BASIC

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== Altair BASIC and Tiny BASIC, Micro-Soft and Copyleft ==

−

While time-sharing was a significant and often overlooked revolution in computing, allowing programmers interactive access to the machine and eliminating the highly regulated ritual of submission of punched card stacks, it was only the first revolution in which BASIC played a critical role. The next revolution would change industry and reshape everyday interactions with computing. It was the beginning of the home computer or minicomputer era, in ''Popular Electronics'' in January 1975. The cover displayed the Altair 8800. This $395 machine ($495 assembled) was described consistently there and throughout the magazine as a "minicomputer," rather than a "microcomputer." Nevertheless, the article about this device describes the many virtues of a useful computer for individuals and the headline of the editorial on page 4 clearly proclaims "THE HOME COMPUTER IS HERE!"

+

While time-sharing was a significant and often overlooked revolution in computing, allowing programmers interactive access to the machine and eliminating the highly regulated ritual of submission of punched card stacks, it was only the first revolution in which BASIC played a critical role. The next revolution would change industry and reshape everyday interactions with computing. It was the beginning of the home computer or minicomputer era, and the face that launched a thousand ships was a panel of switches and LEDs on the cover of the January 1975 ''Popular Electronics.'' The image was of the Altair 8800. This $395 machine ($495 assembled) was described consistently there and throughout the magazine as a "minicomputer," rather than a "microcomputer." Nevertheless, the article about this device describes the many virtues of a useful computer for individuals and the headline of the editorial on page 4 clearly proclaims "THE HOME COMPUTER IS HERE!"

−

The article describing the Altair 8800 claims that the computer can be used as a "Sophisticated intrusion alarm system," an "Automatic IC tester," an "Autopilot for planes, boats, etc.," a "Time-share computer system," a "Brain for a robot," and a "Printed matter-to-Braille converter for the blind," among other things, noting that "many of these applications can be performed simultaneously." (p. 38) As it happened, even the applications that were within the capabilities of the device were rather difficult to realize since the system, as delivered or assembled, could only be programmed in machine language using toggle switches on the front panel. What the Altair 8800 could really use - besides a terminal, which was available or could be purchased by many users - was a programming language that facilitated experimentation. The ''Popular Mechanics'' article actually mentions four programming languages by way of explaining the hardware/software distinction (p. 34); one of these is BASIC, which was the language of most interest to early Altair 8800 users.

+

The article describing the Altair 8800 claims that the computer can be used as a "Sophisticated intrusion alarm system," an "Automatic IC tester," an "Autopilot for planes, boats, etc.," a "Time-share computer system," a "Brain for a robot," and a "Printed matter-to-Braille converter for the blind," among other things, noting that "many of these applications can be performed simultaneously." (p. 38) As it happened, even the applications that were within the capabilities of the device were rather difficult to realize since the system, as delivered or assembled, could only be programmed in machine language, and unless one happened to have a Teletype or other terminal lying around, the programming had to be done using the toggle switches on the front panel. From the outset, it was clear to many that the Altair 8800 could really use was a programming language that facilitated experimentation. The ''Popular Mechanics'' article actually mentions four programming languages by way of explaining the hardware/software distinction (p. 34); one of these is BASIC, which was the language of most interest to early Altair 8800 users.

−

The two major successful efforts to develop a BASIC interpreter for the Altair are important and intriguing. While they don't exactly reveal that it was the best of BASIC and the worst of BASIC, they do show two extremes in software development: commercial and highly tied to licensing and cost structures on the one hand, community-based, non-profit, and "copyleft" on the other. The BASICs that led in these directions were Microsoft's Altair BASIC, the official BASIC for the platform, licensed to the manufacturer; and Tiny BASIC, which originated at the People's Computer Company (PCC). While the Commodore 64's BASIC is directly descended from Microsoft's Altair BASIC, and indeed is a Microsoft product, the 10 PRINT program lived in a context that was strongly influenced by, if not developed at, the People's Computer Company.

