Was Extended Basic a rip-off?

[Aquaman]

Alan Brown wrote on this website http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/06/10/feature_30_years_old_the_mattel_aquarius/ the following regarding the Mattel Aquarius:

 

Re: It got me started

"You could also extend the (Microsoft) basic quite easily once you had worked out the token parsing system."

Or you could dump the roms to find the disabled commands (the first character was replaced with NULL), fix them and burn a new rom, plus enable a few other bits and pieces (Presumably MS sold them a stripped down license. It was all there in the image, just switched off)

 

So if this is true Extended Basic was in essence one of the first Microsoft rip-off's!

 

[voltron]

Pirates of Silicone Valley

[mvdsteenoven]

No no no, you have misread the comment.

 

The Extended Basic commands "FN" and "DEF" are are the only two known keywords in the Aquarius standard ROM, but they do not function.

The code (aka the logic) to execute these commands are also not available in the Aquarius standard ROM.

There are no "disabled commands" in the Aquarius ROM or in the Extended BASIC ROM which you can enable by replacing a zero byte.

 

There are a lot of clever "hooks" in the standard ROM, and you can build your own ROM to react on these "hooks".

You enter a command, Aquarius BASIC looks if the command exists in the standard keyword list and if it doesn't it parses control to a "hook" for any extra command.

 

This guy Alan is talking about the "hooks" and how you can extend these.

The 1541 ROM is also adding a lot of new commands using the same principal and I have used the "hook" system to run BASIC programs from cartridge

(BootLDR)

 

But yes, it was a clever marketing strategy from Mattel & Microsoft. Just like keeping the whole system cheap and get the profits from the pheripherals.

 

Regs,

Martin

[voltron]

I didnt notice the microsoft mattle connection until now

[noel mckeever]

As regards the aquarius extended basic cartridge is it possible to still get them or are rarer still.

Also does anyone know where I could get a copy of the aquarius modem software 

 

[+BBWW]

I bet the Aquarius Multicart with all the programs on one cart has it? Not sure though. Well there it is!

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/123726769111?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=FFbgfRWVQVm&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=N6a5ZdtsQLa&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[Aquaman]

On 11/25/2022 at 11:34 PM, noel mckeever said:

 

Also does anyone know where I could get a copy of the aquarius modem software 

 

Here you go

m1_T.CAQ m2_T.CAQ