"Microsoft has released the source code for the BASIC version it developed in 1976 for the MOS 6502 processor, a central component of many early home computers, The Register reports. As far back as 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen developed Microsoft's first product: BASIC for the Altair 8800 with the Intel 8080 processor. The following year, Gates and Ric Weiland ported the language to MOS 6502."
"In 1977, Commodore licensed the code for $25,000 and used it in its PET, VIC-20, and Commodore 64 computers. Millions of copies of these computers were sold, helping to popularize the home computer. The now-published version 1.1 of the code consists of 6,955 lines of assembler and is available on GitHub under an MIT license. It contains a full BASIC implementation with support for floating-point arithmetic, string and array handling, math functions, input and output, and efficient memory usage for 8-bit systems."
Microsoft released the 1976 BASIC source code developed for the MOS 6502 processor. Bill Gates and Paul Allen created BASIC for the Altair 8800 in 1975 on the Intel 8080, and Gates with Ric Weiland ported the language to the MOS 6502 in 1976. Commodore licensed that code in 1977 for $25,000 and used it in the PET, VIC-20, and Commodore 64, contributing to millions of home-computer sales. Version 1.1 comprises 6,955 lines of assembler and is published on GitHub under an MIT license. The code implements full BASIC features including floating-point arithmetic, string and array handling, math functions, input/output, and efficient memory usage for 8-bit systems.
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