Enterprise Forever

:UK => Other topics => Topic started by: brianlj on 2009.October.06. 12:17:29

Title: Early documentation
Post by: brianlj on 2009.October.06. 12:17:29
Further to my last post about my early Enterprise 64 (Serial Number: 000043) I've now dug out some early documentation and correspondence with Enterprise Computers.

I have 2 uncovered, small booklets labeled "Reference Section" with almost the same information in each one. I covered one of them in green sticky-backed plastic film to 'protect' it from wear and tear. Mistake!

Anyway, one booklet starts at Page 1 and ends at Page 55. The other booklet starts at Page 148 and goes to Page 221. Apart from slightly different wording between the 2 booklets, the 2nd one (with the higher page numbers) has an additional Glossary Section at the end after the Error Messages.

Then I have a few (about 25) "Application Notes" detailing technical information which seems not to have been included in the 'manual' as it was supplied to me.

Then I have a series of letters between me & Enterprise Computers (I have redacted my name & address!) about my reporting of some bugs and about the supply of the computer etc.  There is also a 'Launch Plan' where Enterprise Computers say what support they will give dealers and how many they expect to sell.

Then I have 7 "Concession Notes" which are defects (or patches or workarounds) with the machine as it was supplied to me.

Also, there's a letter to me (in Oct 1984) telling me that they'd supply trial machines at £150. As it turned out, they supplied them for free.

Then both sides of a 3-fold booklet (which I expect everyone has seen) and finally the "Enterprise Technical Information".

This is a typewritten A4 looseleaf set of pages written in September 1984 which, I imagine, will have formed the basis of the supplied manual. (I never got a 'proper' set of manuals or user guides or whatever.)

I've just taken a few photos of the pages and stuck them up here:

Photos of early Enterprise manuals etc (http://home.brianlj.operaunite.com/photo_sharing/content/)

There's about 25MB of photos and they'll stay there as long as my computer is on. :)
Title: Re: Early documentation
Post by: Zozosoft on 2009.October.06. 13:03:57
Fantastic collections!!!

I have the EXOS technical informations book (also a 2.0 and 2.1 version), and the color 3-fold booklet.
Missing from my collection the Application notes series  :cry:
But we have a scanned version of the 01-08, 10-29. The 09. is totaly missing! Do you have this?
If yes can you scan this in a good resolution? And also the:
- 7 "Concession Notes"
- "series of letters between me & Enterprise Computers"
- 'Launch Plan'
- "a letter to me (in Oct 1984) telling me that they'd supply trial machines at £150"

I know this is a lot of work  :oops:

I will compare the Basic programming books pages with the know final version, exist a any difference?
Title: Re: Early documentation
Post by: Zozosoft on 2009.October.06. 13:09:23
and finally the "Enterprise Technical Information".
There is our version from this. (http://ep.homeserver.hu/PDF/EXOS20_technical_information.pdf)
All section have a date and version code (for example 29-nov-84, ET14/5) can you compare with your version?
Title: Re: Early documentation
Post by: Zozosoft on 2009.October.06. 13:17:44
But we have a scanned version of the 01-08, 10-29. The 09. is totaly missing! Do you have this?
Now I see the 01. is also missing! Previously we got the five pages 'Technical Description' (what is on your 8-10. photos) as Application Notes 01, but now I see on your photos this is not the 01! But you have the real 01 :-) also needed for scanning  :oops:
Title: Re: Early documentation
Post by: brianlj on 2009.October.06. 13:39:56
There is our version from this. (http://ep.homeserver.hu/PDF/EXOS20_technical_information.pdf)
All section have a date and version code (for example 29-nov-84, ET14/5) can you compare with your version?

Yours has 29-Nov-84 at the top of each page, but mine has 11-Sep-84

Yours has ET 10/10 at the bottom of each page, but mine has ET 10/9

I haven't had chance to compare them word-for-word yet!
Title: Re: Early documentation
Post by: brianlj on 2009.October.06. 13:45:54
Fantastic collections!!!

I have the EXOS technical informations book (also a 2.0 and 2.1 version), and the color 3-fold booklet.
Missing from my collection the Application notes series  :cry:
But we have a scanned version of the 01-08, 10-29. The 09. is totaly missing! Do you have this?
If yes can you scan this in a good resolution? And also the:
- 7 "Concession Notes"

These are scanned as GIF (lossless) files at GIF files of Application Notes and Concession Notes (http://home.brianlj.operaunite.com/file_sharing/content/)

Note that AppNote 1 is actually 2 pages: 1a & 1b

Quote
- "series of letters between me & Enterprise Computers"
- 'Launch Plan'
- "a letter to me (in Oct 1984) telling me that they'd supply trial machines at £150"

I'll see what I can do in the next hour. :)
Title: Re: Early documentation
Post by: Zozosoft on 2009.October.06. 14:09:08
These are scanned as GIF (lossless) files at GIF files of Application Notes and Concession Notes (http://home.brianlj.operaunite.com/file_sharing/content/)

Note that AppNote 1 is actually 2 pages: 1a & 1b

I'll see what I can do in the next hour. :)

Many-many-many thanks!!!!!!
The concession notes is a very interesting! Now I start to decode what is the "substained video" label on your machine.
Title: Re: Early documentation
Post by: brianlj on 2009.October.06. 14:40:59
Many-many-many thanks!!!!!!
The concession notes is a very interesting! Now I start to decode what is the "substained video" label on your machine.

