[Coco] Was this advertisement "true"...?

[Bob Devries]

Andrew, the ROM of the VIC20 has the word "CBMBASIC" in it, which to my mind 
would indicate that Commodore wrote it.

Regards, Bob Devries
Dalby, QLD, Australia

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andrew" <keeper63 at cox.net>
To: <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2011 11:43 AM
Subject: Re: [Coco] Was this advertisement "true"...?


> 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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