Re: Apple IIgs Technical Manuals

[martin lytz <mlytz@mindspring.com>]

What is a genuine "red book"?


David Empson wrote:

> martin lytz <mlytz@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
> > Does anyone have the total collection of technical reference manuals
> > authored by Apple and published by Addison-Wesley
>
> I have them all (as far as I know), and it is a rather substatial
> collection, especially once you include all the incidental pieces.
>
> Most of the Apple/Addison-Wesley books are pretty esoteric unless you
> intend to get into serious programming.  I'd suggest you concentrate on
> locating the Firmware Reference and Hardware Reference (the 2nd edition
> is better, since it covers both versions of the motherboard).
>
> The firmware reference is probably the more interesting of the two from
> a hacking point of view, and it has a summary of the softswitches in it
> anyway.  The hardware reference goes into more detail on the hardware
> details, of course.  Note that there is no firwmare listing of the IIgs
> monitor (or any other part of the firmware, for that matter).
>
> The Toolbox References (three volumes) and GS/OS Reference are for
> serious programming only.  "Programmer's Introduction to the IIgs" is so
> far out of date (System 2 or 3 era) that it wouldn't be very much use,
> and "Technical Introduction to the IIgs" is basically a few excerpts
> from other books.
>
> What does that leave?
>
> - Programming the 65816 by Eyes and Lichty (the bible)
> - Firmware reference update for 1MB IIgs (ROM 3), which is still
> available from Byte Works.  Nothing particularly major in here.
> - ProDOS-16 reference (out of date, superseded by GS/OS Reference)
> - Apple Numerics Manual (only useful if you want to do low-level
> floating point stuff)
> - Inside AppleTalk (really low level networking stuff)
> - Appleshare Programmers' Guide for the IIgs (also pretty low level)
> - System 6 Programmers' Guide (and 6.0.1 update) - extensions of the
> Toolbox and GS/OS manuals
> - Human Interface Guidelines (associated with the toolbox manuals)
> - GS/OS Device Driver reference
> - SCSI card technical references
> - SCSI CD-ROM reference
> - System software release notes
> - Technical notes (may still be available online)
> - HyperCard IIgs script language guide (rare as hens teeth)
> - A variety of 8-bit manuals (ProDOS-8, Applesoft reference, BASIC
> programming with ProDOS, DOS 3.3 users and programmer's guides,
> technical manuals for the II+, IIe, IIc, IIc 2nd edition)
> - A few third-party IIgs programming books.
>
> Most of the rest is software and peripheral manuals.
>
> About the only thing I regret not having is a genuine "Red Book".
>
> > available for sale?
>
> Sorry, not mine!
>
> I'd be happy to answer questions about any particular book, however.
>
> --
> David Empson
> dempson@actrix.gen.nz
> Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand