VERY RARE - FA or Buy It Now - Ralph Babel's "The Amiga Guru Book"!!!

[sprocket]

FA or Buy It Now


Very Rare!

Ralph Babel's

"The Amiga Guru Book A Reference Manual"

736 pgs.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/301010814417

thanks for your interest.

[Iggy]

I have NO doubt someone will buy this.
But it definitely looks like a candidate for "Are we still talking about...".

Kinda reminds me of the guys on eBay selling PDF copies of the Tandy Color Computer Service Manual (which, curiously enough, can be downloaded for free on the internet).
So...is there any Amiga documentation you can NOT get on the internet?

[sprocket]

If you're serious about programming for the Amiga, and want a serious reference you must have this book.

I have no doubt there are many who've never seen this book (it is self published and very rare) who assume it's just 'another' Amiga reference.

Sure, you can probably find some really bad scan of this online somewhere which is why Ralph will never publish a 2nd edition (which he had been planning until he found a terrible scanned version on some torrent)....but if you're serious, that isn't going to help you much.  You can't search it, and you can't flip back and forth to find anything in any way that won't have you hating the process until you give up.

Seriously, if you need a real reference, you need this book, and anyone who knows anything about it would tell you that.

The book originally sold for about $60, and routinely still sells for $120-220.  That should tell you something about its rarity, and its substance.

[som99]

Sure, you can probably find some really bad scan of this online somewhere which is why Ralph will never publish a 2nd edition (which he had been planning until he found a terrible scanned version on some torrent)....but if you're serious, that isn't going to help you much.  You can't search it, and you can't flip back and forth to find anything in any way that won't have you hating the process until you give up.

There is a good quality scan version of it, you can search in it and it has a chapter menu so ther is a good one out there, but as you say nothing beats the original, if I could spare the cash right now I would buy it .

[Thorham]

You don't need an expensive book to do serious Amiga programming. The whole notion seems absurd.

There is a good quality scan version of it, you can search in it and it has a chapter menu so ther is a good one out there, but as you say nothing beats the original, if I could spare the cash right now I would buy it .

Nothing beats a properly scanned version that's searchable. Much preferable to a paper version which can't be searched. Major back draw of books, IMHO.

[danbeaver]

The fact you reference Ralph's first edition online, is why he never released a second edition.  This is what happens when "copyright material is copied."  Why work away on a manuscript for free, or why develops new software?  Just abandon the platform and get a job you get paid for.  One can't feed their family on the results of hard work that is stolen from them.

[som99]

You don't need an expensive book to do serious Amiga programming. The whole notion seems absurd.


Nothing beats a properly scanned version that's searchable. Much preferable to a paper version which can't be searched. Major back draw of books, IMHO.

You are right, But nothing beats owning the original for me even if I use the digital one more, the feeling of having the real thing is nice

[sprocket]

You don't need an expensive book to do serious Amiga programming. The whole notion seems absurd.


Nothing beats a properly scanned version that's searchable. Much preferable to a paper version which can't be searched. Major back draw of books, IMHO.

No, you don't NEED a reference to program, but it sure helps if you want to get into the guts of things!

A searchable scanned version beats a paper version? To each their own.

[sprocket]

The fact you reference Ralph's first edition online, is why he never released a second edition.  This is what happens when "copyright material is copied."  Why work away on a manuscript for free, or why develops new software?  Just abandon the platform and get a job you get paid for.  One can't feed their family on the results of hard work that is stolen from them.

Agreed! ...and as much a reason not to scan and post really well done, self published work like this as any!

[Iggy]

You don't need an expensive book to do serious Amiga programming. The whole notion seems absurd.


Nothing beats a properly scanned version that's searchable. Much preferable to a paper version which can't be searched. Major back draw of books, IMHO.

As someone that just posted a flat earther comment in favor of books, on this point I would agree.

Good, well indexed reference material, online wins hands down every time.

