Why 3-hole-punch the manuals?

[ClausB]

Those are good stories. There's nothing like the thrill of learning your first computer. (Well maybe there are one or two things like it.)

 

I played a prank like that on my boss back in the DOS days. I faked a DOS prompt and when he typed something it faked a 'format c:' command. Hilarity ensued, except for him. My fake had the same problem as yours, a different cursor!

[+slx]

I think my 800 came with a 3-ring Atari cardboard binder for the 800's manual. The 810 or DOS manual probably fit in there as well for a neat way of keeping all your documentation, befitting a high-end home computer! Over here 3-ring binders were a bit of an oddity, though, as we have either 2 (not good for more than a few pages) or four (requiring two punches and a punch not missing the guide). The Swedish have the best binders, though. Just four holes but a metal spine that allows for flipping pages like a book and opening at any position without pages falling out. 

[Keatah]

Here in the states, I guess, the 3-ring has been popular for like ever. I use one to hold a number of homemade reference cards for all my astronomy software and emulators. Nice laminated pages that can be updated once in a while as needed.

[StickJock]

Greatest innovation in 3-ring binder technology - the D-ring binder.

[BillC]

On 7/4/2020 at 3:01 PM, graywest said:

They gave up on this after a few years, but most, if not all of the early manuals (DOS, BASIC, even games) are three-hole punched along one side, and they're sometimes not even bound - just a collection of loose pages.

I don't know how may Atari manuals came in a binder, but the Atari BASIC Reference Manual is one, it is listed in the Best Electronics Catalog Addendum.

 

Page 110  Atari BASIC (Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) Reference Manual, 3 ring binder format. 121 pages.  CO15307 $25.00

 

 

[Keatah]

There's always something "stately" and near "presidential" about a manual being 3-ring binder form. I wish the Apple II manuals were like that. But they weren't too bad - they are wire-bound and that tends to clog-up if you're not careful. Maybe I'll convert a set to 3-ring, provided there's enough space.

 

One thing, does anyone know if the artist is the same for both Atari and Apple? They both have the same conceptual-dreamy illustrative look.

 

 

 

Another difference is that in the Apple illustrations there's multiple things going on. Some chick transcribing notes or doing the obligatory recipe entry, a guy conducting noise analysis with his wife cheering him on. A kid watching and waiting his turn to play games while dreaming about paddle controllers. Some circuits, a monitor, and the computer itself with a rainbow background. Lotsa stuff happening.

 

Come to think of it these might be the only example of that style of artwork for Apple. The rest were stylized like so.

 

 

In the Atari art I see someone being taught BASIC. And the other, someone loading/saving a program to cassette. Everyone seems quite thrilled too.

 

I also want to point out that these vintage manuals are like time capsules of the learning experience. Rereading them is like learning all over again, but with instant understanding because you already did it years back.

 

They are important and invaluable accessories. Just as important as a box of carts. They will help recreate the sense of wonder and discovery we all had bitd. So if you don't have your original manuals I highly recommend reacquiring them. Don't have to do every single one, just the important ones that came with the major hardware and a couple of favorite books.

 

 

Edited July 12, 2020 by Keatah

[FlorianD]

I bought an ATARI 800 and 810 complete with all manuals and documents (even the invoices) and ATARI Basic Reference Manual, ATARI Assembler. All was 3 hole punched and there was only one binder and one cardboard (file) type binder. Not enough space to hold all.

Struggled to get a 3-hole- binder here in Germany -- impossible!

 

Went to Jamaika for holiday with my wife and insisted to go shopping (not what she thought... hehe) and went into a stationary shop and got my binders for 2$ each.

Neatly filed away all this 30 year plus stuff in very good condition. 

 

 

[Keatah]

1 minute ago, FlorianD said:

Struggled to get a 3-hole- binder here in Germany -- impossible!

Really.. Here in the states those things are thrown in the trash daily. Hourly even!

[FlorianD]

and for the "reference cards" lying next to my computer, I did this: DIN A5 size, laminated, wire-bound. Doesn't take much space, can be "back-folded-over", won't tear, can make notes with erasable pen on it. Action!, error codes, XDOS, TURBO DOS, freezer, QMEG, SIO2USB, assembler stuff, programmers card, POKEY, ANTIC, DLI, VBI, controllers, keyboard,chars list, color chart, ...

 

[FlorianD]

2 minutes ago, Keatah said:

Really.. Here in the states those things are thrown in the trash daily. Hourly even!

other norms here.

A4 paper (297mm x 210mm), 2 hole (80mm apart) or 4 hole (80-80-80 apart). And thats it, nothing else beside it.

I guess you would struggle finding a 4 ring binder 80-80-80 or a dual hole puncher 80mm, as 8x11 and 3 hole is your standard. Or do you have both systems?

[Keatah]

There's others here. But the 3-ring is by far the most popular.