First of all, they actually don’t have the manual. There may not be a manual. If there is one, the user might not have it, for all kinds of logical reasons: they’re on the plane; they are using a downloaded demo version from your web site; they are at home and the manual is at work; their IS department never gave them the manual. Even if they have the manual, frankly, they are simply not going to read it unless they absolutely have no other choice. With very few exceptions, users will not cuddle up with your manual and read it through before they begin to use your software. In general, your users are trying to get something done, and they see reading the manual as a waste of time, or at the very least, as a distraction that keeps them from getting their task done.The very fact that you’re reading this book puts you in an elite group of highly literate people. Yes, I know, people who use computers are by and large able to read, but I guarantee you that a good percentage of them will find reading to be a chore. The language in which the manual is written may not be their first language, and they may not be totally fluent. They may be kids! They can decipher the manual if they really must, but they sure ain’t gonna read it if they don’t have to. Users do just-in-time manual reading, on a strictly need-to-know basis.The upshot of all this is that you probably have no choice but to design your software so that it does not need a manual in the first place. The only exception I can think of is if your users do not have any domain knowledge — they don’t really understand what the program is intended to do, but they know that they better learn. A great example of this is Intuit’s immensely popular small-business accounting program QuickBooks. Many of the people who use this program are small business owners who simply have no idea what’s involved in accounting. The manual for QuickBooks assumes this and assumes that it will have to teach people basic accounting principles. There’s no other way to do it. Still, if you do know accounting, QuickBooks is easy to use without the manual.