dyer@atari.UUcp (Landon Dyer) (07/24/86)
In article <1532@cwruecmp.UUCP>, bammi@cwruecmp.UUCP (Jwahar R. Bammi) writes: > X * The timers on the MFP are controlled by a 2.4576 Mhz xtal (Yes the > X * Atari Internals book is once again wrong!). THE BAD The quality of information in the Abacus books is suprisingly poor. They contain an enourmous amount of misinformation and stuff that's just plain /wrong/. I would stay away from these books, like the plague. The consensus in Atari's software engineering department is that they're not worth much. THE GOOD The Mark Williams C Compiler is shipping. It looks like a *real* good job. The compiler is (comparatively) fast, its documentation is good, and it comes with some nice tools (make, and so on). THE MISUNDERSTOOD We've received several applications here that appear to depend on the ST's operating system being located at 0xfa0000. This is a no-no. Use the system variable `_sysbase' (long at 0x4f2) which points to the base of the running system. -- -Landon Dyer, Atari Corp. {sun,lll-lcc,lll-crg!vecpyr}!atari!dyer /-----------------------------------------------\ | The views represented here do not necessarily | "If Business is War, then | reflect those of Atari Corp., or even my own. | I'm a Prisoner of Business!" \-----------------------------------------------/
demillo@uwmacc.UUCP (Rob DeMillo) (07/25/86)
> >THE BAD >The quality of information in the Abacus books is suprisingly >poor. They contain an enourmous amount of misinformation and >stuff that's just plain /wrong/. I would stay away from these >books, like the plague. The consensus in Atari's software >engineering department is that they're not worth much. > > >THE MISUNDERSTOOD >We've received several applications here that appear to >depend on the ST's operating system being located at >0xfa0000. This is a no-no. Use the system variable >`_sysbase' (long at 0x4f2) which points to the base of the >running system. >-- > >-Landon Dyer, Atari Corp. {sun,lll-lcc,lll-crg!vecpyr}!atari!dyer > Gosh Landon --- If the boys at Atari feel the Abacus information is often inaccurate (which, no doubt, is true), then why don't you produce some decent documentation yourselves at a reasonable price. (Sorry, but I don't consider paying $300.00 for some books and a so-so C compiler any great shakes. Very IBMish...naughty-naughty.) The Abacus books are flawed, but they at least give us a starting point to work from...plus they are only $20 each... One more complaint: I paid $900 for a machine that I really like, but it came with a comic book for documentation. 6 monthes after I have my machine, I find out (thru the net, so thank you to all those on the net) that it has all sorts of little interesting features like: hitting the right mouse button to grab something from an inactive window, hitting ALT-HELP at anytime to produce a screen dump, etc. What is Atari doing, punishing me for not paying an additional $300 for the "developer's" kit by withholding useful information about a machine I already paid for? Ick. Atari has on its hands an excellent product...but it's support leaves a lot to be desired... -- --- Rob DeMillo Madison Academic Computer Center ...seismo!uwvax!uwmacc!demillo ---------------------------------------- "I am not so sure what you want me for! 'War Games' Either your machine is a - Crosby, Stills and Nash fool, or me..."
neil@atari.UUcp (Neil Harris) (07/28/86)
In article <84@uwmacc.UUCP>, demillo@uwmacc.UUCP (Rob DeMillo) writes: > If the boys at Atari feel the Abacus information is often > inaccurate (which, no doubt, is true), then why don't you produce > some decent documentation yourselves at a reasonable price. (Sorry, > but I don't consider paying $300.00 for some books and a so-so C > compiler any great shakes. Very IBMish...naughty-naughty.) > The Abacus books are flawed, but they at least give us a starting > point to work from...plus they are only $20 each... > Which is why we've been working on a reference book for commercial publication. Hope to get it out by Xmas. > One more complaint: I paid $900 for a machine that I really like, > but it came with a comic book for documentation. 6 monthes after I > have my machine, I find out (thru the net, so thank you to all those > on the net) that it has all sorts of little interesting features like: > hitting the right mouse button to grab something from an inactive window, > hitting ALT-HELP at anytime to produce a screen dump, etc. Page 16 of the 520ST user manual talks about the ATL HELP screen dump. The right mouse button trick is an accidental side-effect of the code in the OS. You folks on the net knew about it before we did! If not for groups like the net, all the little goodies in the computer (which we couldn't hope to document) would ever be known. Thanks! -- --->Neil @ Atari ...lll-crg!vecpyr!atari!neil or ...lll-lcc!vecpyr!atari!neil BIX: neilharris CIS: 70007,1135 Delphi: NEILHARRIS GENIE: nharris WELL: neil Atari Corp. BBS 408-745-5308 US Mail: Atari Corp. 1196 Borregas Ave. Sunnyvale, CA 94086 "I'm a 20th century man but I don't want to die here." -- Ray Davies
uh@unido.UUCP (07/29/86)
Another hint:
The Abacus books are English translations of books written by one of the
biggest German Atari Dealers (Data Becker in Duesseldorf; Becker also imports
fine American cars to Germany). Many German developers think that Data Becker
has better connections to Atari in America than the not even small German
subsidary of Atari. The informations contained in the books are mostly from
the developers documentation, only in a much better order and not so much
PC specific. So think:
1. Developers documentation in English
2. German Data Becker books (1. Translation)
3. English Abacus books (2. Translation)
So don't be suprised about errors. There are many chances to make some. But:
Data Becker also publishes a magazine in which (the only in Germany) Mr. Stumpf
(German Atari leader) and Jack Tramiel himself are interviewed at Tramiels
home at a nice American (Canadian??) lake (including pictures, very nice :-) ).
So we have to ask: Why are those Abacus books not better in their quality???
(Neil?)
Conclusion: The ST is great, but Atari is not even better than any other
firm in this business.
Uwe Hoch
Computer Science Department, University of Dortmund
4600 Dortmund 50, P.O. Box 500500, W.-Germany
E-mail address: uh@unido.uucp, uh@unido.bitnet