This is possibly the worst documentation I have ever encountered

Question

I am a composer, entrepreneur, and I've actually spent a lot of time doing technical writing. I am using Logic Express 8, and, for example I would like to define a region that loops. Of course, I can find "resizing arrange regions," and all kinds of stuff about editing regions, but I can't find either "define a region," "create a region," "creating a region," or "defining a region."
The whole point of documentation is to allow people to use applications quickly and easily.
I want to create the intro for a show, and I am using a snippet of one of my songs. I imported the song, tried to edit it, and I get "volume locked."
Again, I can't unlock it, and the documentation tells me to do things without giving me links on how to do it. I then search on the phrase I find in the documentation, and then I can't find further information.
I can hardly use the app, and in my opinion, as an experienced technical writer, it is because the documentation makes it really hard to figure out how to do anything. No links, rare graphics.
I feel very strongly that I could put together much better documentation, and I was a judge at a Technical Communications Competition, so my opinion is informed.
I find myself postponing projects, just because the documentation on the Mac apps (since moving from Windows about a year ago) makes things really hard regarding the initial learning curve.
I have a lot of suggestions and practical things that Apple could do to decrease the length of the learning curve and improve its documentation considerably, though I doubt that Apple doesn't recognize this "flaw." Maybe it is intentional. At any rate, it is very irritating not to be able to find even the most basic information in a help file quickly.
I type in what I want to do, and the help app should give me a real procedure with where to click and how to get it done. If I don't know the "Apple" vocabulary, the help file should map my vocabulary to its vocabulary, instead of insisting on its own lexicon.
I am very happy I made the switch from Windows to Mac, but the Apple documentation is at least as bad as Windows docs.
Yuck!
--Dainis W. Michel

Answer 1

Hi Dainis
i agree with your comments. being a pro user of Cubase for many years & recently changing to Logic, i've been struggling to do a new project with Logic. Logic itself is a major part of the problem with a confusing array of menus all over the place & too many options. the manual is rather like the cubase manual in having the info their but the language & explanation are not not simply & logically set out & certainly not easily accessible from the index. why do manuals only appear to have computer generated contents list without proper use of subject listings parading as an index. Gary