Discussion The basics of BASIC. 8-Bit Microcomputers.

[whm1974]

Watching this video from the 8-bit guy on BASIC during the 8-Bit Microcomputers Era, I'm reminded of Atari 800XL, Apple IIe, and the Commodore 64 systems I used as I was growing up during the 80's and early 90's. Hell I was using the 800XL my stepfather had with PaperClip to write papers at least until 17 for school. I sort of miss those days.

So what did you guys have owned 8-bit systems or used the most back during the 80's?

 

[TheELF]

Amstrad 464 with integrated cassette tape Baby!
Would boot straight up into basic and for it to do anything you had to type in little basic commands.
As did all the micros back then which I guess is kind of the point of this topic.

 

[whm1974]

Amstrad 464 with integrated cassette tape Baby!
Would boot straight up into basic and for it to do anything you had to type in little basic commands.
As did all the micros back then which I guess is kind of the point of this topic.

It really seems that most of them used Microsoft BASIC with their own commands added. Although Forth was also available for many microcomputers as well.

 

[whm1974]

@TheELF These have the Commodore Mini 64 available and are going to release the full size TheC64 sometime this year. I would get the Mini 64 if the keyboard actually worked, but you can plug one in however.
http://thec64mini.com/

 

[mxnerd]

I don't remember whether I owned Zilog Z80 or Intel 8088 processor card for Apple II/IIe, running CP/M, and MBasic from Microsoft.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_II_processor_cards

==

The first board I play with probably was a 8008 CPU based PCB with dip switches and LED display made by ACER predecessor Multitech while I was in university, which I can only write some very simple assembly code.

 

[Greyguy1948]

Texas Ti-83 or TI-84 for schools are using Z-80 at 6 or 15 MHz. Some BASIC code you can find on rosettacode.org. As most 8-bit CPU you have no multiplication or division so it is up to add or sub.

 

[Ajay]

Various Radio Shack TRS-80s. Came with built in Basic, not sure who wrote the interpreter.

 

[kn51]

Started with the VIC-20. Good times. As I alway say nostalgia is a helluva drug but those were good times.

 

[Ken g6]

I had a Commodore 128, which was like a C64 with a second, better OS. And a second, text-only screen. And a Z80 with CP/M, but I never used that. I imagine the reason they weren't common was they put too much in that made it too expensive.

I'd forgotten how poke-y the C64 graphics were. The C128 had much better graphics commands, including things like sprites that moved across the screen by themselves. I gave up looking for graphics to match those sprites years ago, though I guess CSS animations do finally compare. I also never found an audio system like the audio chip with three "voices".

I remember typing in a planetarium program during President Clinton's inauguration. (I was young and didn't care about politics.) I still have those old magazines someplace; maybe I should scan them, OCR them, and try to run them on VICE. Probably not, though.

 

[whm1974]

I had a Commodore 128, which was like a C64 with a second, better OS. And a second, text-only screen. And a Z80 with CP/M, but I never used that. I imagine the reason they weren't common was they put too much in that made it too expensive.

I'd forgotten how poke-y the C64 graphics were. The C128 had much better graphics commands, including things like sprites that moved across the screen by themselves. I gave up looking for graphics to match those sprites years ago, though I guess CSS animations do finally compare. I also never found an audio system like the audio chip with three "voices".

I remember typing in a planetarium program during President Clinton's inauguration. (I was young and didn't care about politics.) I still have those old magazines someplace; maybe I should scan them, OCR them, and try to run them on VICE. Probably not, though.

I wanted an Atari ST a few years after they came out, mostly due to the increased memory and 3.5" FDD in comparsion to the Atari 800XL's 64K, cassette, and 5.25" FFD. And of couse th ST also had MIDI ports as well.

 

[balloonshark]

I had an Atari 600XL and 130XE with a cassette. Later on I got the floppy drive and modem. I lived in WV and had one local number to some random guys server and a toll free number to connect to the observatory in Greenbank WV. I was working at McDonalds making $3.35 an hour and one month I had a $100 dollar long distance bill because I had to call a town an hours drive away to get on CompuServe (I think). Biggest fear was someone picking up the phone while you were downloading a file for hours

 

[whm1974]

I had an Atari 600XL and 130XE with a cassette. Later on I got the floppy drive and modem. I lived in WV and had one local number to some random guys server and a toll free number to connect to the observatory in Greenbank WV. I was working at McDonalds making $3.35 an hour and one month I had a $100 dollar long distance bill because I had to call a town an hours drive away to get on CompuServe (I think). Biggest fear was someone picking up the phone while you were downloading a file for hours

Doesn't the 130XE have 128K memory? Although I've read that the memory on the 800XL can be expanded to 128K.

 

[balloonshark]

Doesn't the 130XE have 128K memory? Although I've read that the memory on the 800XL can be expanded to 128K.

Yes. I even double checked since it's been a while.

 

[whm1974]

Yes. I even double checked since it's been a while.

I'm really surprised that it took a long time for Atari to release an 8-Bit machine with 128K of memory. Late 80's wasn't it?

 

[balloonshark]

I'm really surprised that it took a long time for Atari to release an 8-Bit machine with 128K of memory. Late 80's wasn't it?

Wiki says 1985.

 

[whm1974]

Wiki says 1985.

Looks like I was wrong then. Wasn't the Commodore 128 released around that time?

 

[balloonshark]

Looks like I was wrong then. Wasn't the Commodore 128 released around that time?

Weird. I've only remembered the C64. I quick search shows the 128 also came out in 1985.

 

[kn51]

The 128 was quite the computer. The 80 col chip could do hi-res for the time but no sprites.

 

[whm1974]

Here is a video on Laser portable computers that ran BASIC and some applications:

I was unaware that Vtech even made this as all that I have seen were the Apple II clones and a 486 PC.

 

[kn51]

Here is a video on Laser portable computers that ran BASIC and some applications:

I was unaware that Vtech even made this as all that I have seen were the Apple II clones and a 486 PC.

I'll be darned. Like you figured only Laser did were apple clones.

 

[whm1974]

I'll be darned. Like you figured only Laser did were apple clones.

Well the Vtech Laser 128 Apple II clones certainly give Apple a really hard time.