1616: User Tutorial Version 4.091 August 1993 Beginner’s Tutorial Manual Applix 1616 microcomputer project Applix pty limited
Applix · 1616 · 118 pp.
Applix 1616 User Tutorial: Руководство для начинающих (PDF)
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1616 User Tutorial Manual Even though Applix has tested the software and reviewed the documentation, Applixmakesnowarrantyorrepresentation, eitherexpressorimplied,withrespect to software, its quality, performance, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose. Asaresultthissoftwareissold"asis,"andyouthepurchaserareassuming the entire risk as to its quality and performance. In no event will Applix be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from any defect in the software or its docu- mentation.
The original version of this manual was written by Andrew Morton Additional introductory and tutorial material by Eric Lindsay Editorial and design consultant: Jean Hollis Weber Comments about this manual or the software it describes should be sent to: Applix Pty Limited Lot 1, Kent Street, Yerrinbool, 2575 N.S.W. Australia (048) 839 372 Private Applix BBS numbers include Colin McCormack (02) 543 8213, SSM (02) 554 3114, Trantor (02) 718 6996 and PPT (02) 544 1060 (on ringback - let the phone ring twice, then phone back within 30 seconds). User Group meetings are generally held on the second Saturday of each month, from about 1 p.m. until evening.
All computer enthusiasts are welcome, as are new visitors. Come in and meet the designer of the Applix system. Copyright 1986 Applix Pty Limited. All Rights Reserved. Revised material Copyright 1992 Eric Lindsay ISBN 0 947341 00 5 MC68000 is a trademark of Motorola Inc.
1 Introduction This manual is an introduction to the inbuilt operating system ( 1616/OS ) for the Applix 1616 computer. Many commands described in this manual, including multitasking, are available on every Applix 1616 the moment you apply power, because they are built into the eproms on the Applix motherboard. Unlike other computers, you do not need disk drives to use an Applix. The Applix 1616 will start whether a disk drive is supplied or not, however some activities are rather restricted. We recommend that all experienced users obtain floppy disk drives (and possibly hard drives as well), to fully enjoy using the system.
This manual does not specifically cover the setting up of Applix disk drives. This chapter briefly describes the many manuals and programs available for the Applix 1616. It indicatesthe intended audience for the computer, theuses to which it might be put, and the facilities available. The operating system is briefly described, together with suggestions about standards, plus how to enhance and upgrade the system. Finally, the typographic and keyboard conventions used throughout these manuals are described. The Applix 1616 is designed to be helpful and easy to use for programmers, rather than neccessarily easier for end users of programs.
This is an important distinction that makes the Applix 1616 unique among home and educational computers, because it enormously increases the power available to the new programmer. The manual This manual includes brief introductions on some of the concepts underlying 1616/OS , and includes some examples of their use. It also includes tutorials on some of more complex utilities, such as the extensive command line editor, and the full screen editor. A separate reference section towards the end of this manual lists by category all the inbuilt commands that appear in the 1616/OS operating system program. The many programs available on the Applix User Disk are described in a separate manual.
The original version was written by Andrew Morton for builders of his Applix 1616 kit computer. It now includes additional tutorial material, and introduces some concepts with which a new computer owner may not be familiar. If you have no background in computers, you will find it helpful to read some introductory books while you learn about your new computer. We recommend the cheap Understanding ... range devised by Texas Instruments, and sometimes available from Tandy or Radio Shack. A list and description of these is contained in the Applix Hardware and Construction Manual , although I must warn that these books may now be difficult to locate. Introduction User Tutorial Manual Page 1
Those readers familiar with home computers, and especially MS-DOS or U NIX , may use the brief summary of some concepts and commands in Appendix A, to get you started quickly. We do however advise checking the contents page, and index pages, as some specialised programs are considerably different to those with whichyoumaybefamiliar. Inparticular, 1616/OS isfarmorepowerful, andincludes many more utilities, than any normal home computer. If you ignore the facilities described in these manuals, you will cripple your operation of the system.
The audience We assume that one of your motives in buying an Applix 1616 is to learn more about computers, or to accomplish some task for which normal business systems areunsuitable. Applicationprograms are notreadily available for theApplix 1616, and so the 1616 is not an appropriate choice for someone wishing to run standard business applications such as a popular spreadsheet. To use the Applix 1616, you must first learn to use its inbuilt commands. These commands allow you to control the disk drive, see the contents of files, print out material, and do all the ‘computer housekeeping’ that is required by any computer.
You use these commands simply by typing their name, followed by optional parameters , which modify how they work. Allcomputer systems require you touse commands tocontrol them, and thesooner you learn these commands, the more use the system will be. In some systems, particularly in business, some of the commands are hidden by menus, from which you select commands. However, you often find that you learn no more than what the menu provides. Other computers, such as the Apple Macintosh, Atari ST and Commodore Amiga, use windows, icons, and a mouse pointer (the wimp interface), to insulate you from actually typing commands.
Although much easier to use, such a system can also insulate you from the full power of your computer. However, at some level, the equivalent commands exist in all computers. In the Applix, control comes from you knowing the commands, and typing them correctly. This manual provides the first steps in this process. A command is simply an inbuilt program, intended to do something that is of use, either to you, or to the computer. Some commands do simple, very understandable jobs (like tell the time), while others have purposes that will not be clear until you use them extensively yourself. In the Applix, commands are intended to work together, in a manner similar to U NIX .
This allows you to build your own com- mands, even before you learn programming. Contents Amongst other things, this manual includes the following topics: Background information. How to start the computer. Page 2 User Tutorial Manual Introduction