This page (revision-114) was last changed on 24-Feb-2023 14:10 by Andreas Tartz 

This page was created on 08-Mar-2010 20:15 by Carsten Strotmann

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Page revision history

Version Date Modified Size Author Changes ... Change note
114 24-Feb-2023 14:10 18 KB Andreas Tartz to previous
113 24-Feb-2023 13:11 18 KB Andreas Tartz to previous | to last
112 24-Feb-2023 13:09 18 KB Andreas Tartz to previous | to last
111 24-Feb-2023 13:06 17 KB Andreas Tartz to previous | to last
110 24-Feb-2023 12:57 17 KB Andreas Tartz to previous | to last
109 24-Feb-2023 12:53 17 KB Andreas Tartz to previous | to last
108 24-Feb-2023 12:38 17 KB Andreas Tartz to previous | to last
107 03-Feb-2023 15:21 17 KB Maury Markowitz to previous | to last
106 13-Dec-2021 16:05 17 KB Maury Markowitz to previous | to last
105 16-Sep-2021 13:46 17 KB Maury Markowitz to previous | to last
104 16-Sep-2021 13:30 17 KB Maury Markowitz to previous | to last general cleanup
103 29-Jul-2020 21:57 17 KB Peter Dell to previous | to last TURBO-BASIC XL ==> Turbo-BASIC XL
102 23-May-2020 05:03 17 KB Roland B. Wassenberg to previous | to last
101 01-May-2020 02:03 17 KB Roland B. Wassenberg to previous | to last

Page References

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Atari BASIC

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Difference between version and

At line 8 changed one line
Atari had selected an 8k cartridge format because that was an easy size to supply in a single ROM. So the Atari programmers started with the smaller 8k version of the MS code and struggled to cut it down enough to fit in a cart. That was hard enough of its own, but they really wanted to add additional instructions to take advantage of the Atari's graphics and sound. Eventually they gave up and went looking for a 3rd party to do it for them.
Atari had selected an 8k cartridge format because that was an easy size to supply in a single ROM. So the Atari programmers started with the smaller 8k version of the MS code and struggled to cut it down enough to fit in a cart. That was hard enough of its own, but they really wanted to add additional instructions to take advantage of the Atari's graphics and sound. Eventually, some time in the summer of 1978, they gave up and went looking for a 3rd party to do it for them.
At line 12 changed one line
By the time SMI was hired, Atari was in something of a rush to get a working BASIC. They were planning to show the machines in January 1979, using the working MS version, but then sell the machines later that year with the SMI version instead. The original contract required SMI to make its final delivery in April 1979, but it contained bonus clauses if they finished early. They did: a working version was delivered in October, so Atari to that to CES instead. To SMI's surprise, they learned that Atari had begun burning that version to ROM for sale, even though it had several known bugs. SMI offered an updated version with various fixes, but Atari didn't bother using it, and instead shipped the buggy version for years.
By the time SMI was hired, Atari was in something of a rush to get a working BASIC. They were planning to show the machines in January 1979, using the working MS version, but then sell the machines later that year with the SMI version instead. The original contract required SMI to make its final delivery in April 1979, but it contained bonus clauses if they finished early. They did: a working version was delivered in October 1978, so Atari to that to CES instead. To SMI's surprise, they learned that Atari had begun burning that version to ROM for sale, even though it had several known bugs. SMI offered an updated version with various fixes, but Atari didn't bother using it, and instead shipped the buggy version for years.