16-04-2021, 09:45 AM
The Apple was first released with their inhouse Apple Integer BASIC and later upgraded to a floating point BASIC that was written by Microsoft.
Hence its Moniker "AppleSoft".
Applied Technology was received many requests to follow suit to offer a customised Microsoft based BASIC in ROM but it was never commercially released due to its initial licensing and NRE development costs. Rather the less expensive generic Microsoft Disk BASIC for CP/m was included with the Microbee Disk systems starting from the Microbee 56K allowing it to be ordered individually as needed. This generic BASIC is text console based thus did not include commands and statements to incorporate the microbee additional features such as PCG graphics, colour and sound.
The advantage of having Microsoft BASIC was to provide simpler program entry from magazines and textbooks by having a simpler variable naming scheme and common statements such as MID$, LEFT$ and RIGHT$.
Some things really missed in Microworld BASIC
Who'd have ever thought that Apples use of Microsoft's BASIC in the latter 1970's would lead to their gigantic success.
Hence its Moniker "AppleSoft".
Applied Technology was received many requests to follow suit to offer a customised Microsoft based BASIC in ROM but it was never commercially released due to its initial licensing and NRE development costs. Rather the less expensive generic Microsoft Disk BASIC for CP/m was included with the Microbee Disk systems starting from the Microbee 56K allowing it to be ordered individually as needed. This generic BASIC is text console based thus did not include commands and statements to incorporate the microbee additional features such as PCG graphics, colour and sound.
The advantage of having Microsoft BASIC was to provide simpler program entry from magazines and textbooks by having a simpler variable naming scheme and common statements such as MID$, LEFT$ and RIGHT$.
Some things really missed in Microworld BASIC
- The ? shortcut for PRINT
- Hexadecimal support
Who'd have ever thought that Apples use of Microsoft's BASIC in the latter 1970's would lead to their gigantic success.