Information for personal computer users

An effort has been made to determine how well technical communicators are meeting the needs of computer users for information to help them learn and use software products. Some answers to this question have resulted from usability tests on operating systems for personal computers. How easy various operating systems are to learn and to use was tested by recruiting outside test participants and observing them as they attempt to accomplish a set of tasks. The test participants range from inexperienced to very experienced. The tasks involve running software programs and managing data. Each participant uses only one operating system; he does not compare one operating system to another. The author generalizes the results of measurements, both quantitative and qualitative, of the information provided for six personal computer operating systems now available in the marketplace. Although most users say they prefer online information to printed manuals, the data gathered indicate that neither has yet achieved a high level of effectiveness.<>