+

The two major successful efforts to develop a BASIC interpreter for the Altair are important and intriguing. While this tale of two BASICs doesn't clearly show the best of BASIC and the worst of BASIC, they do show two extremes in software development: one commercial, closely coordinated with hardware manufacturers, and highly tied to licensing and cost structures; the other community-based, non-profit, and "copyleft." The BASICs that led in these directions were Microsoft's Altair BASIC, the official BASIC for the platform, licensed to the manufacturer of the system, MITS; and Tiny BASIC, which originated at the People's Computer Company or PCC. The Commodore 64's BASIC is directly descended from Microsoft's Altair BASIC -- it is, although this is not visible on the screen, a Microsoft product. At the same time, the 10 PRINT program participated in a context of BASIC sharing and exploration that was strongly influenced by, if not developed at, the People's Computer Company.

+

The story of Microsoft BASIC, and of Microsoft, begins with Paul Allen catching sight of the now-famous ''Popular Electronics,'' reading about the Altair 8800 in it, and showing the article to his friend and business partner Bill Gates. The two had already earned some limited success when Gates was still in high school. Their first venture was called Traf-O-Data and produced hardware and software to count cars. They programmed the Intel 8008 using a simulator running on a Washington State University mainframe.

+

By 1975, Gates was at Harvard University and he and Allen were ready to envision a project with broader reach. They devised the idea of writing BASIC for the Altair and contacted Ed Roberts' company MITS to ask if they would be interested in a BASIC for their system. As with their Traf-O-Data system, they programmed on a university's computer system using a simulator. What they were programming at this point was, of course, a modified and minimized version of the original 1964 BASIC. Given how often the success of personal computing software is attributed to entreprenurial and business advances, it's remarkable that Microsoft's first product was developed using Harvard's computer and by implementing Dartmouth's programming language.

[Early history of MS Altair BASIC]

Line 55:

Line 59:

In the book ''Invisible Engines,'' three authors develop of a theory of how software platforms can be two-sided (or multi-sided) in the sense of two-sided markets, where, for instance, both buyers and sellers must come together for profits to be made. Microsoft's Windows operating system is one example of a two-sided platform. On one side, computers need an operating system to function, so hardware manufacturers such as Dell purchase licenses to Windows and pass along the costs to consumers. On the other side, computers are only valuable if there are applications written for them. Microsoft writes some of the applications for Windows, but third-party developers write many. The abundance of software encourages users to stay with Windows.

−

Of course, Windows was not the first two-sided platform -- it was not even Microsoft's first. By retaining the rights to what IBM called PC-DOS, Microsoft had previously been able to license MS-DOS to other companies, much as they would later sell OEM copies of Windows to them. And before that, there are continuities with the company's first product line, Microsoft BASIC. While BASIC was a language, not an operating system, the presence of BASIC allowed for programs to be written on a computer and sometimes sold. And, computers in the late 1970s and early 1980s needed BASIC on them seem full-featured, so different computer manufacturers were eager to license the language from Microsoft. At Gates's and Allen's company, the success of BASIC and the essential business plan used there helped to develop the later success of MS-DOS and Windows.

+

Of course, Windows was not the first two-sided platform -- it was not even Microsoft's first. By retaining the rights to what IBM called PC-DOS, Microsoft had previously been able to license MS-DOS to other companies, much as they would later sell OEM copies of Windows to them. And before that, there are continuities with the company's first product line, Microsoft BASIC. BASIC was a programming language, not an operating system, but the presence of BASIC allowed for programs to be written on a computer and sometimes sold. It was the closest thing to an operating system that the Altair 8800 had, providing a layer of abstraction above machine language. Computers in the late 1970s and early 1980s needed BASIC on them seem full-featured and to provide an easier programming interface, so different computer manufacturers were eager to license the language from Microsoft. At Gates's and Allen's company, the success of BASIC and the essential business plan used with that family of software products helped to develop the later success of MS-DOS and Windows.

