Re: Apple IIgs Technical Manuals

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

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far out of date (System 2 or 3 era) that it wouldn't be very much use,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- ProDOS-16 reference (out of date, superseded by GS/OS Reference)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