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Book Description




Amiga Assembly Language Programming


Book Description

Explains the basic concepts of assembly language and how to apply it for use on the Amiga, and includes programming examples and discussions of the Amiga's software and hardware







The Future Was Here


Book Description

Exploring the often-overlooked history and technological innovations of the world's first true multimedia computer. Long ago, in 1985, personal computers came in two general categories: the friendly, childish game machine used for fun (exemplified by Atari and Commodore products); and the boring, beige adult box used for business (exemplified by products from IBM). The game machines became fascinating technical and artistic platforms that were of limited real-world utility. The IBM products were all utility, with little emphasis on aesthetics and no emphasis on fun. Into this bifurcated computing environment came the Commodore Amiga 1000. This personal computer featured a palette of 4,096 colors, unprecedented animation capabilities, four-channel stereo sound, the capacity to run multiple applications simultaneously, a graphical user interface, and powerful processing potential. It was, Jimmy Maher writes in The Future Was Here, the world's first true multimedia personal computer. Maher argues that the Amiga's capacity to store and display color photographs, manipulate video (giving amateurs access to professional tools), and use recordings of real-world sound were the seeds of the digital media future: digital cameras, Photoshop, MP3 players, and even YouTube, Flickr, and the blogosphere. He examines different facets of the platform—from Deluxe Paint to AmigaOS to Cinemaware—in each chapter, creating a portrait of the platform and the communities of practice that surrounded it. Of course, Maher acknowledges, the Amiga was not perfect: the DOS component of the operating systems was clunky and ill-matched, for example, and crashes often accompanied multitasking attempts. And Commodore went bankrupt in 1994. But for a few years, the Amiga's technical qualities were harnessed by engineers, programmers, artists, and others to push back boundaries and transform the culture of computing.




C16 Machine Language for the Absolute Beginner


Book Description

First published in 1985, this easy-to-follow guide to the Commodore C16 gives users a crash course introduction to programming in machine code, the best way for aspiring game and utility creators to get the most out of their personal computer. Though the C16 was nowhere near as successful as the much-loved Commodore 64, it still gained many fans, particularly in the European market. Powered by the 7501 (or, in some models, 8501) CPU, the selling point of the machine was its cheap price - US$99 at launch - making it a highly affordable option for families at the time. As the original publisher Melbourne House wrote: ***** Compiled exclusively for Commodore 16 users, Commodore 16 Machine Language for the Absolute Beginner offers complete instructions in 7501 machine language - the 7501 CPU is part of the 6502 family and is at the heart of the Commodore 16. If you are frustrated by the limitations of BASIC and want to write faster, more powerful, space-saving programs or subroutines, then this book is for you. Even with no previous understanding of computer languages, the easy-to-understand 'no jargon' format of this book will enable you to discover the power of the Commodore 16's own language. Each chapter includes specific examples of machine language applications which can be demonstrated and used on your own Commodore 16. A full explanation of TEDMON is included, so you can start writing your own machine language programs straight away. Commodore 16 Machine Language for the Absolute Beginner takes you, in logical steps, through a course in machine language programming. This book gives you everything you need to write machine language programs on your Commodore 16. ***** Acorn Books is proud to present its Retro Reproductions series, a collection of classic computing works from the 80s and 90s given a new lease of life in the 21st century. From standards of programming reference no self-respecting microcomputer coder would be without, to obscure works unavailable for many years, these modern re-prints are perfect for any connoisseur of retro computing.




Handbook for Automatic Computation


Book Description

Problem oriented programming languages as they have developed over the last ten years essentially serve two purposes which somewhat crudely can be described by the terms man-man communication and man-machine communication, respectively. As a carrier of information between humans, the problem oriented programming language is designed to express the essence of an algorithm in a way which is un ambiguous and concise as well as independent of (and therefore meaning ful without any reference to) the changing details of computing machine ry. As a carrier of information from man to computer, the language permits the human programmer to express his computational needs in a compact way adapted to the general characteristics of computers, but freed from the burdening details of specific computer facilities. This presupposes the existence of algorithms, or programs, which permit the computer itself to transform efficiently programs written in the problem oriented language into machine programs. Thus the entire computing community profits from the work of the individual programmer. The primary purpose of the Handbook is to present a set of algorithms of broad utility from the domain of numerical mathematics written in the problem oriented language ALGOL 60. Therefore, volumes I a and I b are in a sense supplementary as they serve to introduce this language. Volume I a gives a description of the language proper and of its use for writing correct programs. Thus, volume I a primarily covers the aspect of man-man communication by means of ALGOL 60.




Computer Programming


Book Description

Computer Programming: A Mixed Language Approach describes computer programming from a mixed language perspective. More specifically, it examines how to make effective use of the hardware and software aspects of the total system using the mixed languages that are a composite of the absolute machine languages and the more facile problem-oriented languages. In addition to the absolute machine language required by the computer "hardware" and the problem-oriented language provided by the "software" of symbolic assembly programs and compilers, a third kind of programming language is considered, namely, the symbolic machine language. Comprised of nine chapters, this book illustrates mixed language programming using Fortran and the Fortran Symbolic Assembly Program. The discussion begins by describing a modern digital computer and introducing the general theory of number systems. Subsequent chapters focus on the way in which computing machines are organized to perform their functions; how a computer executes the sequence of instructions and performs a given calculation, a process known as coding; and non-arithmetic instructions used on computers. Subroutines, input-output, and assembly of complete programs are also explored. The final chapter is devoted to Fortran and programs written completely in Fortran, as well as executive programs and programs in mixed languages. This monograph is intended for both professional programmers-to-be and non-professionals in computer programming.




Learning C


Book Description

This tutorial is the perfect introduction to programming in C on the Atari ST and Commodore Amiga with numerous program examples and a clear, concise style. Explaining how to program the ST and Amiga in the C language, this is a clear guide for beginning and intermediate C programmers.