The remaining files are now in with the others.  In GIFss of Application and Concession Notes and letters etc (http://home.brianlj.operaunite.com/file_sharing/content/) are:

[attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#]

[attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#]

[attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#]

[attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#]

[attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#]

[attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#]

[attachthumb=#] [attachthumb=#]

You'll see that I've also added a list of disrtibutors, which I'm sure you'll have but...

Right! I'm off to do some work! :)
Title: Re: Early documentation
Post by: Zozosoft on 2009.October.06. 14:55:29
The remaining files are now in with the others. 
Thanks!!!!! Many fantastic never seen documents!!!

Quote
You'll see that I've also added a list of disrtibutors, which I'm sure you'll have but...
This is also brand new for me!!!
Title: Re: Early documentation
Post by: brianlj on 2009.October.06. 15:45:11
There is our version from this. (http://ep.homeserver.hu/PDF/EXOS20_technical_information.pdf)
All section have a date and version code (for example 29-nov-84, ET14/5) can you compare with your version?

After the section on 'Kernal', you don't have a section on 'Video' or 'Sound'. You seem to go from Interrupt Codes to the PinOut diagrams (which I had given to me separately) and then on to Cassette. (Ah, I see you do 'Video' later)

My 'Cassette' is ET 14/2 (10-Sep-84) yours is ET14/5 (29-Nov-84) and seems to have been substantially rewritten and expanded.

My 'Keyboard' is ET 13/5 (11-Sep-84) yours is ET13/5 (26-Nov-84) and seems to have been substantially rewritten. (Same ET number? Odd.)

My 'RS434' is ET 15/3 (11-Sep-84) yours is ET13/5 (26-Nov-84) and seems to have been completely rewritten.

You have a section on 'Printer Drivers'

My 'Editor' is ET 18/3 (29-Aug-84) yours is ET18/4 (26-Nov-84) and seems to have been completely rewritten and vastly expanded.

You then have a section on 'Video' which again, has been rewritten from mine.

Minor differences in Nick & Dave content even though my dates are 17-Jan-84 & 2-Sep-83. For instance, between our 2 sets of Dave chip documentation, the only difference in the text is that in yours, some of the undefined bits (b6, b7 etc) in the Registers R8-R15 are specifically given as "Undefined" whereas they're not mentioned in mine. 

Oh, and on the last page, I have an extra line.

"XRAM Low for any memory access on pages £F8 - £FB. (£3E0000-£3EFFFF)"

So, all-in-all, I'd say that the manuals were being rewritten as they went along. :)
Title: Re: Early documentation
Post by: Zozosoft on 2009.October.06. 15:51:52
Wow! It is very interesting!

I think it is too big book for scanning (but if you have enought power to do it  :oops: )
Can you order a photocopy of this books (and probably the BASIC books), and send to me via mail? I will pay the cost of photocopiing and the shipping cost. I can pay with PayPal.
Title: Re: Early documentation
Post by: brianlj on 2009.October.06. 16:36:23
Wow! It is very interesting!

I think it is too big book for scanning (but if you have enought power to do it  :oops: )
Can you order a photocopy of this books (and probably the BASIC books), and send to me via mail? I will pay the cost of photocopiing and the shipping cost. I can pay with PayPal.

It's about 150 pages, I think, for the manual.  Too much for me to scan myself. I'll make some enquiries about getting them turned into PDFs. TTYL. :)
Title: Re: Early documentation
Post by: brianlj on 2009.October.06. 17:38:54
Wow! It is very interesting!

I think it is too big book for scanning (but if you have enought power to do it  :oops: )
Can you order a photocopy of this books (and probably the BASIC books), and send to me via mail? I will pay the cost of photocopiing and the shipping cost. I can pay with PayPal.

I'm getting quotes of about £48 for 3 PDFs (the 'Technical Information' manual and the 2 'Reference Section' guides) so I'm not sure you'd want to bother with that.

If you actually did want to buy the computer (a prime example of an early etc etc ;) ) it would probably make more sense to do that. Having looked through all the old memories now (including my handwritten programming notes, lists of  SET options, ESC codes, SOUND settings, etc) I think I'm now quite happy to let it go.  :cry: Sniff.
Title: Re: Early documentation
Post by: Zozosoft on 2009.October.06. 19:59:55
If you actually did want to buy the computer (a prime example of an early etc etc ;) ) it would probably make more sense to do that. Having looked through all the old memories now (including my handwritten programming notes, lists of  SET options, ESC codes, SOUND settings, etc) I think I'm now quite happy to let it go.  :cry: Sniff.
Yes I want to buy your all Enterprise items!!! A small consolation for you: your computer come to the right place, for the world largest Enterprise collection :)
Title: Re: Early documentation
Post by: brianlj on 2009.October.07. 00:32:09
Yes I want to buy your all Enterprise items!!! A small consolation for you: your computer come to the right place, for the world largest Enterprise collection :)

Okay, it's good that it's going to a good home. We'll chat tomorrow. :)

TTYL. :)
Title: Re: Early documentation
Post by: Zozosoft on 2009.October.08. 08:35:18
Okay, it's good that it's going to a good home. We'll chat tomorrow. :)
Ok, I sent my email address to you in PM!