Mobile-Menu

Microsoft Releases 6502 BASIC Under An Open-Source License

An original copy of 8K BASIC on paper tape for the MITS Altair 8800 computer. The BASIC interpreter was written by Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen, along with Monte Davidoff. The tape is labeled arrow back arrow forward Image Zoom
An original copy of 8K BASIC on paper tape for the MITS Altair 8800 computer. The BASIC interpreter was written by Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen, along with Monte Davidoff. The tape is labeled "BASIC 8K without cassette" and dated July 2, 1975. The 8K BASIC was sold in October 1975 for $200. The price was reduced to $75 for "purchasers of 8K Altair memory and an Altair I/O board." 4K BASIC was priced at $150, and Extended BASIC at $350, with discounts of $60 and $150. They were available on paper or cassette tape. This roll is on display in the department "STARTUP: Albuquerque and the Personal Computer Revolution" at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. (Photo by Michael Holley, April 27, 2007.) (Image: / CC0)
3/6
Back to the Article