Will A Comprehensive Manual Be Included?

[nubie]

Now that I think about it the developers will need to make a very extensive manual and include it with the console. Charge $5 for it if you must (make a cop out that makes it downloadable, but put up big words like "Dev console pack" "Power user edition", "Make sure you know what you are doing").

The reason is simple, we will have noobs. If you can include a manual then if somebody has a question they can read the manual. This manual will have to cover the firmware and the configuration pages so that we don't need to answer a bunch of questions. A wiki or a forum is not the place to turn to chapter 6 and learn what the setting represents in the firmware.

What are your thoughts?

Too expensive/too much work?

I am just thinking of reducing the workload on the helpful forum members when a flood of newbs try to use this.

Would a "help/Man" page available at a button press on the Pandora itself be a better route?

Should there be an included quick start that shows how to use a man page, and a link to the "help me" section of the forums?

If anyone has suggestions, don't vote, put your own answer in bold text for me to see.

I haven't done many polls, so I am pretty new to this.

I am sure I haven't thought of your answer (not a mindreader ), so please let me know what you are thinking.

 

[anexanhume]

I think there should be a manual, but it should be online.

The reasons are this: developing a paper manual is man hours and money that can be used elsewhere. If someone buys this device, they should get used to coming online because that's where all the apps will reside. People should be able to upload manuals/help files for an all in one location.

 

[cosurgi]

I think there should be a manual, but it should be online.

exactly. And I would prefer a wiki, it always works the best (for me).

EDIT: hey, I cannot vote for wiki. So I'm not voting at all.

 

[plopperz]

I'd like to have a large, complete manual, that is written by the devs (or one, knowledgeable person) so it remains consistent and accurate.
It should be in paper format, reading off the monitor annoys me.

I'd definately be willing to pay an extra $5 or $10 for it

 

[cosurgi]

I will not make a poll like this:

When do you want to have Pandora:
- on October 2008 without manual
- on October 2010 with complete full in-depth manual

 

[anexanhume]

I will not make a poll like this:

When do you want to have Pandora:
- on October 2008 without manual
- on October 2010 with complete full in-depth manual

I fully expect a Cortex A9 based SoC beast to be in the works then.

 

[PandoraLox]

I demand a 1,150 page manual complete with how-tos to starting up & configuration to emulating PS3 & XBox 360 games and player guides to at least 100 of the common games that'll be played from Super Mario Universe to Madden 2020

But seriously, a quick guide that covers the most necessary essentials and pointing to a online wiki (or a forum if that's what'll be used instead?) will work for me ^_^

 

[FRZ]

I think there should be a manual, but it should be online.

exactly. And I would prefer a wiki, it always works the best (for me).

EDIT: hey, I cannot vote for wiki. So I'm not voting at all.
I would vote for a wiki as well. There should definitely be some sort of documentation on what's included in the device. Especially the hardware and a quick guide to the custom gui. Online manual would definitely be the way to go like most open source projects. So my only vote is quick guide that would direct us to an online manual.

 

[TaG]

My opinions:

There should be a small getting started guide and a link to a more in depth online guide and also to the forums. If there is a built in browser it would be good if it had the home page set to the Pandora forums or manual.

Few people read paper manuals and they are quite expensive to produce, add to shipping costs, get lost etc. With firmware updates, new software / GUIs whatever I don't see how it will be kept up to date in printed format.

The devs need to ensure that there is enough in the box to get new people started. To this end, a simple wi-fi set up app available from the desktop / main menu would be hugely beneficial.

 

[FRZ]

I will not make a poll like this:

When do you want to have Pandora:
- on October 2008 without manual
- on October 2010 with complete full in-depth manual

How about end of August 2008 assemble you own Pandora without manual?

 

[Hotcooler]

Where's the Wiki option? I'd personaly like to have wiki like manual.

 

[peca]

Some nonobvious thing should be documented, but some help directly in Pandora, bundled on CD or downloadable is good.

 

[nubie]

Sorry Cosurgi

I did ask you to put in bold what you want, then I could see about adding it to the poll.


Are you guys confusing Wiki and HTML?? I have seen some nice Wiki HTML manuals, but they also usually suck when you are trying to actually find something.

It can be a manual on the wiki, but then you are confused about looking to find information on the general wiki and the actual manual.

I would prefer it if the Manual stayed in one place, the Wiki stayed in another, and the Forums could stay a place for the latest information instead of filling the Wiki with it in an unorganized manner.

Just to clarify, here is an HTML manual on a Wiki: http://www.team-mediaportal.com/manual/

The problem lies in the fact that if I want to find a good ATSC video card I am lost searching out 4 different stubs instead of having it inside one coherent manual or glossary at the end of the manual.

I don't want a stubby manual.

If I am just talking out my ass please let me know (in a kind manner please.)

 

[Chip]

Any printed material shipped with the units would be out-of-date by the time you received it. The software that ships with the Pandora will be minimal and will likely see several updates before too long.

There is already a wiki set up for the Pandora, and I will be doing my best to make it as useful and informative as the GP2X wiki is. This will hopefully include walkthroughs and tutorials of the kind you would expect to see in a user manual. It is a bit sparse now, but nobody can be expected to write instructions for software that isn't released on a system that they don't yet own.

