B Series User's Guide vs 500/600/700 Series User's Guide

[carlsson]

As you might be aware of, the documentation respository on Bombjack.org holds the B Series User's Guide (23 MB, first edition, first printing). I own the 500/600/700 Series User's Guide (second edition, first printing) which I begun to scan a few years ago but didn't get very far since my intention was to OCR the text as well.

Up to now I thought the two manuals would be pretty much identical, since e.g. a B128 and a CBM 610 pretty much are the same machine. However upon a brief glance I notice the contents differ quite a bit. The US edition on Bombjack seems to contain more or at least different information than the European (printed in Germany, but text in English) edition:

B Series User's Guide
1. Introduction
2. Setting up the computer
3. Using the keyboard
4. Software
5. Using your disk drive
6. Extended Basic 4.0: Commands and statements
Appendices
A. Basic 4.0 Functions
B. Basic 4.0 Abbreviations
C. Screen display codes
D. CHR$ codes
E. Screen memory map
F. Memory map
G. Mathematical functions table
H. Pinouts for input/output devices
I. Converting from Standard Basic to Extended Basic 4.0
J. Error messages
K. Non-error messages
L. 6581 (SID) chip register map
M. Printer commands
N. Using the RS-232C channel
O. Machine language monitor
P. Bibliography
Q. User's clubs, magazines and the Commodore information network
Index

500/600/700 User's Guide
Preface
1. Introduction
2. Setup
3. The keyboard and its features
4. Loading and saving programs
5. Available software
6. Appendices
A. Basic 4.0 Command, statement and function list
B. Basic 4.0 Abbreviations
C. Screen display codes
D. CHR$ codes
E. Screen memory map (600/700)
F. Screen and color memory map (Commodore 500)
G. Mathematical functions table
H. Pinouts for input/output devices
I. Converting from Standard Basic to Extended Basic 4.0
J. Error messages
K. Non-error messages
L. 6581 (SID) chip note vale table (Commodore 500)
M. 6581 (SID) chip register map (600/700)
N. 6569 (VIC) chip register map (Commodore 500)
O. Bibliography

Apparently my manual pays much more attention the the (P)500 than the B Series guide already scanned. On the other hand my manual omits e.g. how to use the machine language monitor.

Do you know any more editions than these two? Is there a 2nd edition of the US manual too, which better corresponds to the one I got? Eventually I will finish raw scanning this manual and upload it, since after all it is a bit different.

[airship]

I have an earlier edition (First Edition, First Printing, 1983) that includes a never-produced 'C128-40" model.

Mine is titled:

Commodore C128-40
Commodore B128-80
Commodore B256-80
User's Guide

It's very similar to the "500/600/700 User's Guide" with the differences noted below:

Preface
1. Introduction
2. Setup
3. The keyboard and its features
4. Loading and saving programs
5. Available software
6. Appendices
A. Basic 4.0 Command, statement and function list
B. Basic 4.0 Abbreviations
C. Screen display codes
D. CHR$ codes
E. Screen memory map (600/700 B Series)
F. Screen and color memory map (Commodore 500 C128-40)
G. Mathematical functions table
H. Pinouts for input/output devices
I. Converting from Standard Basic to Extended Basic 4.0
J. Error messages
K. Non-error messages
L. 6581 (SID) chip note vale table (Commodore 500 C128-40)
M. 6581 (SID) chip register map (600/700 B Series)
N. 6569 (VIC) chip register map (Commodore 500 C128-40)
O. B Series Memory Map
P. P Series Memory Map
Q.Opening the RS-232 Channel
R. Bibliography

[carlsson]

Eh.. how many First Editions can one publish? Or perhaps since the books have different titles, they can all be first editions of respective book.

I wonder thus if the order of the guides was like this:

Commodore C128-40, B128-80, B256-80 User's Guide [First edition]
Commodore 500/600/700 Series User's Guide [Second edition]
Commodore B Series Advanced Business Computers User's Guide [First edition]

On the inside page, there is a Stock No for ordering more copies, but it is identical in my and the scanned one: 004-000-00345-4. I suppose your manual has the same number. Tonight I noticed my copy contains some typos and missing information. I would think yours has too. For example in the section Appendix A, you can check if the command DCLEARD exists anywhere or how the syntax for BLOAD looks like.

[Steve Gray]

I have an earlier edition (First Edition, First Printing, 1983) that includes a never-produced 'C128-40" model.

Mine is titled:

Commodore C128-40
Commodore B128-80
Commodore B256-80
User's Guide

I have this too, and have scanned it. Unfortunately size is >50MB...
The "C128-40" is actually the P500, produced in small quantities.
I hadn't gotten around to comparing to the european versions.

Perhaps if I get some spare time I can create a composite manual from all three... hmmm

Steve