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From: kamath@reed.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re:  Apple Manuals (bird cage liners)
Message-ID: <6475@reed.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 15-Jun-87 14:37:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: reed.6475
Posted: Mon Jun 15 14:37:52 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Jun-87 00:38:40 EDT
References: <8706132134.aa00599@VGR.BRL.ARPA>
Reply-To: kamath@reed.UUCP (Sean Kamath)
Distribution: world
Organization: Reed College, Portland OR
Lines: 32

In article <8706132134.aa00599@VGR.BRL.ARPA> gwyn@BRL.ARPA (Doug Gwyn, VLD/VMB) writes:
>The Apple IIGS has a rather nice set of technical reference manuals,
>some of which are scheduled to be available through Addison-Wesley
>starting in July, with more to follow in the not-too-distant future.
>You can obtain preliminary versions of these through APDA.

I am a member of ADPA, but I don't recall seeing them in the latest
mailing. . .  Maybe I didn't look close enough.

>There really are two audiences for manuals: the naive end-user, and
>the application developer.  Although the latter are comparatively
>few, they determine the long-term viability of a computer product.
>Apple shows signs of appreciating this more than they used to.

You can split the latter into two groups.  a) the developers that work
for software houses, do it for a living, and/or would be called
professionals.  b) people like me, still in school, or working, or
whatever, who want to have fun with their "toy" and would really
appreciate technical info without having to join ADPA and/or pay gobs of
money for technical books.  I have a huge selection of books on the //e,
mostly about Assembly language, including two //e tech refs, one //c
tech ref, and old "Red Book" and currently subscribe to 5 periodicals.
Believe me, it ain't a cheap hobby!  And as yet, I haven't gotten a cent
for the software I have written, which I give away to others.

I just wish the average price of my books in my collection was less than
$20.  If something comprehensive doesn't come out for the GS, it's gonna
cost me more than it will for my upgrade! 

Sean Kamath

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