Groups | Search | Server Info | Login | Register

Groups > comp.sys.cbm > #10561

Re: Commodore 64 Ultimate

Show key headers only | View raw

-=> Oregonian Haruspex wrote to All <=-

 OH> Commodore got a cheap deal on an earlier MS BASIC, then stuck with it
 OH> with the C64.

Technically, Commodore paid a single payment for Microsoft BASIC circa 1977 -
as opposed to Microsoft's normal per-machine fee.  That agreement came with
some strings about how much they could modify things.

But that still doesn't explain why the Commodore PETs of the time had BASIC 4.0
(which included disk commands) and Commodore went back to BASIC 2.0 for the
C64.

I had used Commodore PETs with BASIC 4.0 in school and was so disappointed in
the C64's BASIC.

 OH> But it ended up being less of a disaster than you might
 OH> think, because it practically forced people to learn assembly.

Forcing people to learn assembly is categorized by the Geneva Convention as
"Cruel and unusual punishment."  :)

 OH> A huge
 OH> number of legendary programmers got their start because BASIC was too
 OH> slow or lacked features.

The slowness was the main reason those people did things in assembly.  But that
was consistent across ALL the old 8-bit machines.


... Money is like a promise, easier made then kept.
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

Back to comp.sys.cbm | Previous | Next | Find similar

Thread

Re: Commodore 64 Ultimate Dr. What <usenet@vk3heg.net> - 2026-05-07 23:00 -0600

csiph-web