Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!mfci!hsi!stevens
From: stevens@hsi.UUCP (Richard Stevens)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.ibm
Subject: Re: New book about NetBIOS
Summary: I just got a copy
Message-ID: <1047@hsi.UUCP>
Date: 29 Sep 88 10:18:27 GMT
References: <8809281355.AA01943@jade.berkeley.edu>
Organization: Health Systems Intl., New Haven, CT
Lines: 35

In article <8809281355.AA01943@jade.berkeley.edu>, TRADER@cup.portal.COM writes:
> A new book for LAN programmers will be available shortly. It is:
> 
> "C Programmer's Guide to NETBIOS"
> David W. Schwaderer
> Howard W. Sams, Inc.
> 400 pages, paperbound  <----- wrong, its 299 pages (excl. index & biblio.)
> ISBN: 0-672-22638-3
> U.S. $24.95

I just got my copy 2 days ago and have only given it a cursory look-over,
but I'm not impressed with it.  My main complaint is that every example
program is 100% DOS-specific, complete with DOS registers, long and
far pointers, etc.  I was hoping that the author might try to hide some
of these machine specific features, especially considering his statements
that NetBIOS is being used on lots of other operating systems other
than DOS.

	"There is a common misconception that NetBIOS requires some
	version of PC-DOS.  Since NetBIOS operates on UNIX-based
	operating systems, this is clearly false."  (p. 57)

Boy, you could have fooled me just looking at all the programs in the
book !!  There is a 4-chapter "treatise" on CRC calculations, if you're
interested in that.  The author is with IBM San Jose, so I'd guess most
of the technical stuff relating to NetBIOS is accurate.  (The quote on
the back of the book telling you what a good book it is from someone
else at IBM - kind of tacky.)  40 pages of the book are excerpted from
IBM's "Technical Reference, PC Network Manual".  The cover art on the
book is very nicely done.

	Richard Stevens
	Health Systems International, New Haven, CT
	   stevens@hsi.uu.net
           ... { uunet | yale } ! hsi ! stevens