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Cyhist Jan 19 1997 A
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Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 13:49:49 -0800
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
From: Bob Bickford <rab@well.com>
Subject: Early Microsoft history
X-cc: rab@mh1.well.com
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
Hey, computer history experts: maybe you can shed some light on something for me. The following was said on the WELL:
I'm pretty sure Gates and Allen were the first to come up with the technique of writing microcomputer software on minicomputers by emulating the micro's CPU in software. That gave them a big edge over other micro developers, which led to Microsoft becoming the major supplier of BASIC for early micros, which gave Gates the contacts he later needed to sell MS-DOS to cloners.
It just doesn't ring true to me -- I know that emulation goes back a long way, and I'm sure that micros were being emulated throughout the 70s. In fact, in my response I asserted (somewhat tongue-in-cheek) that emulation was invented about five minutes after there were two different models of computer in the world. Anyway, perhaps this would make a good topic for the Computer History List to discuss......
--
Robert Bickford rab@well.com
"Professional Wild-Eyed Visionary"
______________________________________________________________________
Reply-To: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
From: Bob Bickford <rab@well.com>
Subject: Early Microsoft history
X-cc: rab@mh1.well.com
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
Hey, computer history experts: maybe you can shed some light on something for me. The following was said on the WELL:
I'm pretty sure Gates and Allen were the first to come up with the technique of writing microcomputer software on minicomputers by emulating the micro's CPU in software. That gave them a big edge over other micro developers, which led to Microsoft becoming the major supplier of BASIC for early micros, which gave Gates the contacts he later needed to sell MS-DOS to cloners.
It just doesn't ring true to me -- I know that emulation goes back a long way, and I'm sure that micros were being emulated throughout the 70s. In fact, in my response I asserted (somewhat tongue-in-cheek) that emulation was invented about five minutes after there were two different models of computer in the world. Anyway, perhaps this would make a good topic for the Computer History List to discuss......
--
Robert Bickford rab@well.com
"Professional Wild-Eyed Visionary"
______________________________________________________________________
