Re: Computing Editorial (please read)

[Richard Plinston <riplin@Azonic.co.nz>]

Dave Althoff Jr wrote:

> Charles Richmond (richmond@ev1.net) replied:
> : That is assuming that some other person would *not* have come
> : up with a microcomputer BASIC. Personally, I think that someone
> : else would have developed a BASIC if Gates and company had *not*...

The BASIC that Gates wrote (along with a couple of others) was based on a 
version of BASIC that he used on the DEC PDP.  Further it is alleged that 
the source code for this was available as it was PD, and that Gates had a 
copy of this.  Remember also that MS BASIC was written on a DEC PDP and 
tested under an 8080 emulator before being taken as a paper tape binary to 
load on the Altair.
 
> Certainly a valid point, and I am certain someone else would have.  But as
> much as I dislike Gates & Co., the fact remains that historically, he did.
>  Credit where it's due and all that.  Pity, though...impossible to have a
> Microsoft-free Apple ][...

The original 'Integer BASIC' that was on the first Apple ][s was not by MS 
but was written by Steve and Steve.  It was only somewhat later that they 
put AppleSoft (MS) BASIC into the machine.

Several others also independantly developed micro-BASICs at much the same 
time as MS's such as Acorn for their Atom (later developed into BBC BASIC). 
As BASIC had been available on mini-computers and on Time Share systems for 
years it wasn't hard to see that it would be ported or rewritten for 
micros, many times as it happens.