Multiple choice

Directions: For this question, select the best of the answer choices given.

Some manufacturers of computer software have proposed cutting costs by distributing instruction manuals for their programs on computer disk only, so that computer users can refer to them on a computer screen rather than having to deal with unwieldy printed manuals that are costly for manufacturers to produce. Which of the following, if true, provides the best reason against adopting the proposal described above?

  1. Most computer users are just as comfortable using instructions on a computer screen as they are using printed manuals.

  2. Although instructions on a computer disk can be printed out cheaply using a computer printer, such printouts are less convenient to use than instructions displayed on a computer screen.

  3. Because they are expensive and inconvenient to copy, printed instruction manuals provide one of the best deterrents against the illegal copying of software, which costs manufacturers enormous profits.

  4. Instructions supplied on a computer disk are more appropriate for business and educational programs than for computer games and other entertainment software.

  5. Instructions supplied on a computer disk can be designed to provide more extensive and more easily utilized cross-references than those provided by printed manuals.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The strongest argument against eliminating printed manuals is that they serve as a piracy deterrent: people who buy legitimate software get the manual, which is expensive to reproduce. Without printed manuals, software could be more easily copied illegally, potentially costing manufacturers far more in lost sales than they would save on printing costs.

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