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From: keithe@tektronix.UUCP (Keith Ericson)
Newsgroups: net.micro.cbm
Subject: anatomy books
Message-ID: <3259@tektronix.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 2-Aug-84 12:42:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: tektroni.3259
Posted: Thu Aug  2 12:42:39 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 5-Aug-84 01:04:56 EDT
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 58

I've purchased both of the following books: "Anatomy of a Commodore 64"
and "Anatomy of a 1541". My reaction? BUY THEM!!! No serious Commodore
64 user should be without these little gems!  We mortals finally get to
find out some of the secrets that only the gurus can normally discern.

I've spent more time with the C64 book, so I'll discuss it this time.

The table of contents for the 64 anatomy includes

   Machine language programming
     Includes list and description of useful kernel functions
     Performing screen & keyboard I/O
     Details of how data is saved on cassette and disk
     Programming the RS-232 interface
     A short section on the serial bus
   Assembler programming
     (essentially how to use an assembler)
   A close-up look at the C64
     Special features of the 6510
     Memory multiplexing, and resulting system configurations
     The expansion port
   The SID
     (somewhat abbreviated)
   Graphics programming
     (one of the books best chapters)
   Basic from a different viewpoint
     How the BASIC Interpreter works
       and how to extend it
   Vic-20 - C64 - Pet
     Comparison of ROM locations for VIC and C64
     Changing VIC programs to run on C64
     Changing PET programs to run on C64
   I/O Control - the CIA
   ROM Listing (KERNAL and BASIC ROMs)
     Well annotated; reason alone to buy the book
   (other misc. stuff)

The book includes many sample programs - assembly and BASIC - to
illustrate the points; and equivalent BASIC and assembler programs are
occasionally presented. With the exception of the translation problem
mentioned below the book is quite readable.

Problems with the book: It was originally written in German (I think)
and the translation is not at all perfect. (You'll get used to reading
about "floating-comma" instead of "floating-point", I 'spose) and I've
found a few places where (apparently) several lines of text have gotten
lost. And there is (at least) one block of the BASIC ROM that is
missing from the listing ($B4A9 thru $B7AC). I can't figure out what
happened here.  I'd say that the publisher (Abacus Software) did pretty
much the minimal job on this one. (But it is still worth the price
which is $19.95.)  They even included is a very thinly veiled
advertisement for the Abacus Software SYNTHY-64 program in the SID
chapter: I could have done without that!

Later on I'll try to review the 1541 book...

keith ericson at teklabs
    (decvax|ucbvax)!tektronix!teklabs!keithe