A Question

[Whaler]

I bought a simple computer desk ($109.00) at Office Depot yesterday. Today was the day to unpack and assemble it. I expected a full day project. The instructions were fantastic (none were realy necessary). The nuts, bolts and screws were packaged in a compartmentalized plastic holder by size (not just thrown into a plastic bag). The necessary tools, other than a phillips screwdriver, were supplied.
After 2.5 hours the desk was assembled and my computer set up and running.

Now the question:

WHY CAN'T THE TOOL MANUFACTURERS DO THIS?

[TB Roye]

The we wouldn't have all the fun we have assembling our tools, like the HF 14" Bandsaw. IKEA has just pictures in their instructions, no words that way it save on printing in various languages. Thank can be fun sometime as the drawing aren't that great.

Tom

[Scottydont]

You have great point Dick. I appreciate vendors who make products that are user friendly.

[LinuxRandal]

The instructions are full of (I hope your sitting down when reading this as your in less apt of a posistion to fall over from laughter) parenthesis (warning, more warnings coming), that warn of (can you keep all these parenthesis in order?) what harm may be cuased by (oh no, the bad english manual tranlation again) improper installation. (legalese)


As someone brought up earlier, why include only part of the tools? Where is my screwdirver?

Get the jist? (yes, I cuold right manewuals for products assemblee.....)

[mater]

If they did it would make life easier for us.

[Dale In Corona]

Actually, that sounds allot like the RIDGID 13 In. Thickness Planer that my wife bought me as a birthday gift. (Did you notice that gloat there? kind of sneaky huh? and I even snuck in some parentheses ) I was pleasantly surprised at the neat way that the nuts and bolts were packaged in blow mold plastic and that they supplied the tools to assemble the thing.

So maybe the answer is, some do, some don't. It all depends on the tool and or the manufacturer.

[LCHIEN]

I bought a simple computer desk ($109.00) at Office Depot yesterday. Today was the day to unpack and assemble it. I expected a full day project. The instructions were fantastic (none were realy necessary). The nuts, bolts and screws were packaged in a compartmentalized plastic holder by size (not just thrown into a plastic bag). The necessary tools, other than a phillips screwdriver, were supplied.
After 2.5 hours the desk was assembled and my computer set up and running.

Now the question:

WHY CAN'T THE TOOL MANUFACTURERS DO THIS?

It's a function of capability vs. complexity.
can you cut a piece of lumber with your desk?
if so, buy fewer tools and more desks.

[rja]

When I unboxed my new BT3100 three years ago, the parts were very well organized, in their own little compartments, and easy to locate.

[Ed62]

I think the bigger question is "Why do so many manufacturers of different products have such a hard time writing instructions that can be easily understood?". It's always been my thinking that people writing instructions should write them so a kid could understand them.

Ed

[ironhat]

Do you ever wonder if any of this relates to our poorly taught (little expected from the students) English skills? We don't hear much about modifiers and proper punctuation any more. How many times have you read something online that uses 'it' or 'they' so often that you no longer can tell which of the two nouns are being referenced? OTOH, the Chinese may not have quite acquired these language skills as yet. LOL!

[LinuxRandal]

Do you ever wonder if any of this relates to our poorly taught (little expected from the students) English skills? LOL!

Legalese isn't English.