I recently purchased a Sony wireless BlueTooth keyboard to accompany the tablet I bought this past summer. I opened the package and removed the keyboard to find nothing else remained inside the box. I prefer to read instructions for new electronics, specifically related to charging, because, rumor has it that following the charging directions tends to provide the battery with the longest, healthiest life. While scanning the package for a website, I came across a large QR code (LINK TO DEF?) labeled with the text “Learn more about your new keyboard here.”

My initial reaction was that this method was complicated and that not everyone has access to a device that can scan QR codes…but everyone buying this particular product would, in theory, have bought this to use with a device that can scan the code.

Three clicks later and the QR code launched me directly to the online manual for my new keyboard. The clickable table of contents allowed me to quickly find exactly the section I wanted to read without flipping through pages of a book or scanning small hard to read text.

While it was charging, I noticed that the same QR code was on a sticker attached to the bottom of the keyboard meaning that even if I throw away the box, I don’t have to worry about losing access to the instruction manual.

Sony created a manual that I can access quickly from wherever I am with my tablet and keyboard, use easily, and never lose. This user documentation strategy was highly successful for this specific product and would be for most tablet and smart phone accessories but may not be as useful for products that do not imply the consumer has internet access. Overall, this sounds like another successful development of the digital age.