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From: amiguy@pnet01.CTS.COM (Sean Wolfe)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: Amiga Manuals
Message-ID: <1784@crash.CTS.COM>
Date: Mon, 28-Sep-87 01:56:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: crash.1784
Posted: Mon Sep 28 01:56:09 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 29-Sep-87 04:23:16 EDT
Sender: news@crash.CTS.COM
Organization: People-Net [pnet01], El Cajon, CA
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>> The c64 manual was *horrible* (sorry andy). The information was there (or
most of it anyway), but the layout was so bad that you had to flip through the
entire book every time you wanted to look something up.
>>

I guess I started this so...I should explain some more.
My first computer was a C64.  I knew very LITTLE about computers in general,
and my first exposure to any information on them was the C64 Manual.  It was
aimed at the beginner, but it was impossible to learn from because (as stated
by others) of it's layout.. I read it over and over again and again, but I
didn't absorb much from that book.  I used to do consultations for friends of
friends who just bought their computers (usually c64's). I was just trying to
give these people some information on how to get started with their C64. Most
of them had some specific purpose in mind for their computer.  The most often
heard complaint was something to the effect that "the book that came with the
Commodore 64 didn't teach me a thing.."  Now, these people was the ones buying
the computer, and if the manual couldn't get them started and just confused
them more, well then it's worthless.....
From the opinions expressed to my comments about Compute! books, well, it
looks as if they are not favoured by most users here.  I think I learned a
great deal about the Commodore 64 from them as well a friend.  I  like
Computes! Amiga DOS because when I first got my Amiga, it gave me quick to
find explanations of the CLI commands.  The books that came with the C128 had
a nice touch with the colour photos, but seemed more or less like a reference
manual that a beginners guide. Maybe Commodore thought that experienced users
would be their targeted buying population and decided to drop step-by-step
teachings...

Sean Wolfe
(These are, of course, just my opinions and I am no way connected to any
Companies/Corp's mentioned above)

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