dberry@ucla-cs.UUCP (01/14/85)
A friend of mine, an Arabic professor (and thus not a computer scientist),
is getting an IBM-PC and wants a recommendation on a good introductory
book. Have any of you had experience with a beginner learning to use the
IBM-PC? The guy is sharp, but is new to computing.
Thanks
Daniel M. Berry UCLA Computer Science Department
dberry@ucla-locus.arpa ..!{sdcrdcf,ihnp4,cepu,trwspp,ucbvax}!ucla-cs!dberryrick@uwmacc.UUCP (the absurdist) (01/21/85)
It explains things in reasonable english; gives examples; and best
of all, has a sense of proportion: no chapters on using "ed" for
word processing, for example. (The ideal book has no chapter on "ed"
at all, but it's hard to convince authors of this). It is published
by Microsoft Press and written by Van Wolverton.
"Inside the IBM-PC" by Peter Norton is worth looking at; particularly
the first few chapters explaining hardware. Two common things I have to
explain to new users are (1) why you can't have graphics on an IBM mono
screen, but can with a color screen; and (2) why can't I use more than
64K of data and 64K of program with language X. Norton explains both
problems well. I wouldn't recommend a beginner buying this book; someone
should lend it to him/her for a week and point out the relevant sections.
--
"1985: Why 1985 isn't like 1984"
Rick Keir -- MicroComputer Information Center, MACC
1210 West Dayton St/U Wisconsin Madison/Mad WI 53706
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