@WhyNotZoidberg That wire binding is so you can open the manual and lay it completely flat on your desk and read along while you work. Unlike a paperback book, where you'd have to crack the spine of the book to lay it flat and keep it open on its own. Supposedly the twin-loop wire binding is more durable, though the back cover still came off mine.
Or maybe that's just the excuse they told us. Perhaps it was just cheaper to bind this way!