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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!think!harvard!seismo!uwvax!gumby!foust
From: foust@gumby.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro.cbm
Subject: Proline C preliminary review
Message-ID: <386@gumby.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 26-May-85 23:11:33 EDT
Article-I.D.: gumby.386
Posted: Sun May 26 23:11:33 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 29-May-85 23:46:38 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
Lines: 57


	I purchased the Proline C compiler for the C64 last week.  Much to
	my surprise, it arrived just three days later.

	I was miffed at what I recieved for my $100:  

	What you get is the double-sided disk containing the shell 
	and libraries, plus a primer on the C language itself, plus
	a 43 page "manual."
	
	WTF do I need a C primer if I am buying the compiler for the
	language?  The book is over 500 pages, and rather simplistic.
	It is normally available from Howard W. Sams Books, for a list
	price of $19.95, under the title "C Primer Plus".

	Apparently, the Proline people felt guilty about sending out a
	C compiler without adequate documentation.  Besides the 500
	general C primer, you receive a stapled together, 43 page manual written
	by some engineer.  (Maybe the author himself, which is usually a
	mistake in itself.)  It rehashes three programs lifted from K&R,
	and contains such zingers as "This is admittedly awkward, but in
	practice bit fields are not frequently used so their absence should
	not present a great problem," when explaining why bit fields are
	not implemented.

	Well, they cover all the editor commands in less than one page,
	and that's for both editors, the simple editor, and the syntax
	checking editor.  It's almost like using a stolen program - you
	don't really have a manual, and have to guess at the commands.

	Another neat feature - the disk it came on was so el cheapo that
	my drive wouldn't turn it.  To me, this means they were trying to
	make even more money.  After using the disk for a few minutes,
	it locked up, and I had to perform surgery to transfer it to another
	disk envelope.

	As usual, they make the standard warranty claims, that the product
	might not really work, etc., and announce that I can get bug fixes
	and updates for only $20, which might be in U.S. or Canadian funds,
	it didn't say.  Thanks, guys.  Backups are only $5, but the program
	isn't heavily protected, so no problem.
    
	I'd like to review it more extensively in the next few weeks.
	What are the secondary impressions of the people who posted the
	initial reviews of this product?

	Also, Brian Hilchie, the author, attends school at University of
	Waterloo, and has posted here before.  I don't know if he's still
	here for the summer.

	John Foust
	wisc-gumby!foust

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John Foust
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