Atari Microsoft BASIC
Atari Microsoft BASIC Developer: Atari Latest Release: 2.0 / 1982 Release date: 1981, 1982 Platform: Atari 400/800/XL/XE Genre: BASIC Media: Floppy disk, cartridge License: Copyright © 1981, 1982 Microsoft Corp.
The Atari Microsoft BASIC and Atari Microsoft BASIC II variants of the BASIC programming language were cartridge or floppy disk packaged versions of the industry standard Microsoft BASIC dialect adapted to the Atari 800 and later Atari computers of that architecture.
Atari originally licensed Microsoft BASIC for use in their 8-bit computers, but were unable to fit it in an 8kB ROM cartridge, the largest at the time. They outsourced to another company, Shepardson Microsystems Inc. SMI created Atari BASIC.
Atari Microsoft BASIC differed from standard Microsoft BASIC of the day in that the graphic coordinates had the Y-axis going up the screen, rather than the more popular down. This complicated users copying programs from common sources such as Creative Computing magazine.
Atari Microsoft BASIC came in two packages:
- Floppy disk - CX8126
- Cartridge - RX8035. Since the cartridge could only hold 16kB, the remaining 2kB file was included on a "extension" disk. The cartridge version was called Atari Microsoft BASIC II
Although more feature filled than Atari's in-house[:Atari Microsoft BASIC}}#endnote_inhouse] ATARI BASIC (aka Shepardson BASIC), Microsoft BASIC never had the popularity that Atari BASIC had. The biggest problems were:
- increased memory needed (at least 32kB)
- disk drive required
- performance (faster than Atari BASIC, but slower than Turbo-Basic XL and BASIC XL)
- not compatible with Atari BASIC
- added cost
Notes
- Atari BASIC was in fact developed by an external contractor team (Shepardson Microsystems) but branded as and sold by Atari themselves.