7 Nov
2002
7 Nov
'02
11:59 a.m.
Hans,
I'm curious enough to take a look at it if I see it on the bookstore
shelves, but I'd want to see it before making the commitment. If
the valuation data is based solely or primarily on eBay data and/or
hobbyist opinion, then it would be failing to acknowledge a serious
segment of the market, ie the commercial market in "out of production",
"end of life" computer components. If that sector's data is not
represented,
then I would feel the data to be "skewed." Still, probably many good
pictures for identification purposes, and good technical data?
That sounds like a comment from somebody who
didn't get
interviewed....
That is correct. Therefore I have no knowledge of it's content. Only questions.
At 05:37 PM 11/7/02 +0100, you wrote:
Is there a
hobbyist discount? Something like $30.00 off the cover price
with FREE shipping!!!
As soon as you find that source, I need to oderder some additional
prints...
Note: The above is purely satire. It looks like a
pretty nice book, but I
wonder if your sources of information were truly comprehensive?
Now, the book is realy well done. Except for a few typing error
and the usual blinds most american authors show when it comes to
acnowmedge a world beneeth their native coastline (*1) it's the
best guide to classic microcomputers I have ever seen.
It is quite easy to critisize a book and point out thing as 'wrong'
just because one would do it different - just, I hat a hard time
to do so. There where no realy 'wrongs', at most some disputable
informations, and consindering the fact how much machines, pictures
and informations are in there, I would have a hard time to do a better
Job ... well, of course I could do better ... err ... it would just
look like a mere second reworked edition.
Like for example the Commodore section: Why is the 64GS never
mentioned, or why is the Colt, only named in the text but not
with data or a picture (I'm still not shure if the PC-1 and the
Colt are realy the same units). Also a picture of a teachers
C64, or mentioning the Teachers Pet is needed. Or Apple, for
shure the IIe card for the LC PDS needs an entry, since it's
the very last Apple II from Apple (*2). It also puzzles me why
the Tano Dragon is not mentioned among the Tano section - the
story would add a nice pice of CC-Trivia. Likewise if Ray Holds
history of the birth of the Tandy Model 1 (and the huge royalities
MS got for the Basic) could be read in the Tandy section :)
I couldn't find hard technical errors in ther at maximum some
facts that need to be rewriten. As an examlpe the Digital Group
secion may be used. Listing the alternative CPUs as options is
at least confuesing. It wasn't a Z80 system with optional other
boards but raher a generic system where you could choose the CPU
you liked. It looks like this misleading presentation is rather
made up due the rigid structure of the technical data entries,
and a proper leading text may point this out. In fact, as soon
as a system leaves the mainstream, the data section tends to
become either waste of space or not able to tell the true facts.
More flexibility in here may be a good idea for future releases.
My suggestion: go out and buy it.
Gruss
H.
(*1) In fact, I should take this back, Michael took wothy effort
to include a remarkable ammount of information about machines and
the collecting situation outside Canada/US. I guess it was just
in favour to avoide that the average reader may get a headach from
to much information from outher space ...
(*2) One of the few total new pices of information to me was that
there where gray Bell & Howells.
--
VCF Europa 4.0 am 03./04. Mai 2003 in Muenchen
http://www.vcfe.org/