[gollumscave]

Great that you're doing this! The guide really looks good & professional....

Well thanks... I'm trying to do the best I can...

Or maybe the LiveCD is the best option to test (thus as base for this manual)....

No, I don't think so. It being a beginners guide we have to keep in mind what a beginner would do. Assuming an unfamiliar user that wants to try XBMC, he's gonna sit at his pc on a regular evening, click on the website and download the program. He wants to have a quick look at it and just installs it under windows. If he doesn't like it, he deletes it. No more, no less. I totally agree that saving it on a thumbdrive and booting into a seperate environment would be cleaner to just test it, but many users just don't wanna go through that. They know windows, and are familiar with it. No hassle, no reboot, just click the installer...

1> Maybe add a license to it? Creative Common or something (goal: exclude commercial use)

Will be there in the prologue...

2> With screenshots: always activate the option to choose to highlight the user action. (starting with download you didn't select "save", the setupwizard you didn't highlight "Next" but you highlighted "I agree" at the license agreement: This is more clear/easy/dummyproof. I also think non-windowed (full screen) screenshots look a lot better.

I've tried to do that as much as possible, but gave more attention to that somewhere in the middle of the manual, so in the beginning i might miss a few. Right now the images are just a guideline for me to get an impression of the final looks. ALL artwork will be redone, these are just quick and easy screengrabs with win7 snipping tool. The final version will all have the same dimensions and will be "windowless".

3> Hopefully you start with explaining the concept of the library before adding video, tv shows and music..

I gave that some thought and am still not sure WHERE the concept of a library actually belongs... if you go through the motions of a setup, you have to add the movies and shows first before you are able to even select the library, therefore i haven't included the "what is a library" in the adding movies to XBMC (notice xbmc, not adding movies to the LIBRARY). Before i start setting up the library i explain the library in more detail.
I'm still on the fence... what are the other's thoughts on this one?

4> Strangely, the links in the index brings you to the end of a chapter/paragraph.

I haven't tested it but I think that's a conversion error. I'm writing in Word 2007 and convert with nuance pdf creator 5

5> Have some kind of versioning in the doc (or maybe you can use SVN for that) and add the date in it (e.g. if people are interested in translating this can be useful but also for users to know they have a current version)

The only versioning is in the title now. For every change i make I go up a level in the numbering. Afetr a few changes I upload a new version. Again, in the final version there will be a proper versioning tool.

6> After installing: I think it is best to start with a chapter "Initial setup": Region, language, video settings, calibarate etc.

This is the only point where I disagree, but I might be wrong ofcourse. My goal is to get users enthusiast about XBMC as fast as possible. Meaning they should have a gorgeous screen filled with movies in front of them as fast as possible. All the extra's like advanced settings and hardware setup, region and calibrations is essential, i agree, but to pull a potential new user over the line i want to focus on getting his setup to look good in as little as possible time.

You and me, when we do a new installation we go through those steps. Region, video settings, change some views, turn on the subtitles and change to 5.1 or 7.1 audio etc. But we KNOW the program and have already made the choice to use it. We know what it can do and go for a complete setup. In the advanced version of the manual this information will definitely be in one of the first chapters, but not for the beginners... just my 2 cents... any other thoughts about this?

7> Maybe end each chapter with "Advanced settings" to go a few steps deeper.

I will go into advanced settings after I've written the entire thing. I wanted to put more chapters at the end with advanced settings, but I think you're suggestion is indeed a better one and have a subchapter after each section with advanced settings, just like how I added a "library views" after some chapters... I think I'll go for this option, but haven't finish writing the initials yet... will be a few more days since i'm fully booked in the weekend.

8> Since the manual is so large in file size: Are you using the right resolution/format to create screenshot? I would advise .png files.

No i'm not. All artwork will be redone. Now i just need a quick visualization.

9> When I check the document properties (not on windows but within the pdf-reader) I see "Microsoft word" in the file name: that's cursing! ;-)

That's because it's written in word... I've used word all my life and love the ease of use and the graphic functions presented in the 2007/2010 version. Personal preference...

ps. what is that vertical line on all your screenshot?

Maybe a dead row of pixels on your reader? No, i'm just kidding... I have no clue what you're talking about. If i open the PDF here they look fine?

Anyone else has this line?


Thanks for your great response! I really like getting feedback and ideas.