Starting more quickly with the Quick Start Guide

[Dylan Rhodes]

Several weeks before Squeezebox Boom was launched, we shared with the Boom beta testers a close-to-final version of the Quick Start Guide (the small, printed booklet included with Boom). We got lots of feedback, which helped us in writing the User Guide (the longer document distributed as a PDF). Now, it's coming full circle, and we're taking what we've learned in writing the User Guide, as well as what we've learned from customer experiences, and we're rewriting the Quick Start Guide that's included with the product.

Now I'd like to pose the question: what's missing from the Quick Start Guide?

The QSG is, by necessity, small, and putting the complete User Guide in the packaging isn't an option. Writing an effective QSG is an challenging art, as you must know what must be covered in depth, and what can be reserved for the more detailed online documentation.

I'm not looking for bug reports on the QSG per se (we already have a big list of those).

Instead, I'd like your opinions on what could be added to make the installation process easier. Is there a tip or trick that you discovered on your own, that you wish you'd learned about when you were setting up your Squeezebox Boom? Is there a particular feature or aspect of operation that you think should be explained more carefully for newbies? Is there a particular suggestion that you think should be added to the troubleshooting section?

Thanks in advance for any feedback you'd like to give.

[Jonnio]

Not sure if this is what you had in mind, but

I thought the setup was fairly straightforward and just used the on-screen menus. The BIGGEST improvement I can think of is to allow the Squeezebox Controller to configure the Boom for you, just like it does a receiver. It would be great that when I want to switch WPA keys I just have to type it in once (as you can imagine this can take forever with random character keys) and that unit can propagate it through all my receivers/booms.

If this is already a function it needs to be in the quick start guide :)

[toby10]

....though not limited to just the Quick Start Guide.

Boom Quick Start and User Manual:
- last sentence on pg. 12 of User Manual (pg. 11 of Quick Start) regarding
SqueezeNetwork: “If you already have an account, instructions for adding your new
Squeezebox Boom to your account can be found later in this guide.”
Ok, where? :)

- Maybe add a “if you already have a SD product up and running that is currently
utilizing SC7.2 on your computer and a SqueezeNetwork account you can skip to
step # xx”

- Little more in depth explanation of StereoXL

- TIP: using the + and > keys on the remote can edit out a blank space
inadvertently added while inputing WEP/WPA key. SD phone support was not
even aware of this fix, as wonderful as they are.

Boom unit itself:
- the sticker on the remote’s battery does not completely peel off. It works fine this
way, but the ultra-picky types may not like this. My Boom is in my garage so I’m
obviously not very picky. :)


And, finally, lower the Boom price to $49 :)

[hussein]

You should note that you can use the arrow keys on the remote to navigate around characters entered in the WEP/WPA key. Its not completely clear, especially if you are trying to do this before unpacking the remote.

[dwilliams01]

You should note that you can use the arrow keys on the remote to navigate around characters entered in the WEP/WPA key. Its not completely clear, especially if you are trying to do this before unpacking the remote.


Agree. The entering of the network key is usually a difficult activity conceptually (to semi-technical people) and mechanically to most. A table of what keys do what might make it stand out more and be spotted while flipping through the book.

[malcolm4]

1. The QSG says, when referring to the "+" button on the remote, that you can use that button to add songs to a playlist.

It then never refers to a playlist again (to explain what one is, to say how to use one, how to play one, or how to view one).

So I, as someone who has the QSG and hasn't yet located the full manual, know I added several songs to a playlist using the + button, but have never been able to find them again.


2. The QSG does not explain why the one song I selected to listen to from my music library keeps repeating ad nauseam! One wonders why "repeat song" is set to "on" by default... but even setting that aside for the moment, the QSG should probably explain how to keep this from happening.

[toby10]

1. The QSG says, when referring to the "+" button on the remote, that you can use that button to add songs to a playlist.

It then never refers to a playlist again (to explain what one is, to say how to use one, how to play one, or how to view one).

So I, as someone who has the QSG and hasn't yet located the full manual, know I added several songs to a playlist using the + button, but have never been able to find them again.


2. The QSG does not explain why the one song I selected to listen to from my music library keeps repeating ad nauseam! One wonders why "repeat song" is set to "on" by default... but even setting that aside for the moment, the QSG should probably explain how to keep this from happening.

Boom User Guide:
http://www.slimdevices.com/documentation/Squeezebox_Boom_UG-ENG.pdf

SB3 Classic User Manual:
http://www.slimdevices.com/documentation/Squeezebox-v3-Owners-Guide-older.pdf

The SB3 manual may well be a better source for playlist info, I dunno. :)