Atari Microsoft BASIC

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*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 Microsoft BASIC dialect ported to the Atari 8-bit machines.

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., who created Atari BASIC instead.

Atari Microsoft BASIC, unlike Atari BASIC, didn't allow abbreviations for keywords. Keywords had to be fully spelled out. Syntax checking occurred after running a program, not immediately after entering the line. Also, arithmetic operations with integers resulted in a integer result.

Example - Division with two integers:

PRINT 3/2
1

Example - Division with integer and floating-point:

PRINT 3/2.0
1.5

Atari Microsoft BASIC came in two packages:

Floppy disk - CX8126
Cartridge - RX8035. Since the cartridge could only hold 16KB, the remaining 11KB file was included on a "extension" disk. The cartridge version was called Atari Microsoft BASIC II

Although more feature filled than ATARI 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

The cartridge version eliminated the first two requirements, but a disk drive was needed for all of its features.

External links

[AtariAge] Microsoft Basic II - RX8035
[Antic Vol. 6, No. 2] BASIC Bonanza - Review by Charles Cherry
[strotmann.de] Atari Microsoft BASIC instruction manual

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