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I don't have any research about the usability of hyphenated page numbers, just
my own preferences for usability in the manuals I read. I used to dislike
hyphenated page numbers because they seemed unfamiliar and military/government
related. Since I have gotten used to them, I find them easier to use, because
I will often know from the table of contents what chapter I am looking for
and the page number fits closer to the outside corner of the page than the
chapter name/number (which is often formatted as "Chapter #: Chapter Title").
So with hyphenated page numbers, I have less of the page to scan when flipping
pages to find a particular chapter.
...just my own usability experience.
The choice that works best in a particular case probably depends on what
most of the audience is accustomed to seeing.
As far as ease of updating, most software will automatically update at
least section number references. The big cost savings comes in re-mastering
a manual that has already been offset printed. Printers normally save the
plates. If you can avoid having to recreate all the plates, you can save
some money.
