The shift from paper to PDF schematics in the last decade

I was cleaning out my old toolbox and found a folded, coffee-stained schematic for a 2005 Zenith TV. It hit me how much has changed. Ten years ago, I had a whole filing cabinet for those big paper diagrams. Now, I just pull up the PDF on my tablet, zoom in, and keep my hands free. The switch really started around 2013 when more manufacturers put their service manuals online. It saves so much space, but I do miss having notes scribbled right on the page. Has anyone else found a good way to mark up digital schematics without printing them?

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3 Comments

rowanbennett6mo ago

Notes scribbled right on the page" is the real loss. My old schematics were basically a coffee-stained diary of my frustration. Now my digital notes just say "file_updated_final_v2_revised".

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jade2266mo ago

My buddy's kid found his old blueprints and asked why he wrote "this part is stupid" in red pen next to a valve.

6

kelly.robin5mo ago

Scribble the dumb stuff or it haunts you later.

5