I figured that after 3 years maybe it's time to have a good read of the Trilian manual and was shocked to find there doesn't seem to be a PDF available, just some funky looking 90's style HTML manual online. Has anyone ever come across a PDF version of it? Even if it's an "unofficial" one, I don't really care if it's technically legal or not, I own the software and would just like to read the bloody thing on my phone and keep track of what page I'm on etc (come on Spectrasonics, this is 2016). 

I have not.
 
 
write to Spectrasonics and ask them.   there was supposed to be manual put online couple of years ago and it didn't happen.
 
since there is no demo available of the Spectrasonics products people asked for an online manual to be posted so potential users could at least read the manual and find out if the program was for them, a rep for Spectrasonics said they were looking at doing that.  nothing ever happened and everything Spectraconics went dark.
 
ask them, it would be a great thing, I'd like a PDF manual as well.  I'll ask if you don't.

A pdf would be great.  FWIW they did post the online manual though. 
https://support.spectrasonics.net/manual/Trilian/

didn't see that link before.  nice.
 
I could PDF the web pages but I couldn't distribute it.

Yeah there is an online manual but it's horrible.

Just the online manual (link as above) and the one built into the plugin itself (which might be the same thing..?)  Spectrasonics make amazing instruments but their customer/community support is frankly non-existent.  One reason why I'll never upgrade to Omnisphere v2 is the complete and utter lack of an online forum.  That there is no means for users to learn and share together concerning such a huge and complex instrument is, in my eyes, unacceptable.
 
I'm not saying that they are not very responsive and helpful if you write to them directly, because they are, but that is not a very sustainable or satisfying means to discuss their instruments and find out more about them.
 
From the mouth of the horse in question:
 
"Does Trilian include a manual?
All our instruments include a comprehensive online Reference Guide, which is accessible directly through the plug-in. The integrated Reference Guide is searchable and we can keep it up to date with the software releases. You can check out the Reference Guide HERE."
 
As a software engineer I have to say that is an incredibly weak sauce reason.  Homeopathically weak.  So you can "keep it up to date" (implicitly: "only if we support one, online version")?  What about if you have a simple script which automatically runs whenever you update the online html version which then creates the pdf version from the html scripts and updates the webpage with the necessary link?  My word that would take all of 2-3 lines of javascript or php.
 
There is, really, no excuse other than slackness.  For shame.

Sorry but it is actually an industry standard.  easier updating, centralized customer service and less printing of materials.
 
you really are missing out on not updating to Omni 2 - it's a fabulous upgrade and the latest patch just goes to show that Specs does listen and update to benefit customers.
 
I think it's rather odd that you will not update or upgrade your software because the company does not have an online forum or presents.
 
MS no longer has manuals, many other software companies don't either. 
 
Propellerhead dumped their entire online user forums for Reason and all other products, company is still going strong, products work just fine and online documentation is updated regularly.
 
I can and have knocked companies for bad business practices but Spectrasonics not having a forum or a PDF manual - come on, come up with something better to rant about.

MachineClaw
Sorry but it is actually an industry standard.  easier updating, centralized customer service and less printing of materials.
 
you really are missing out on not updating to Omni 2 - it's a fabulous upgrade and the latest patch just goes to show that Specs does listen and update to benefit customers.
 
I think it's rather odd that you will not update or upgrade your software because the company does not have an online forum or presents.
 
MS no longer has manuals, many other software companies don't either. 
 
Propellerhead dumped their entire online user forums for Reason and all other products, company is still going strong, products work just fine and online documentation is updated regularly.
 
I can and have knocked companies for bad business practices but Spectrasonics not having a forum or a PDF manual - come on, come up with something better to rant about.

Nobody's talking about the lack of a physical manual, it's the lack of a PDF manual. I fail to see how that's "industry standard" when 99% of the software I own comes with a manual in PDF format. An online HTML manual is not acceptable in the slightest. I can't read it offline. It's harder to read, I can't save bookmarks or highlight regions.

How hard is it to make the most up to date PDF available for download at all times?

barely anything in IT/software is an "industry standard" no matter how much noise the marketing types make, because stuff is made deliberately proprietary/non-standard so when you buy into a product/platform (hello prochannel) you end up "locked in" to the non-standard stuff
 
damn, we're only just settling on HTML5 as a some kind of standard, nevermind anything else...

MachineClaw
Sorry but it is actually an industry standard.  easier updating, centralized customer service and less printing of materials.

 
Nothing was mentioned about printing anything, where are you getting that from?  A lot of people like to be able to read manuals offline and outside of the associated application.
 
e.g. when Presonus brought out Studio One v3, the manual was initially only available from within the application, in a weird hypertext-ish incarnation.  A lot of people asked for a PDF version to be produced.  Asked on the public forums.  Presonus granted their request.
 
The forum served several important roles in this situation; it allowed individuals to judge the wishes of the customer base as a whole, it served as a place where those wishes could be collated, it allowed Presonus to garner the interest of its customer base in a manner which is much more efficient than e.g. being bombarded with scores of individual emails and most importantly, it showed how the company responds to the type of request which is desired by many of its customers.  That's a very positive thing, for both the customers and the company.
 

you really are missing out on not updating to Omni 2 - it's a fabulous upgrade and the latest patch just goes to show that Specs does listen and update to benefit customers.

 
How do you know Spectrasonics is listening to its customers?  Which customers?  How many?  I don't see how you can reach that conclusion based on the fact that they've produced a product upgrade that you think highly of.  What discussions between Spectrasonics and its customer base are you aware of?  Through what means have they held these discussions?  Did they e.g. send you a survey/questionnaire of "What features would you like to see in Omnisphere v2?", perhaps?
 

I think it's rather odd that you will not update or upgrade your software because the company does not have an online forum or presents.

 
That's probably because we're different people.  I own Omnisphere, Trillian and Stylus RMX, so quite clearly I think highly of their products.
 
However, given what they are offering for the Omnisphere v2 upgrade and what it will cost me, I'm simply not interested unless they sweeten the deal.  To be honest, even if they had PDF manuals and a bustling online community, I still probably would not go for the upgrade.
 

I can and have knocked companies for bad business practices but Spectrasonics not having a forum or a PDF manual - come on, come up with something better to rant about.

If you think that was a rant, well ... quite frankly, you have no idea what a rant is :-)  It is called "a choice" and I have made mine and it's different to yours.  That is all.