Re: Apple II and /// support discontinued at Microsoft

[pausch@saaf.se (Paul Schlyter)]

In article <1f20nw0.tpzsc5nxrs08N%dempson@actrix.gen.nz>,
David Empson <dempson@actrix.gen.nz> wrote:
 
> Steve Quarrella <Steve.Quarrella.NO@SPAM.f9005.n393.z1.fidonet.org>
> wrote:
> 
>> Huh?
>> 
>> http://support.microsoft.com/directory/discontinue.asp
>> 
>> There's a reference to Apple II and Apple /// Operating Systems.
>> 
>> Since when?
> 
> What is your question, exactly?  How long have Microsoft discontinued
> support for their Apple II and /// products, or what products did they
> have in the first place?
> 
> I don't know the answer to the first part, but I can think of at least
> three products that Microsoft produced for the Apple II: Applesoft BASIC
> (not much support required there), the TASC compiler, and the Microsoft
> Softcard (CP/M).  I'm sure there are others.
 
I know a fourth product: A.L.D.S. (don't confuse with ADSL! :-) which
meant "Assembly Language Development System".  It ran under Softcard
CP/M, and contained a Macro-80 assembler (M80.COM) modified so it
also could assemble 6502 mnemonics - the .6502 assembler directive
was added to the already present .8080 and .Z80 directives.  It also
had DDT65.COM, with which you could debug 6502 code from the SoftCard
environment; it presented a user interface similar to the one in DDT.
And I think it also contained CPMXFER, a program which should be
transferred to a DOS 3.3 diskette and run from DOS 3.3 - from there
it could transfer CP/M text and binary files to DOS 3.3.  The
A.L.D.S. came with a manual in the same neat small format as the
manuals of Softcard CP/M itself.
 
And then we had the Apple Softcard versions of Microsoft Fortran-80,
Microsoft Cobol-80 and Microsoft Basic Compiler: compared to the
standard versions of these products, support for Apple II screen
control, graphics, sound and game paddle input was added.
 
These Softcard specific versions of Macro-80, Fortran-80, Cobol-80
and Basic Compiler were considerably cheaper than the standard
versions.  They also had a check early in the program that it really
ran on a Softcard CP/M system (the Z80 set a byte value somewhere in
RAM, then a 6502 subroutine was called to set the byte to some other
value, and finally the Z80 checked that the value really was changed;
if not, the program was terminated).  Which meant when I upgraded to
an Appli-Card Z80 card, Macro-80 and Fortran-80 no longer worked.  I
sent a letter to Microsoft asking why, and receieved a response
saying "the Softcard versions won't work on the Appli-Card, but the
standard versions will work".  I.e. MS wanted me to buy these
products AGAIN, for a considerably higher price!  I didn't do that of
course; instead I searched the binaries for a Softcard 6502 subroutine
call and found it pretty quickly; then I patched the binaries so
this check was disabled, and lo and behold - everything then worked
fine also under Appli-Card CP/M!
 
======================================================

And then there were also some Microsoft games for the Apple II:
Microsoft Adventure (another verison of Colossal Cave), and
Microsoft Olympic Decathlon.

-- 
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