Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!oliveb!sun!pepper!cmcmanis
From: cmcmanis%pepper@Sun.COM (Chuck McManis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: New Owner Needs Help
Summary: Stevie, MWC, gulam
Message-ID: <85877@sun.uucp>
Date: 18 Jan 89 20:53:30 GMT
References: <148900010@inmet>
Sender: news@sun.uucp
Reply-To: cmcmanis@sun.UUCP (Chuck McManis)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View
Lines: 64

I'm not picking on RM here, just would like to use it to illustrate a 
point that many people miss when deciding what computer to buy...

In article <148900010@inmet> rm@inmet writes:
> Hi.  I'm a new owner of an Atari 1040ST.  I bought the machine for no other
> reason than it was the correct platform for some music sequencing software
> that I wanted to run.  

This is how you get to be a happy computer owner, and not participate
in zillions of flame wars. When you are looking to buy a computer ask
yourself that most important question : "What will I use it for?" and
then use that answer to guide your decision. You will never be unhappy
because you got for <X> and it does that well so it is a good purchase.

However, this is the second question you should ask which is : "And 
other than that, what *else* will I be using the computer for ?"

> Now I'd like to do a little peripheral programming for the machine and
> hope that some more experienced users of this machine can point me at
> some tools and documentation.

No matter how you slice it, the Atari does not have a very good development
environment. Yes, there are many things that make it better, and many of
them are PD so easily accessible. But if you are a minicomputer programmer
you may find yourself wishing for some other language or maybe a source
level debugger which isn't available period. Or you may want some indepth
technical documentation on the ST internals and find that it is tough to 
come by as well. (An archive of this newsgroup is a good start).

>  Can anyone tell me where to get documentation for the Basic which 
>  apparently comes with the machine?

At one time that was part of the Atari manual set, I'd guess though that
you would be happier with something like GFA Basic.

> Do any reasonably-priced collections of Unix-like tools (grep, od,
> etc.) exist?

The gulam shell (PD) and MicroCShell (commercial) can help you get that
UNIX feel, although I don't believe either are complete. 

> How about a vi-like editor, or any cheap text editor for that matter?

Stevie is a VI like PD editor, MicroEMACS is an EMACS like editor.

>  A C compiler?

Most seem to prefer Mark Williams C. I don't know what Lattice is doing
for the Atari these days but I know their 5.0 compiler for the Amiga with
it's source level debugger rivals anything the Mac or the PC has. Maybe
they will port it to the ST as well.

>  System documentation (OS system calls, hardware description, memory 
>  maps, etc.)?  

The Developers Doc's will help some you can contact Atari for the 
"paper only" developers kit. This newsgroup will help more 'cuz when
something really strange comes up Allan will answer it ;-). And there
are a couple of books on ST internals that are ok.


--Chuck McManis
uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis   BIX: cmcmanis  ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com
These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.