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From: demillo@uwmacc.UUCP (Rob DeMillo)
Newsgroups: net.micro.atari16
Subject: Re: Abacus books, Mark Williams C
Message-ID: <84@uwmacc.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 25-Jul-86 12:16:08 EDT
Article-I.D.: uwmacc.84
Posted: Fri Jul 25 12:16:08 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 25-Jul-86 21:34:31 EDT
References: <1532@cwruecmp.UUCP> <397@atari.UUcp>
Reply-To: demillo@uwmacc.UUCP (Rob DeMillo)
Organization: UWisconsin-Madison Academic Comp Center
Lines: 54

>
>THE BAD
>The quality of information in the Abacus books is suprisingly
>poor.  They contain an enourmous amount of misinformation and
>stuff that's just plain /wrong/.  I would stay away from these
>books, like the plague.  The consensus in Atari's software
>engineering department is that they're not worth much.
>
>
>THE MISUNDERSTOOD
>We've received several applications here that appear to
>depend on the ST's operating system being located at
>0xfa0000.  This is a no-no.  Use the system variable
>`_sysbase' (long at 0x4f2) which points to the base of the
>running system.
>-- 
>
>-Landon Dyer, Atari Corp.		{sun,lll-lcc,lll-crg!vecpyr}!atari!dyer
>

Gosh Landon ---
   If the boys at Atari feel the Abacus information is often
inaccurate (which, no doubt, is true), then why don't you produce
some decent documentation yourselves at a reasonable price. (Sorry, 
but I don't consider paying $300.00 for some books and a so-so C
compiler any great shakes. Very IBMish...naughty-naughty.)
   The Abacus books are flawed, but they at least give us a starting
point to work from...plus they are only $20 each...

   One more complaint: I paid $900 for a machine that I really like,
but it came with a comic book for documentation. 6 monthes after I
have my machine, I find out (thru the net, so thank you to all those
on the net) that it has all sorts of little interesting features like:
hitting the right mouse button to grab something from an inactive window,
hitting ALT-HELP at anytime to produce a screen dump, etc.

   What is Atari doing, punishing me for not paying an additional 
$300 for the "developer's" kit by withholding useful information about
a machine I already paid for? Ick.

   Atari has on its hands an excellent product...but it's support
leaves a lot to be desired...



-- 
                           --- Rob DeMillo 
                               Madison Academic Computer Center
                               ...seismo!uwvax!uwmacc!demillo
		----------------------------------------
	"I am not so sure
	 what you want me for!			'War Games'
	 Either your machine is a 		   - Crosby, Stills and Nash
	 fool, or me..."