[Specification of and development of Tiny BASIC]

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@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 == Altair BASIC and Tiny BASIC, Micro-Soft and Copyleft ==
-While time-sharing was a significant and often overlooked revolution in computing, allowing programmers interactive access to the machine and eliminating the highly regulated ritual of submission of punched card stacks, it was only the first revolution in which BASIC played a critical role. The next revolution would change industry and reshape everyday interactions with computing. It was the beginning of the home computer or minicomputer era, in ''Popular Electronics'' in January 1975. The cover displayed the Altair 8800. This $395 machine ($495 assembled) was described consistently there and throughout the magazine as a "minicomputer," rather than a "microcomputer." Nevertheless, the article about this device describes the many virtues of a useful computer for individuals and the headline of the editorial on page 4 clearly proclaims "THE HOME COMPUTER IS HERE!"
+While time-sharing was a significant and often overlooked revolution in computing, allowing programmers interactive access to the machine and eliminating the highly regulated ritual of submission of punched card stacks, it was only the first revolution in which BASIC played a critical role. The next revolution would change industry and reshape everyday interactions with computing. It was the beginning of the home computer or minicomputer era, and the face that launched a thousand ships was a panel of switches and LEDs on the cover of the January 1975 ''Popular Electronics.'' The image was of the Altair 8800. This $395 machine ($495 assembled) was described consistently there and throughout the magazine as a "minicomputer," rather than a "microcomputer." Nevertheless, the article about this device describes the many virtues of a useful computer for individuals and the headline of the editorial on page 4 clearly proclaims "THE HOME COMPUTER IS HERE!"
-The article describing the Altair 8800 claims that the computer can be used as a "Sophisticated intrusion alarm system," an "Automatic IC tester," an "Autopilot for planes, boats, etc.," a "Time-share computer system," a "Brain for a robot," and a "Printed matter-to-Braille converter for the blind," among other things, noting that "many of these applications can be performed simultaneously." (p. 38) As it happened, even the applications that were within the capabilities of the device were rather difficult to realize since the system, as delivered or assembled, could only be programmed in machine language using toggle switches on the front panel. What the Altair 8800 could really use - besides a terminal, which was available or could be purchased by many users - was a programming language that facilitated experimentation. The ''Popular Mechanics'' article actually mentions four programming languages by way of explaining the hardware/software distinction (p. 34); one of these is BASIC, which was the language of most interest to early Altair 8800 users.
+The article describing the Altair 8800 claims that the computer can be used as a "Sophisticated intrusion alarm system," an "Automatic IC tester," an "Autopilot for planes, boats, etc.," a "Time-share computer system," a "Brain for a robot," and a "Printed matter-to-Braille converter for the blind," among other things, noting that "many of these applications can be performed simultaneously." (p. 38) As it happened, even the applications that were within the capabilities of the device were rather difficult to realize since the system, as delivered or assembled, could only be programmed in machine language, and unless one happened to have a Teletype or other terminal lying around, the programming had to be done using the toggle switches on the front panel. From the outset, it was clear to many that the Altair 8800 could really use was a programming language that facilitated experimentation. The ''Popular Mechanics'' article actually mentions four programming languages by way of explaining the hardware/software distinction (p. 34); one of these is BASIC, which was the language of most interest to early Altair 8800 users.
-The two major successful efforts to develop a BASIC interpreter for the Altair are important and intriguing. While they don't exactly reveal that it was the best of BASIC and the worst of BASIC, they do show two extremes in software development: commercial and highly tied to licensing and cost structures on the one hand, community-based, non-profit, and "copyleft" on the other. The BASICs that led in these directions were Microsoft's Altair BASIC, the official BASIC for the platform, licensed to the manufacturer; and Tiny BASIC, which originated at the People's Computer Company (PCC). While the Commodore 64's BASIC is directly descended from Microsoft's Altair BASIC, and indeed is a Microsoft product, the 10 PRINT program lived in a context that was strongly influenced by, if not developed at, the People's Computer Company.
