Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site sdcsvax.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!jww
From: jww@sdcsvax.UUCP (Joel West)
Newsgroups: net.micro.mac
Subject: Re: MAC Basic vs MS Basic?
Message-ID: <915@sdcsvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 6-Jun-85 10:44:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdcsvax.915
Posted: Thu Jun  6 10:44:25 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 9-Jun-85 04:24:57 EDT
References: <2387@decwrl.UUCP> <648@wanginst.UUCP>
Organization: CACI, Inc - Federal, La Jolla
Lines: 32

> > I've heard of a product, (from Apple, I assume) called MAC Basic.
> > Yesterday in the MIT Coop I ran across a nice thick book about it,
> > Does this thing exist, (and if so, what is it?) or is it all
> > confusion about MS Basic V2 or something like that?
> 
> The story I've heard is that MS Basic, version 1, was based on the typical
> MS Basic for typical PC's, which is why it was so lousy on the Mac.
> According to the story, MS Basic, version 2, *is* Mac Basic, after Microsoft
> bought it from the original developers.  

I met the author of that book at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco
(2/85) at a seminar that was basically (ugh!) a "Battle of the Basics"
seminar.  These are two, COMPLETELY DISTINCT products.  MacBasic is
an Apple-label product (developed somewhare else, I believe) ala
MacPascal.  MS-BASIC, is, of course, from Microsoft.  They are not 
very compatible.  

The big question is, will MacBasic ever see the light of day?  Rumor 
is Bill Gates has pressured Jobs not to release MacBasic.  I saw
a pre-release of MacBasic before MSB 2.0, but after MSB 2.0, I'm not really
sure what the point is.  Obviously Microsoft knew that this other Basic 
was coming, and they rushed to bring their own copy up to snuff before 
they got put out of business.  I'm actually please with uSoft, since I have
a copy of MSB 2.0 that works and is useful; I have yet to see
MacBasic out there in an official form (I feel sorry for Kastner, though,
if it dies on the vine)
-- 
	Joel West	CACI, Inc. -- Federal
	{allegra, decvax, ucbvax,ihnp4}!sdcsvax!jww
	jww@sdcsvax.ARPA

The opinions expressed are not necessarily anybody's, including my own...