How do you learn the right way to use things like cameras, cell phones and such?

I am the type of person that has to read the manual otherwise I will never learn to use the device. It is usually my daughter who without reading the manual can figure things out.

Hello! When I buy a new gadget, I play with it straight away, well, I guess it depends on what gadget. There are some that don't require reading the manual like nokia mobiles, they're so user friendly, so I don't need to read the manual everytime I buy a new phone. I can easily figure out how it works, i'm a bit good in doing it actually..*hihihi* I have some manuals that I still haven't read, and will just open it when there's some problem that needs fixing or if the buttons are complicated. But if the gadget is up and running perfectly I won't bother to read the manual *hehehe* . So you're smart...me too! that makes the two of us then...!!LOL! ciao! =)

Most of the times I'm like you.....I just mess with it until I get it figured out.I have found that manuals can be helpful.....but a lot of times they are almost impossible to understand and therefor not much help at all....if I need someone to put it in plain english for me first.

well the enclosed instructions are a great thing, but if you are like me and learn by doing moreso than by reading instructions, it is best to get someone to show you how its done!

Hello ctrymuziklvr, I am not a tech person. Most of the time, I leave it to my husband. I am very lazy to do 'trial and error'. The best way is asking for help *smiles* Sometimes, even the manual makes me confused. I love to buy but anything to do with 'how to's , I will just surrender and let my husband figure it out.

Well I don't think there always is a "right way" and a "wrong way" i think a lot of times it's just "your way". Personally I just fiddle around with electronics until I figure out how it works. When i get a new tv or stereo or something I never bother looking at the instructions to plug it in... I just do it. I learn better from doing then I do from reading.

Personally, I always read the manual, even if I'm somewhat familiar with the technology, because every device is different and there are usually some cool features that you won't know about unless you do read the manual.

I don't LOL I get my husband to figure it all out and then give me the run-down or shortcut version, or just what I need to know to turn it on, turn it off, and the important features to use. The rest I leave alone. I know lazy but he is "into" anything technological and he loves finding out how things work, as for me, I get too impatient!

To learn the right way of using techie things, I always read the manual first. I'm afraid I might broke it, I'm always careful about these things. If I can't figure it out I just ask my brother because he's better than me on things like that.

I have to confess that I'm a stickler for using the manuals, ctry. I have always been of the opinion that things wouldn't come with a manual if it were not needed. My ex used to drive me crazy by trying to do things without the manual-then, later having to check the manual anyway. Whenever I buy anything I always at least leaf through the manual before I get started.

I'm a manual reader..LOL....I'm technically inclined myself, but I still like to read the manual--I really should read this book I have though...it's the size of an encyclopedia...You see I got my computer a few months ago, and it's a Mac...I bought this book, "The Missing Manual" and it tells everything but everything about how to use my type of computer from the inside out..but the size of the book is a bit daunting---there are so many aspects of my computer I haven't even explored yet! :(

I would usually play with the controls and try an error for basic features. I would only refer to the manual on the advanced features.

Hello ctrymuziklvr, When I get something new like a televisionv, camera, DVD player, cellphones, to figure out how it works I usually play around with it first and check its basic function. For things that I can't figure out how I usually refer to the manual to check how it works. You could say that I am technology minded for I don't usually find it hard to figure out how this things/gadgets work. Most of my relatives and friends also comes to me to ask some questions from time to time. :-)

Well I am somewhat technical, so I find out most things myself, just sometimes I'll take the manual. I did that with our new HD-DVD player and Nintendo Wii, not that I didn't know how to operate them but I wanted to make sure before I accidently break stuff ;) But computers, cellphones and whatsoevever, I'll find out myself.

I tried the trial and error method with my digital camera. Big mistake as I screwed up a lot of photos at first. Then I decided to finally read the manuals. That's right plural. My camera has 3 books. And they aren't small either. But doing this I really have learned a lot. As you can tell by the photos I post here I have taken some awesome photos to say the least. I carry two of the manuls with me in the camera bag so if I need to do something for that great shot I can look in the book to see what settings etc etc. So I say read the manuals for these type of things. It does take time but it's worth it. HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~

I love to just jump in and start using what ever it is and figuring things out as I go, but eventually I will get the manual out to see if there is anything I am missing. I did that with my camera and found like a year later when I did finally read the manual, there were a few functions on there I didn't know about. I reckon the newness of the item is too much for me, I want to play with it not read about it, LOL

I usually ask someone or watch how they do it. A manual does no good when you are a visual type of person and find reading very boring. I want someone to show me, and I would rather the manual be on a computer, with photos and arrows pointing to what to do. I do not mean that I am stupid, but well sometimes I want to learn in my order, not the book's. Like right now, I want to know about cell phones, so what I wanted to know was how to dial, turn it on, and off after finishing the phone call. Maybe next time, I want to learn how to take a picture, and another time, how to phone long distance, etc. When I learned computers, I wanted to learn how to do a basic program, then how to download, how to upload, how to do one html.etc. I tell everyone I learned by osmosis and I guess that is how I learn, so maybe you have to have someone to show you and to see how to do it in pbotographs.

Boy, do we sound alike. I also like to do the whole trial and error to figure something out, that's how I learned to use a pc. I will resort to instructions if I reach the point of wanting to rip my hair out. At the desperate end of my rope, I'll call my baby brother who is a pc wiz and he can do most things within minutes. Recently, I was trying to decorate my MyLot homepage and after hours of trying, I asked other MyLotter's for help...still couldn't do it and was quickly getting fed up. I finally called my brother and he got most of it done in less than an hour while visiting on the phone with me. He still has a few things left to do to it...but he's working on it. AT PEACE WITHIN ~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~

Manuals are really very helpful. But, you should read very patiently. I read whole manual and try them on my gadgets. I read manuals when I bought my new phone and MP4 players. It helps to navigate and understand almost every function on you gadgets. You can handle them more efficiently and confidently, if you know the right way to do it.

I am very similar like you.I also play with those new things till I figured out how it's work.I am too lazy to read manual and also to me those things are not really hard to use.It would be harder with some insatllation or things like that.