Path: utzoo!censor!becker!douglee
From: douglee@becker.UUCP (Doug Lee)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: AmigaMail (was Mutual Exclude Gadgets)
Message-ID: <1750@becker.UUCP>
Date: 4 Jan 90 05:13:57 GMT
References: <10372.AA10372@heimat>
Reply-To: douglee@becker.UUCP (Doug Lee)
Organization: G. T. S., Toronto, Ontario
Lines: 59

In article <10372.AA10372@heimat> sneakers@heimat.UUCP (Dan "Sneakers" Schein) writes:
>In Message <870@mindlink.UUCP>, a464@mindlink.UUCP (Bruce Dawson) writes:
>
>>     And, does Commodore care about the hundreds (thousands?) of programmers,
>>professional and amateur, that are not registered developers?
>>
>>     Not all programmers read AmigaMail.  It should be possible to program the
>>Amiga without having to be a registered developer.  If you implement
>>MutualExclude in a way contradictory to the way it has been documented for four
>>years in the includes, don't be surprised if you break a lot of programs, and
>>be prepared to take some of the blame.
>
>  Hold on a second...... You do not have to be a commercial/registered 
>  developer with CBM to receive AmigaMAIL. So *ALL* Amiga programmers
>  (or those who think they are) should be reading AmigaMail. Its not
>  expensive, only around $20 a year (I think).
>
>  Don't forget you can buy the includes and autodocs from CBM as "JOE
>  AVERAGE OFF THE STREET" and have the information needed to program
>  the Amiga.
Why not do something really neat and SELL this stuff along with service
manuals. 500/2000 tech ref manual and whatever else comes along through
dealers and also bookstores and any other places I haven't thought of
which usually sell the RKM's.

The only way I found out about stuff
like schematics, AmigaMail and even the RKM's (since I got the machine
in 85 before they were in stores) was to register as a developer.
This is not a bad thing, but is somewhat off the beaten path. It's 
much easier to buy a machine than it is to unearth information about it.


Unfortunately, computers these days seem to be regarded as appliances
bought by non-programmers for the purpose of running canned software.
I suggest recognizing programmers (weekend or otherwise) as a legitimate
market which should be supported by dealers. Even if the small town
ones can't afford to carry this stuff, they should have Commodore supplied
brochures on things like RKM's and technical manuals. Another thought, 
the AUtodocs disks should be sold with the accompanying RKM manual. The
manuals are widely available in various bookstores around here, but the 
disks are only available from Commodore. Strange....
>
>  Besides I don't see IBM or APPLE giving things away so folks know the
>  correct way to program for their machines. Seems to me many 3rd party
>  folks have made a lot of money selling books on how to program them.

People are doing this with the Amiga too, but the quantity and quality
is not as good as I had hoped for by now. There are certainly some gaps
such as good tutorial stuff on writing (as opposed to using) device drivers.
Documentation is needed for things like Layers, more on AmigaDOS although 
Rob Peck's excellent book goes a long way.
>
How about sending AmigaMails to each dealer, which they could then sell.
This would be a really good public-relations thing and cost almost nothing.

-- 
Doug Lee
douglee@becker
416-461-5357