The best part of using a wiki instead of a traditional paper manual is that anybody can contribute. The Pandora wiki has the potential to be much more complete, current and useful than any user manual.

Are you guys confusing Wiki and HTML?? I have seen some nice Wiki HTML manuals, but they also usually suck when you are trying to actually find something.

It can be a manual on the wiki, but then you are confused about looking to find information on the general wiki and the actual manual.

I would prefer it if the Manual stayed in one place, the Wiki stayed in another, and the Forums could stay a place for the latest information instead of filling the Wiki with it in an unorganized manner.

The Pandora, as a platform, will be in constant flux throughout its life. It is an open source device designed to be modded and changed and developed for. Everything from the firmware to the OS to the games and applications will be modified and re-distributed by many different users. The only way to provide instructions for a platform like that is to have the instructions themselves be able to change with the platform. Preferably, the changes and additions to instructions should be made by the same people who are making the changes and additions to the platform.

This is exactly the sort of community project for which wikis were developed. A wiki is the right tool for the job.

 

[nubie]

Any printed material shipped with the units would be out-of-date by the time you received it. The software that ships with the Pandora will be minimal and will likely see several updates before too long.

There is already a wiki set up for the Pandora, and I will be doing my best to make it as useful and informative as the GP2X wiki is. This will hopefully include walkthroughs and tutorials of the kind you would expect to see in a user manual. It is a bit sparse now, but nobody can be expected to write instructions for software that isn't released on a system that they don't yet own.

The best part of using a wiki instead of a traditional paper manual is that anybody can contribute. The Pandora wiki has the potential to be much more complete, current and useful than any user manual.



That is cool, how do you keep the stubs from forming and stranding people away from information?

I remember the GP2X wiki, you could navigate up to 7 pages just to make a Serial and Jtag cable, it was quite fragmented and there wasn't a table of contents (or I don't know how to use a wiki properly).

So we should point new users to your wiki or to the forums? What should come with the Pandora so that new users aren't lost completely?

It is OK if the Quick start guide can show people MAN pages that are on the pandora so that they can use stuff.

I am not anyone official, I was just curious to see what everybody thought.

If anyone is a moderator(Chip?), could they change the poll to read:

Yes, not in Wiki or Forum form; PDF, HTML or text preferred.

and add:

Yes, lets all point people to the Wiki


Wow a poll is harder than I thought. It isn't really as important as discussion on the subject, so don't put so much importance into it everyone.

 

[TaG]

Any printed material shipped with the units would be out-of-date by the time you received it. The software that ships with the Pandora will be minimal and will likely see several updates before too long.
Agreed totally.

There is already a wiki set up for the Pandora, and I will be doing my best to make it as useful and informative as the GP2X wiki is. The best part of using a wiki instead of a traditional paper manual is that anybody can contribute.....
Good man. I'm sure others will help write / clarify / expand as necessary.

 

[nubie]

Any printed material shipped with the units would be out-of-date by the time you received it. The software that ships with the Pandora will be minimal and will likely see several updates before too long.
Agreed totally.

There is already a wiki set up for the Pandora, and I will be doing my best to make it as useful and informative as the GP2X wiki is. The best part of using a wiki instead of a traditional paper manual is that anybody can contribute.....
Good man. I'm sure others will help write / clarify / expand as necessary.


I saw the light too, Chip is right about a Wiki, as long as stubs don't get made that confuse the manual.

I am always looking through 2-5 stubs to get the real info, it needs to be in the table of contents.

It might start out good, but then devolve into a bunch of stubs, that is when it confuses me.

EDIT
What will the MAN pages be like on the unit? If it is kind of similar to GMenu2X then I would like it a lot (opens the readme when you click the ? ).

If everyone would include a manual and the manual reader was easy to access from the GUI on the Pandora then it would be much easier.

On the GP2X when you booted up the unit you really couldn't read the manual on the unit.

If the Pandora comes with the manual set up as soon as the app is installed (some sort of standard so that the GUI can load the readme), then I think I will be satisfied.

I know Craig is going to point people to the Forum (and the Wiki?), unlike GPH who just dropped it in your lap with an Engrish manual.

 

[TheGrandPubaa]

I'm not denying the importance of having an official online reference, but I think the unit should ship with a quick start guide, and maybe, down the line, a more complete in-depth manual could be sold as optional.

Just my thoughts...

 

[Chip]

If anyone is a moderator(Chip?), could they change the poll to read:
Yes, not in Wiki or Forum form; PDF, HTML or text preferred.

and add:
Yes, lets all point people to the Wiki

Done.

Good man. I'm sure others will help write / clarify / expand as necessary.

I certainly hope so! I wrote the FAQ and have been playing around with (stealing) some templates, but there isn't much else that can be done at the moment. I almost fear the first shipment of Pandoras though, as there will be a ton of info that will need to be posted right away. I am not a wiki guru or anything, and I only fell into admining the Pandora wiki recently. Orkie set up the basic structure well, but it is going to require a lot of work to keep things organized and easy to navigate once it starts filling up with actual articles.

If anybody has any ideas for organizational structure or templates and would like to set things up now while we're all just waiting for the Pandora to ship, I'd certainly appreciate it. Spreading the work is what wikis are for.

 

[nubie]

Thanks for fixing that poll mods.

I didn't mean to cut people off like that.