In this issue I'm going to to review three different books. They are "Free Software For Your ATARI"(See Why Buy An ATARI?), "6502 Assembly Language subroutines", and "Beyond Games:Systems Software for Your 6502 Personal Computer".


    The first book, "Free Software for your Atari is a book every Atari user should own. This book deals with many things. From Free Public Domain Software to a list of user groups.
    If you have just bought a MODEM or are planning on buying one, this book gives an overview on the different ones on the market. It also shows you how a person should go about setting one up. It then shows the differences between an Acoustic MODEM and a Direct - Connect MODEM. It then gives you some buying tips for when you're ready to buy one.After giving a list of twenty different MODEMS on the market it then shows you how to operate it. It gives you a short program called "MINIATRM", which when run can be used to communicate with ATARI BBS's (Bulletin Board Services).
    The next chapter then deals with communicating with a BBS once their on the line. It gives you a list of typical BBS Instructions. Example:H-Help.Prints this list or Q-Quick scan. Scans message titles only.Once you have all this down pat the next little section gives you a directory of Atari Bulletin Boards. It then gives a list of 14 pages of Public Access Message Systems that give different types of information.
    Besides just helping you get started with a MODEM this book has a list of over a hundred User Groups around the world. It also shows you how simple it is for you to become a User Group. This book, I feel,is one the most valuable books that I have picked up for my ATARI. This book retails for $8.95 and can be bought direct from:

    ENRICH/OHAUS
    2325 Paragon Drive
    San Jose,CA 95131


    The more familiar that you become with the BASIC language, the more you realize how slow the speed is. So to speed things up you'll need some machine language subroutines. This is the book for you. This book identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the 6502 instruction set, and allows you to make instant use of 6502 assembly language.
    Although this book is not written specifically for the ATARI, all that is said in this book can be used since the ATARI has a 6502 microprocessor. If you want to use a specific assembly language routine, learn assembly language quickly, or improve your programming skills, 6502 Assembly Language Subroutines is for you. It provides code for more than 40 common 6502 subroutines, including code conversion, array manipulation, arithmetic, bit manipulation, string processing, input/output, and interrupts. It describes general 6502 programming methods(including a quick summary for experience programmers), and tells,how to add instructions and addressing modes. It even discusses common 6502 assembly language programming errors.
    With over five hundred pages this book can help the beginner to the advanced improve his or her programming skills in assembly language. This book is available from:

    OSBORNE/McGraw-Hill
    630 Bancroft Way
    Berkeley,California 94710


    This book is also directed to the learning of assembly language, but does have some refer to the ATARI computer. This book deals with the Atari, Apple, Pet, and OSI because they all use the 6502 microprocessor.
    Beyond Games moves through a fast but surprisingly complete course in assembly language programming. Having mastered these these fundamentals, the reader is introduced to many useful subroutines and programming tools, such as screen utilities, print utilities, a machine language monitor, a hexadecimal dump tool, a disassembler, and a simple, screenbased text editor.This book written by Ken Skier, a systems analyst for Wang Laboratories, can also be used as a reference quide for the other 6502 computers. Since it gives examples for the Apple, Pet, and OSI it makes it possible to understand how the other computers function.
    I recommend both these books on assembly language,because they they are both clear in the writing,making assembly not that difficult to understand.I'm not saying it is really easy to understand assembly language, but with the help of these two books it will give you somewhere to start. Beyond games is available from:

    BYTE/McGraw-Hill
    Book Division
    70 Main St.
    Peterborough,NH 03458