                           ķ
                            The Paperless  
                                Manual     
                           Ľ

                             by Tony Curro


    Quite a few computer users have decried the urge to read manuals.
    One said jokingly,  "I thought the manual was to protect the disks
    in shipping!" Others have just not bothered to crack the spine on a
    manual.

    I can understand this. While many do read, and are knowledgeable,
    the reading of a manual with its technical terms seems to overwhelm
    them. Of late I have acquired several software packages that do not
    come with a manual. These were CD-ROM packages.

    Microsoft Word for Windows, and MS Publisher have just the CD-ROM
    case in the box. Of course you have your registration card, offers,
    and even an option to buy the manual. Word comes with the complete
    850+ pages of the User's Guide on the CD-ROM. It does take getting
    used to in searching for information. But, once you get it down, it
    is simple to use, and a joy to have. Never again will you have to
    remember where you stored the manual. Just pop up the Help screen
    and look for the information.

    This does not only apply to CD-ROMs. Many of the disk-based software
    packages come with extensive help. While these do not include the
    complete manual on-line, they do have very extensive, and in most
    cases, context-sensitive help. One of the innovations of this is MS
    Access. Access comes with Cue Cards. These will pop up when
    requested, and explain how to complete each task.

    As the programs continue to get larger, there are more commands or
    keystrokes added. While some of us will become prolific in the
    operation of these programs, others will not. Having all of this
    help available is wonderful for all users. As I like to say, "It is
    better to have it and not need it, rather than need it and not have
    it." I would like to see more software packages ported over to CD.
    Again, because of size, CD is the medium of choice. Its large
    capacity, of over 600MB, will allow a user with even a moderate hard
    drive to be able to 'dabble' with the big boys.