+The two major successful efforts to develop a BASIC interpreter for the Altair are important and intriguing. While this tale of two BASICs doesn't clearly show the best of BASIC and the worst of BASIC, they do show two extremes in software development: one commercial, closely coordinated with hardware manufacturers, and highly tied to licensing and cost structures; the other community-based, non-profit, and "copyleft." The BASICs that led in these directions were Microsoft's Altair BASIC, the official BASIC for the platform, licensed to the manufacturer of the system, MITS; and Tiny BASIC, which originated at the People's Computer Company or PCC. The Commodore 64's BASIC is directly descended from Microsoft's Altair BASIC -- it is, although this is not visible on the screen, a Microsoft product. At the same time, the 10 PRINT program participated in a context of BASIC sharing and exploration that was strongly influenced by, if not developed at, the People's Computer Company.
+The story of Microsoft BASIC, and of Microsoft, begins with Paul Allen catching sight of the now-famous ''Popular Electronics,'' reading about the Altair 8800 in it, and showing the article to his friend and business partner Bill Gates. The two had already earned some limited success when Gates was still in high school. Their first venture was called Traf-O-Data and produced hardware and software to count cars. They programmed the Intel 8008 using a simulator running on a Washington State University mainframe.
+By 1975, Gates was at Harvard University and he and Allen were ready to envision a project with broader reach. They devised the idea of writing BASIC for the Altair and contacted Ed Roberts' company MITS to ask if they would be interested in a BASIC for their system. As with their Traf-O-Data system, they programmed on a university's computer system using a simulator. What they were programming at this point was, of course, a modified and minimized version of the original 1964 BASIC. Given how often the success of personal computing software is attributed to entreprenurial and business advances, it's remarkable that Microsoft's first product was developed using Harvard's computer and by implementing Dartmouth's programming language.
 [Early history of MS Altair BASIC]
@@ Line 55: / Line 59: @@
 In the book ''Invisible Engines,'' three authors develop of a theory of how software platforms can be two-sided (or multi-sided) in the sense of two-sided markets, where, for instance, both buyers and sellers must come together for profits to be made. Microsoft's Windows operating system is one example of a two-sided platform. On one side, computers need an operating system to function, so hardware manufacturers such as Dell purchase licenses to Windows and pass along the costs to consumers. On the other side, computers are only valuable if there are applications written for them. Microsoft writes some of the applications for Windows, but third-party developers write many. The abundance of software encourages users to stay with Windows.
-Of course, Windows was not the first two-sided platform -- it was not even Microsoft's first. By retaining the rights to what IBM called PC-DOS, Microsoft had previously been able to license MS-DOS to other companies, much as they would later sell OEM copies of Windows to them. And before that, there are continuities with the company's first product line, Microsoft BASIC. While BASIC was a language, not an operating system, the presence of BASIC allowed for programs to be written on a computer and sometimes sold. And, computers in the late 1970s and early 1980s needed BASIC on them seem full-featured, so different computer manufacturers were eager to license the language from Microsoft. At Gates's and Allen's company, the success of BASIC and the essential business plan used there helped to develop the later success of MS-DOS and Windows.
+Of course, Windows was not the first two-sided platform -- it was not even Microsoft's first. By retaining the rights to what IBM called PC-DOS, Microsoft had previously been able to license MS-DOS to other companies, much as they would later sell OEM copies of Windows to them. And before that, there are continuities with the company's first product line, Microsoft BASIC. BASIC was a programming language, not an operating system, but the presence of BASIC allowed for programs to be written on a computer and sometimes sold. It was the closest thing to an operating system that the Altair 8800 had, providing a layer of abstraction above machine language. Computers in the late 1970s and early 1980s needed BASIC on them seem full-featured and to provide an easier programming interface, so different computer manufacturers were eager to license the language from Microsoft. At Gates's and Allen's company, the success of BASIC and the essential business plan used with that family of software products helped to develop the later success of MS-DOS and Windows.
 [Specification of and development of Tiny BASIC]