-24-2009
yes, this is a great resource.
The best part is that this is a preloaded bookmark on every iPhone so new users can easily find it.
Tripp said 4:00PM on 6-24-2009
That help site is great. I send it as a link to friends who get the iPhone. It also makes a great webclip. Maybe apple should have that installed on the homescreen. Deleteable of course.
Joshua Ochs said 11:22AM on 6-24-2009
All a manual does for the vast majority of people is kill trees and waste space. Between an intuitive, forgiving user interface and online resources, a physical book is useless. My wife and I bought iPhones last week. The day after getting them, we were driving about, and she looked up and said "I just checked my voicemail, confirmed an appointment, and mapped our way - without ever thinking about it". The iPhone especially is a simple experience. I'd never used one, and yet figured things out just by tapping about. "Hmmm, tapping this doesn't do what I want, maybe if I hold my finger down... hey, there we go." Etc.
Adding to the environmental impact beyond just the waste of paper, a few ounces (in an iPhone manual's case) to few pounds (in complex software's case) adds up in sheer transport costs. Ship a few thousand/million copies of the Word 6.0 manual and it adds up fast.
Do you sit down and read the manual, or refer to it when you need help? If it's the latter, online resources - whether included help or googling - would serve you far better. And for a device like the iPhone, there's no argument that you don't have online access. If it's the former, then it's a sign of an especially bad user interface. If the program needs a manual, I consider it poorly designed from the outset. The last manual I used was for Microsoft Word 6.0, and if that doesn't say something about both manuals and Word 6, I don't know what does.
The whole issue of manuals is a separate one from hint/tip books for advanced users who want to find every nook and cranny of their software. I wouldn't expect an iPhone manual to document the screenshot feature, for example. Such "power guides" have a place, but "missing manuals", not so much.
Nope, manuals are an unnecessary evil, and it's a good thing that they are going away.
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David Winograd said 11:29AM on 6-24-2009
I know some people who are new to this whole Apple thing and don't know what the flow is, so it's hard to go with it.
Personally, for something so multi-functional, I would read at least most of the manual on day one.
It's pretty easy to figure out how to make a call and use the iPhone for simple things, but I want to read about the really cool stuff and try it out without having to do a treasure hunt.
Joshua Ochs said 12:14PM on 6-24-2009
But that's exactly my point - manuals typically don't cover those advanced or hidden features; they cover the basics. And the basics are what are so easy to discover on your own without a manual - if they're not, it's the fault of poor design.
Windows especially has conditioned users *not* to explore their computing environment. The Mac tends to encourage it. By all means, tap about, open up all the apps, tap things, look through Settings, etc. You'll discover far more than the manual would likely cover, and in less time than it would take you to read it. :)
Nick said 11:24AM on 6-24-2009
I'm pretty sure my iPod Touch came with a link to the user's guide in Safari's bookmarks
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icepod said 11:42AM on 6-24-2009
Yes, I was going to point out the same: The manual is available in an iPhone/iPod Touch format in the bookmarks.
Only problems:
-you might not be at a Wi-Fi location with your iPod Touch
-you might not be aware of the bookmarks in Safari
-you might need to use the iPhone/iPod Touch while reading the manual
David Winograd said 1:35PM on 6-24-2009
Joshua,
I totally agree that the UI on the iPhone and every other Apple hardware product I've owned has been intuitive, pretty easy to figure out, and fun exploring.
But let's say my company bought me an iPhone, and wanted me to take a few macro pictures, and take and upload a 5.4 second video clip to our web site. And it needed to be done within the hour.
Time is not on my side. Of course I can find the information, but not in a matter of seconds.
applejonric said 11:28AM on 6-24-2009
I don't read the manual either. I typically remove the device and cables and then close the box. Never to be opened again until I sell the phone.
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Hawkman said 11:28AM on 6-24-2009
Fewer dead trees gets my vote. Don't take this personally, but I'm strongly of the belief that people should learn to put up with – let's face it, extremely minor – inconveniences like this, in order to prevent largely irreversible environmental damage. You have, after all, just bought a device with a fast mobile internet connection.
On an unrelated note: there's an its/it's typo in paragraph 5. Sorry, pet peeve.
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David Winograd said 11:36AM on 6-24-2009
Appreciated and fixed.
tommy k said 11:44AM on 6-24-2009
Yea I'm sorry but this is the dumbest post I've ever read on tuaw. The iPhone comes with the manual already bookmarked in Safari's browser. The optimized site manual is more than efficient for any newbies to learn their way around the phone. Not including a manual reduces cost therefore reducing our cost. I personally do not want to pay for something that the majority of people will not use, not to mention all the "green" implications of not including a manual. I usually don't complain but this is a really stupid post.
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James Donevan said 11:33AM on 6-24-2009
Old debate that seems to have been decided in favour of online manuals several years ago now.
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ryaneanwalton said 11:38AM on 6-24-2009
What would you rather read: A manual that is the length and width of your new iPhone's box, or a guide on your computer screen. I know which has got my vote.
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Kagan said 11:53AM on 6-24-2009
I like not having a huge manual for the iPhone because it would be insane compared to other phones. What I absolutely love is that in every new phone there is a link in safari bookmarks with how to use everything. This way no
matter where I go (which always means wherever my iphone goes) I have the entire manual with me at any moment I need for even faster reference. It's better than having a bunch of paper that you generally just leave at home anyway.
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