Will technical paper-based books eventually be a thing of the past? Are the technical online manuals taking over?

Since the digital revolution, the number of people who are reading printed books have declined. Gone are the days when people were entirely dependent on handbooks and paper manuals. As digital books become more popular, buying hard copy books to learn about technical things, whether digital or even engineering tasks, is falling away. In fact, the technical manual sections of bookshops are shrinking, all because of its high-tech alternative – the technical online manuals.

Nowadays learning about new softwares, programs, or education in general, is leaning heavily towards an online experience. Almost everything and anything can now be downloaded, customised and updated for free or at a minimal price.

A lot of technical manuals issued on paper in booklet form have been transformed into an online technical data – a virtual jungle of printed technical manuals that are easy to navigate and are readily accessible from any internet-connected device, including tablets and smart phones.

Physical, paper-based technical books can be costly and heavy, and they easily become outdated and tattered whereas technical online manuals or materials are there to stay… in the digital realm that is.

Technical online manuals offer attractive benefits as it provides a more current content which are created and developed by experts. An open educational resource if you will, which is perceived to be a highly valuable source of information. Whether it’s design materials for learning, procedure management processes, or online documentation tools, finding what you’re looking for can simply be done with just a click of a button so, everything is a lot easier and more convenient. 

These days, learning online comes naturally. Digital will continue to grow and exist as we’ve seen it, because it is becoming part of the world we live in. Technical paper-based books could very well be a thing of the past, but who knows?