Re:Commodore Basic as a Scripting Language for Unix and Wind...
by sokoloff on Saturday February 27, 2021 @08:45PM
(#26289927)
I remember being frustrated at Atari Basic (edited to remove reference to Microsoft Basic) for the Atari 8 bit computers as well. There was some instruction that worked differently (or didn't work) and so some of the programs I typed in from the books didn't work and I didn't have the skills to understand how to fix them at the time.
It was http://www.vintage-basic.net/games.html but I seem to recall there being a version with a red cover, though that might be just be faulty memories.
Re:Commodore Basic as a Scripting Language for Unix and Wind...
by Turing_Machine on Saturday February 27, 2021 @09:24PM
(#26290105)
The Atari 8 bit had its own BASIC (Atari BASIC).
While Microsoft BASIC was available for the Atari 8 bit machines, it didn't come with them. You had to buy it separately. Not many did.
Re:Commodore Basic as a Scripting Language for Unix and Wind...
by sokoloff on Saturday February 27, 2021 @09:34PM
(#26290139)
Holy cow; you're right. I always knew it as Atari BASIC, then later (apparently mistakenly) learned that it was made by Microsoft. I was referring to Atari BASIC above, not realizing my error.
Thank you!
I also had Basic-A+ from OSS. I seem to recall it had a few slight convenience items (and better disk commands), but that I wished I hadn't spent the exorbitant amount of money it cost me as a 12 year old.
I guess this is interesting in a hobbyist/historian kind of mindset, which I totally understand, but Commodore Basic really wasn't one of the more interesting Basics out there, even for its time. My first computer was a C64 and I remember how frustrated I was at its Basic (with which I wrote my first program!) because it was primitive even compared to the ones included in other home computers of the time.
PS: to be fair, last time I said this on HN someone reminded me that the awesome game Sid Meier's Pirates! was written in C64 basic!