[Coco] Was this advertisement "true"...?
Andrew
keeper63 at cox.net
Tue Sep 27 21:43:07 EDT 2011
This was posted today on a site I frequent:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2011/09/27/commodore-vic-20/
Now, Captain Kirk aside, what struck me most about this ad (which I
commented on if you care to look), was the statement in the table that
"Microsoft Basic" cost an extra $99.00, and that it was "standard" on
the VIC-20...
What is the truth here? Didn't the Color Computer always come with
Microsoft Color Basic in ROM, as part of the machine? Also, what version
(if anyone knows?) of Microsoft Basic did the VIC-20 come with? The
VIC-20, AFAIK, didn't have any of the "low-res" graphics commands in its
basic command set (SET, RESET, POINT, COLOR, etc); any graphics had to
be done via POKES/PEEKS (ML). I've always considered these hallmark
commands of Microsoft Basic; similar commands appear in their later
versions of BASIC interpreters and compilers (up to and including VB -
heck, I think there's still traces in VB.NET).
If the VIC-20 did come with a version of Microsoft Basic - then it would
have to have been an earlier version without these commands, such as was
seen on older 8-bit machines of the era (from what I've read)?
For that matter - what version of BASIC did the Commodore Pet have, if
anyone knows? I know this is slightly off-topic; my apologies...
:)
Andrew L. Ayers, Glendale, Arizona
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