The Manual Importance

... written for Panbo by Yme Bosma and posted on Apr 5, 2004

Tom Isitt, in his editorial piece for the Motor Boat & Yachting May issue, confesses that he always reads the manual of the gadgets he buys. Lot's of people do not, and that's probable not very smart.

"But I know plenty of people who don't. Whether it's because they're too idle or too disinterested, they just can't bring themselves to do it. Or maybe I do it because I'm a total saddo.When I buy a new gizmo (and believe me, I buy lots) I have to read the manual. To my mind, there's no point in having some clever gizmo if you don't know what it will do, and don't know how to get it to do the things you want it to do. My mobile, my iPod, my GPS, my PDA, my multi-function digital chronograph, the five boxes that sit beneath my TV. I've read the manuals. I actually like reading the manuals. Even the manuals that make no sense, like the one for my KTM that was written by an Austrian with a very warped grasp of English."