General No more handbooks?

[TrevC]

A friend took delivery of a new Twinair in September, and although it came with a printed "Quick Start" booklet, the manual was on a DVD. Somewhat changes the validity of the comment "how hard is it to read the manual?"
This is a bit of petty penny pinching in my opinion - acceptable if you're buying a £100 camera, but not if you've spent 12 grand on a car.
Has anyone else taken delivery recently and found the same?

 

[Andy Monty]

sisters year old Pop came with a book


One good thing once Maxxi sees this his "read the manual" comments will get laughed at

 

[bgunn]

A friend took delivery of a new Twinair in September, and although it came with a printed "Quick Start" booklet, the manual was on a DVD. Somewhat changes the validity of the comment "how hard is it to read the manual?"
This is a bit of petty penny pinching in my opinion - acceptable if you're buying a £100 camera, but not if you've spent 12 grand on a car.
Has anyone else taken delivery recently and found the same?

Yes, and I think it's a good idea. The quick start booklet tells you all you really need to know, and the DVD manual is a much fuller better one that is searchable, and has hyperlinks etc, so it's better than providing some huge great booklet that most people don't read anyway.

 

[306maxi]

Considering most people will never actually read the manual I think it's a good way of saving trees

 

[Stu DemonD]

I see no issues with it being on a DVD - it is still a manual surely, just in digital format.

 

[306maxi]

I see no issues with it being on a DVD - it is still a manual surely, just in digital format.

It does slightly penalise the sort of person who keeps it in their car and will want to refer to it when they have an issue. My manual was useful when I was on holiday and the car had a general failure indication. Annoyingly the way it was presented in the manual made it look like an engine oil sensor failure...... whilst on the next page was the real cause of the problem, it was warning me of an external light being out.

 

[Stu DemonD]

Ah fair play if away.

But if I was to be away from the house for any great length of time, I would generally have my laptop with me.

 

[306maxi]

Ah fair play if away.

But if I was to be away from the house for any great length of time, I would generally have my laptop with me.

Agreed. Depends how much is in the quickstart manual really. Like I said, most on here never read their manual so it's still a good way of saving trees.

 

[bgunn]

Quick start manual isn't exactly sparse, it's a good 40 or 50 pages (I haven't got it to hand right now to look).

 

[RobW]

Agreed. Depends how much is in the quickstart manual really. Like I said, most on here never read their manual so it's still a good way of saving trees.

We are starting to do the same, manuals can be downloaded from the fiat app too

 

[Bookish]

Yep new twinair plus, had it almost a month and still haven't inserted manual into the pooter You've got me curious now

 

[ffxmy]

I noticed this before taking delivery of my wife's new car and raised it here. https://www.fiatforum.com/500/276407-hand-book-quick-guide-dvd.html?highlight=manual

After contacting Fiat they eventually agreed to supply the full manual free of charge as well as the quickstart one. Since getting the car I have been glad that I pushed to get the full manual. On several occasions I have been in the car waiting for my wife's train to arrive and checked the manual to find out how to do something. The full manual is much easier and clearer to read IMO.

 

[TrevC]

Obviously this wouldn't apply to anyone reading this, but some people don't have computers! Indeed, my friend who has the Twinair is enough of a Luddite to still be using Windows 98 - the handbook format couldn't be read by his PC and he had to convert it.
This is a recent development as I got one with my TA Lounge, bought in March.

 

[306maxi]

We are starting to do the same, manuals can be downloaded from the fiat app too

Of course, but what if your battery is flat and you're trying to find the fuse for the cigarette lighter?

 

[jnoiles]

Meh, I applaud it. The paper manual is a ball ache to use. A nice searchable DVD manual is much superior.

 

[306maxi]

Meh, I applaud it. The paper manual is a ball ache to use. A nice searchable DVD manual is much superior.

As I don't have an iDevice I've just downloaded the PDF to my phone. Works fine as an emergency manual

 

[Engineered]

A friend took delivery of a new Twinair in September, and although it came with a printed "Quick Start" booklet, the manual was on a DVD. Somewhat changes the validity of the comment "how hard is it to read the manual?"
This is a bit of petty penny pinching in my opinion - acceptable if you're buying a £100 camera, but not if you've spent 12 grand on a car.
Has anyone else taken delivery recently and found the same?

My new Twinair Lounge (Sept '11) came complete with a proper 215 page paper handbook, plus thinner ones for 'quick guide', blue&me, sound system, start & stop and (of course) the service book.
These are all contained in a high quality black cloth case with a metal Fiat badge on the fastening strap.
All together a much nicer package than I received with my £££ Audi.

 

[Wario]

This was sorted a while ago, the Fiat Ciao app for iphone contains the whole handbook for your 500 as well as a servicing schedule iteneary and a " find my car app".
So you can keep all the handbook info on your iphone which everyone keeps with them at all times anyway. I cant believe no one else has this, its been out ages.

 

[306maxi]

This was sorted a while ago, the Fiat Ciao app for iphone contains the whole handbook for your 500 as well as a servicing schedule iteneary and a " find my car app".
So you can keep all the handbook info on your iphone which everyone keeps with them at all times anyway. I cant believe no one else has this, its been out ages.

I can't believe you haven't read this thread......

 

[FloJo]

This was sorted a while ago, the Fiat Ciao app for iphone contains the whole handbook for your 500 as well as a servicing schedule iteneary and a " find my car app".
So you can keep all the handbook info on your iphone which everyone keeps with them at all times anyway. I cant believe no one else has this, its been out ages.

What about those of us who don't have an iphone or an ipad or indeed a smartphone of any sort?