Microsoft Releases Historic 6502 Basic

Summary

Microsoft BASIC for 6502 Microprocessor - Version 1.1 Historical Significance This assembly language source code represents one of the most historically significant pieces of software from the early personal computer era. It is the complete source code for Microsoft BASIC Version 1.1 for the 6502 microprocessor, originally developed and copyrighted by Microsoft in 1976-1978. Why This Document is Historically Important 1. Foundation of the Personal Computer Revolution This BASIC interpreter was the software foundation that powered many of the most influential early personal computers It democratized programming by making it accessible to non-technical users through a simple, English-like programming language Without this software, the personal computer revolution might have developed very differently 2. Microsoft's Early Success This represents some of Microsoft's earliest and most successful software The licensing of this BASIC interpreter to multiple computer manufacturers was crucial to Microsoft's early business model It established Microsoft as a dominant force in personal computer software before MS-DOS or Windows 3. Multi-Platform Compatibility This single codebase was designed to run on multiple different computer systems of the era The conditional compilation system allowed the same source code to target different hardware platforms This approach influenced how software would be developed for decades to come Supported Computer Systems The source code includes conditional compilation support for multiple pioneering computer systems: Apple II ( REALIO=4 ) - Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak's revolutionary home computer ( ) - Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak's revolutionary home computer Commodore PET ( REALIO=3 ) - One of the first complete personal computers ( ) - One of the first complete personal computers Ohio Scientific (OSI) ( REALIO=2 ) - Popular among hobbyists and schools ( ) - Popular among hobbyists and schools MOS Technology KIM-1 ( REALIO=1 ) - An influen...