After all, you don't see anybody buying encyclopedias anymore, do you?

[Thorham]

No, you don't NEED a reference to program

I didn't say you don't need a reference manual, I said that you don't need an expensive book.

Agreed! ...and as much a reason not to scan and post really well done, self published work like this as any!

You could buy a book and scan it, or download a scanned version of it. It would be even better if technical books came with a digital version.

[danbeaver]

Do you not understand the concept of Copyright?  If AFTER YOU FIRST BOUGHT (that means PAID FOR) his book and being unable to read and reference it, you then "scanned it" for YOUR OWN USE and not to defraud the author, then you can have an opinion on whether a scanned version is better than a paper version.

I own a real and valid copy of his book and see no need in a scanned version and I also have a copy of the Encyclopedia Britannica.  You know they both have this old thing called an "Index."

[Iggy]

@ dan

Not to sound snide (but we all should focus on what we are good at).

So, this is a property rights issue and we are costing this guy money because this was going to be a perennial best seller?

Maybe its the '60s anarchist in me, but for some reason your argument makes me think of Abbie Hoffman's book "Steal This Book".

F'k it.
Freedom of information.

[danbeaver]

I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you are saying; "Those who are good at stealing should do so?'

"Those who can, do; those who can't, teach; those who can't teach, defraud, cheat steal and on the side, teach gym?" Abbie Hoffman was selling himself and activism, not stealing the hard work of others, and was so happy with his life he later committed suicide.  You can be like him at any time.

Not respecting copyrights has damaged this community far worse the the Gould betrayal of Tramiel and Commodore.

So time to take a stand: Be an adult and act like one, or be like an adolescent acting out in an attempt to prove you can give the finger to the rest of the world.

[Iggy]

I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you are saying; "Those who are good at stealing should do so?'

"Those who can, do; those who can't, teach; those who can't teach, defraud, cheat steal and on the side, teach gym?" Abbie Hoffman was selling himself and activism, not stealing the hard work of others, and was so happy with his life he later committed suicide.  You can be like him at any time.

Not respecting copyrights has damaged this community far worse the the Gould betrayal of Tramiel and Commodore.

So time to take a stand: Be an adult and act like one, or be like an adolescent acting out in an attempt to prove you can give the finger to the rest of the world.

Well, actually since stealing seems all the fashion in business and in politics, yes that actually is what I'm saying.
You don't actually think that guy was the source for any of the information in that book do you?
If that is a valid business model I'm going to go out and start collecting technical info that I have no part in producing, organize it and re-sell it.

Get over yourself.

If this was a significant issue all the author would have to do is issue take down notices to the servers this stuff is hosted on.

And, btw, are you going to start pretending now that big services like youtube aren't chock full of other people's creative property?

You know, when I was growing up, it used to be completely legal to make a copy of a album (say on cassette) so you could use it in a different device.
So legal, that my local library used to loan out copies they made.

Now that's illegal.

Frankly, somewhere along in our country's history personal freedoms and got tangled up with some poorly thought out ideas about property rights.

And it was not greatly to anyone's benefit.

Do not preach to me son, about growing up. For one thing I'm probably old enough to be your father.
And for another, I remember when young people had more sense than to run around like little Alex P. Keaton clones pulling there hair out going "Oh my God, you're violating the law".

Personally, while I don't smoke pot anymore, people like you make me want to light up a joint and then put it out in your eye.

And yes moderators, that statement IS meant to offend.

Because, sometimes it isn't reasonable to expect someone to respond politely when they have a punk questioning their maturity.

Edit - Ah, screw it. I'm putting myself in the time out corner.
You guys are beginning to get on my last nerve.
You know I can not presume to talk for them, but I think the people that left, did so because there are a significant number of idiots in the remaining community.
And there are time like this, when just being exposed to this kind of trite rubbish makes me feel like the exposure to it is making me dumber through its very contact.
So, to the more pathogenic of you, I bid goodnight.