Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!rutgers!cbmvax!andy
From: andy@cbmvax.UUCP (Andy Finkel)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Amiga Manuals
Message-ID: <2393@cbmvax.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 26-Sep-87 19:57:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: cbmvax.2393
Posted: Sat Sep 26 19:57:59 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 27-Sep-87 11:47:29 EDT
References: <1766@crash.CTS.COM>
Reply-To: andy@cbmvax.UUCP (Andy Finkel)
Organization: Commodore Technology, West Chester, PA
Lines: 62

In article <1766@crash.CTS.COM> amiguy@pnet01.CTS.COM (Sean Wolfe) writes:
>That's the way Commodore does their manuals. I was almost impressed when
>I saw my manuals for the A1000. 

Its tough for a manual to be all things to all people.  The original
A1000 manual aimed for a computer unsophisticated user.  The A500 manual
on the other hand, aims a bit higher (with the CLI commands).  While
I agree that the schemetics are not useful to most people, believe it
or not, its a *much* requested item.  Lots of people like to
hack their hardware.  Or at least know what chip is on the other end
of an I/O port.

 If you think your's are bad, loook at their
>manual for the Commodore 64. And theres the story about the C64 programmers
>reference guide on the subject of smooth scrolling. You look in the index for
>smooth scrolling (which was a big deal in the old 64 days) and go to the
>specified page.  It tell's you that you have to write a machine lang. routine
>to do smooth scrolling, that's it. It doesn't give any information on how to
>do it.

What ?  That can't be right.  I'm sure I told more than that when I
wrote it.  Well, lets see...look at the index...hmmmm no smooth scrolling
listed, but there is an entry for scrolling.  pages 128-130.  Well, lets
see...hmmm, looks like 3 pages on how to play with the VIC chip to
get smooth scrolling.  What could you have been talking about ?
Oh, I see.  I didn't include a block move routine for you.  Well,
block moves aren't hard, sorry I didn't put an example in, but
I guess I didn't feel it added anything...

I guess you should have looked closer, and saved yourself some trouble.
What could have made you skip those pages ?  Oh, I don't know.  Just
who in the world Could it have been.  I wonder, could it have been...ATARI ?
Oh, isn't that special.	 :-)

>That's probably because Commodore didn't know either.

No, that's not the reason.  *I* could write a raster synced block move routine
then, and I can do one now.  :-)

 O'Well, the first
>book I read for the Amiga was COMPUTE!'s Amiga DOS (ISBN#0-87455-047-5)
>You can get it at B Dalton's or probably any book store for that fact. It's
>real good for just starting out.

To do real programming on the Amiga you really need both the Rom Kernal
manuals, the AmigaDos manual, and (until Addison-Wesley comes out
with an update already) the native developer's update disks, available
from Commodore-Amiga Tech Support.  Also helpful is Mortimer's Amiga
Programmers books.

Personally, I didn't fine the Compute books all that helpful.

>AmiGuy
-- 
andy finkel		{ihnp4|seismo|allegra}!cbmvax!andy 
Commodore-Amiga, Inc.

"Interfere?  Of course we'll interfere.  Always do what you're best at,
 I always say."

Any expressed opinions are mine; but feel free to share.
I disclaim all responsibilities, all shapes, all sizes, all colors.