From: charlet@hubcap.clemson.edu (Charles E "Rick" Taylor IV)
Subject: Re: Commodity question
Organization: Clemson University
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 22:28:20 GMT

crystal@glia.biostr.washington.edu (Crystal) writes:

[Someone 's name deleted here ... sorry]
i.e. Someone who was not Crystal wrote:
>> -  I'd find it real helpful if there was some kind of appendix or 
>>    supplement available which covered, or at least cross referenced, 
>>    upgrading from one OS to another.  Something for those of us who know
>>    the basics but would like to more easily parse the differences without
>>    having to wade through the simple stuff all over again.

I had a little book that came with my 2.04 distribution that documented 
changes between 1.3 and 2.04 - "Amiga Release 2: Getting Started".  I
don't know if future (2.1 , 3.0) update kits have a similar book.

>> -  The Index could use some work (in my opinion). The problem here was with
>>    Mountlist.  The one "mountlist" entry I did find sent me to to an
>>    obscure reference in the chapter on ED.  I didn't find any details on 
>>    how this was different from 1.3.  I know it didn't read the mountlist 
>>    in devs:, but I did get it to work (adding extra hard disks) alright 
>>    with your handy gui harddisk util.  I still haven't found out where the
>>    mountlist entry ended up.

The only mountlist entry stuff in the Ados 2.04 manual starts on p 7-81
(it's under the DEVS: directory stuff)  Curious that there's not a mention
of it in the index, though.

>> -  some of the requestors in the diagrams differ quite a bit in available
>>    options from the ones on my screen (prefs/screenmode and prefs/overscan
>>    are two that come to mind).
>> -  how often do you really send out upgrades for this manual?  I know I
>>    never got any for 1.2 or 1.3.  i.e. is the looseleaf format really 
>>    necessary?  It doesn't seem near as durable as a bound manual.  You
>>    gotta remember some of us cheap bastards want to be able to use these 
>>    things for a few years.

It's more durable than a bound manual!  I wish the new Ados (3.0) had a manual
like 2.04's!  Those bound manuals won't stay open on the desk either. :(

>>: Indeed.  I'm not trying to mount a great defense of _USS_, but rather to
>>: point out two things: 1)We recently have been spending a great deal of time 
>>: and effort addressing such shortcomings in our documentation, effort that 
>>: addresses many of the problems such as you mention.  I'd much prefer to be 
>>: judged on the basis of the current (and upcoming) books.

>>And we can be such picky SOB's  :-). 
>>I try to avoid judging on the basis of things that aren't yet available.
>>I appreciate the effort, and the response.
>>: Ross Hippely:                                              Technical Writer
>>: employed by, not speaking for:             Commodore Business Machines Inc.

>> | K.T. Wieringa              UUCP: toddw@tcsi.appleton.mil.wi.us |
>> | Shawano, Wisconsin, USA    Fido: K.T. Wieringa @ 1:238/105.3   |


>I found Enforcer on my HD, and I *know* I didn't put it there, and I couldn't
>find a reference in the 2.04 manual for it, so I got bugged enough to run a
>VIRUS CHECKER on the mysterious thing.  It was clean...but *geez* if a program
>is considered important enough to put in with the system software, at least
>DOCUMENT it!

It's for systems with MMU's (normally 68030's and up).  They shoudl have still
supplied *some* sort of docs, though.

>And I have yet to find any reference to the RAD: that people have mentioned.
>It is obviously something with the 2.04 system, yet the 2.04 manual index does
>not show it.

Yes it does.  You have to be aware of what RAD: means, though.  The relevant
entry is "recoverable RAM disk, the, 7-74 - 7-77"  on p 15 of the index.

>So, how can one RTFM if the d*mn thing is so F'n LOUSY to begin with??  Most
>beginners have ONLY that manual to rely on.  Not everyone has access to the
>Internet, nor do they even have modems.

The docs with 2.04 were *quite* good.  Made much more sense than a lot of 
others I read.  You want lousy docs take a look at previous Workbench 
releases (1.2 / 1.3).  *Those* were lousy docs!

>The docs can make or break a program (or a company)...                    
 ^^^^^^^
>BTW, did anyone notice that the docs for PageLiner (which has a spellchecker)
>contains a MISSPELLED WORD in the section that describes HOW TO USE THE 
>SPELLCHECKER?!?  (I'm NOT referring to the example misspelled word, either!)

>There was also another misspelled word a page or two prior to that one...

>Makes one think twice about a purchase....

>The docs can make or break a program (or a company)...                    
 ^^^^^^^
So you've said.

-- 
+ Rick __     + EMAIL:charlet@hubcap.clemson.edu +   //\          + /|\ It's +
|      /aylor | IRC  : Tomalek / The Romulan     | \X/--\miga 500 |  J rainy |
+-------------+----------------------------------+----------------+----------+
+ "Every Girl Already Has A Boyfriend" --- Murphy's Law Of Dating...         +
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