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From: louie@trantor.UMD.EDU
Newsgroups: net.micro.amiga
Subject: Re: Amiga system arrival
Message-ID: <3806@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Thu, 26-Sep-85 21:24:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: topaz.3806
Posted: Thu Sep 26 21:24:25 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 1-Oct-85 10:10:28 EDT
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Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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From: Louis A. Mamakos 

Just an update - I received my developement system software and documentation
a few days ago.  The manuals are done pretty well; being bound in 5 or 6
different volumes.  I think that I'd prefer loose-leaf to install manual
updates, but what the hey...  

I didn't receive the ABasiC manual or the demo-software disk.  The Introduction
to the Amiga manual was omitted.  I called Commodore and asked them about it
and they said that the plan to replace the AMIGA ABasiC with real Microsoft
basic in the coming weeks, and that they didn't want developers to write
any software using the existing BASIC.  If I wanted the other manuals or
disk, I should just send a letter requesting it.  Hey, I don't care *what*
BASIC they provide, I'm using Lattice C for my software.

I have to agree with what someone else said earlier; the CLI interface is
sort of ugly.  It doesn't have the feel as being as well done as the lower
level ROM (er.. RAM) kernel and the Intuition software.  The argument
specification is particularly obtuse.  Happily, Lattice C uses UNIX like
option specifications.  The CLI really needs a PATH variable or something
like it.  You can ASSIGN a logical name to a directory containing the 
executable commands, but only to one directory (on ONE disk).  It would
be nice to give a PATH or the convention that the 'C' directory on each
disk be searched.

Does anyone know how to reogranize the Workbench, and save the organization?
When I made a working copy of the WorkBench disk, the icons are somewhat
disorganized.  I can select the CLEANUP menu item to fix it, but when the
window is closed and reopened it is the same as before.  I wonder if this
stuff is documented in the "Introduction to the AMIGA" manual that I didn't
receive?

Louis A. Mamakos WA3YMH   University of Maryland, Computer Science Center
 Internet: louie@trantor.arpa  -or-  louie@TRANTOR.UMD.EDU