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========================================================================= Date: Thu, 10 Dec 1998 21:20:37 -0600
Reply-To: dsenzig@execpc.com
Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: Don Senzig <dsenzig@EXECPC.COM>
Subject: Re: Earliest "free software"
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Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
On 7 Dec 98, at 17:29, Martin Minow wrote:
>The microcomputer community had, essentially, three options:
>
>1. Buy Microsoft (or some other proprietary) BASIC. 2. Write a public-domain (or Open Source) BASIC, possibly
>based on Tiny Basic (published in an early Dr. Dobbs Journal). 3. Copy Microsoft BASIC from a friend.
>
>Ignoring the obvious legal implications, option 3 (a quality product for free) is the clear short-term economic winner since it requires minimal skill on the part of the "customer."
Actually there were several other options. Other firms wrote software.
Some things that Mr. Gates missed in his analysis were:
some users didn't buy MITS BASIC because it needed more resources than the user purchased (I had 256 bytes of memory initially);
that MITS BASIC cost more than some paid for the machine (I think it was $425, I bought a basic set of boards, no case, no power supply and no switches for something like $400, already had the other pieces from the start of a homebrew effort that ended with that January '75 Popular Electronics issue);
and that source was not available for an affordable price (I asked and if I recall correctly was quoted $40,000.)
I chair a users group that started in 1976, at that time we drew 70- 80 people to a meeting from southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois. In that group I can only recall two or three members who purchased MITS BASIC and do not recall discussion of sharing copies of it.
I don't think most of us were very impressed with it, the products that came out of IMSAI and Processor Technology about that time were easier to use and were much cheaper (I paid $4.00 for 4K IMSAI BASIC March 10, 1976, ordered 8K IMSAI BASIC for $8.00, 12K was $12.00, notice the progression there ;^)
And source listings were available (IMSAI charged $10 for the listing for the 8K BASIC.) IMSAI would only sell their BASIC to their customers but you could buy products other than a computer to qualify. (or maybe their bookeeping was screwed up, I bought a cheap cassette interface.)
I paid $10 for Processor Tech FOCAL in April 1976. I think the first BASIC I bought from Processor Tech was similarly priced.
A later version of Processor Tech FOCAL, I think it was on paper tape, in June 1976 was $9.50 with the source listing an additional $5.00.
Cromenco's 3K Control BASIC was $15 in '77.
I think Bill's software was very overpriced. And perhaps this is an early instance of his attitude that every micro computer sold had to have his software? That he owned the software market then too?
Another interesting deal was that when a product review of Microsoft Fortran first appeared in either Byte or Kilobaud it was listed at $50, I promptly called and tried to order it. I was informed that the magazine was in error (statement by Microsoft not the magazine) and that the price was $500. Too pricey for me at the time, it was a hobby after all (at least for me in '78). I don't recall anyone in our group having bought a copy, although a computer store/consulting firm I worked for in '79 or '80 had a copy and sold at least one other.
IMSAI sold Fortran for around $80.
Which product would you have bought?
Also note that Dartmouth BASIC had matrix functions when I learned it in '68, MITS BASIC and all implementations of Microsoft BASIC that I am aware of didn't bother. Processor Tech 8K and IMSAI 12K did. Which would you buy, software with more features or with fewer?
Don Senzig, Jr - dsenzig@execpc.com - http://www.execpc.com/~dsenzig
Is your biological clock year 2000 compliant?
______________________________________________________________________
Reply-To: dsenzig@execpc.com
Sender: "CYHIST Community Memory: Discussion list on the History of
Cyberspace" <CYHIST@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> From: Don Senzig <dsenzig@EXECPC.COM>
Subject: Re: Earliest "free software"
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
______________________________________________________________________
Community Memory: Discussion List on the History of Cyberspace ______________________________________________________________________
On 7 Dec 98, at 17:29, Martin Minow wrote:
>The microcomputer community had, essentially, three options:
>
>1. Buy Microsoft (or some other proprietary) BASIC. 2. Write a public-domain (or Open Source) BASIC, possibly
>based on Tiny Basic (published in an early Dr. Dobbs Journal). 3. Copy Microsoft BASIC from a friend.
>
>Ignoring the obvious legal implications, option 3 (a quality product for free) is the clear short-term economic winner since it requires minimal skill on the part of the "customer."
Actually there were several other options. Other firms wrote software.
Some things that Mr. Gates missed in his analysis were:
some users didn't buy MITS BASIC because it needed more resources than the user purchased (I had 256 bytes of memory initially);
that MITS BASIC cost more than some paid for the machine (I think it was $425, I bought a basic set of boards, no case, no power supply and no switches for something like $400, already had the other pieces from the start of a homebrew effort that ended with that January '75 Popular Electronics issue);
and that source was not available for an affordable price (I asked and if I recall correctly was quoted $40,000.)
I chair a users group that started in 1976, at that time we drew 70- 80 people to a meeting from southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois. In that group I can only recall two or three members who purchased MITS BASIC and do not recall discussion of sharing copies of it.
I don't think most of us were very impressed with it, the products that came out of IMSAI and Processor Technology about that time were easier to use and were much cheaper (I paid $4.00 for 4K IMSAI BASIC March 10, 1976, ordered 8K IMSAI BASIC for $8.00, 12K was $12.00, notice the progression there ;^)
And source listings were available (IMSAI charged $10 for the listing for the 8K BASIC.) IMSAI would only sell their BASIC to their customers but you could buy products other than a computer to qualify. (or maybe their bookeeping was screwed up, I bought a cheap cassette interface.)
I paid $10 for Processor Tech FOCAL in April 1976. I think the first BASIC I bought from Processor Tech was similarly priced.
A later version of Processor Tech FOCAL, I think it was on paper tape, in June 1976 was $9.50 with the source listing an additional $5.00.
Cromenco's 3K Control BASIC was $15 in '77.
I think Bill's software was very overpriced. And perhaps this is an early instance of his attitude that every micro computer sold had to have his software? That he owned the software market then too?
Another interesting deal was that when a product review of Microsoft Fortran first appeared in either Byte or Kilobaud it was listed at $50, I promptly called and tried to order it. I was informed that the magazine was in error (statement by Microsoft not the magazine) and that the price was $500. Too pricey for me at the time, it was a hobby after all (at least for me in '78). I don't recall anyone in our group having bought a copy, although a computer store/consulting firm I worked for in '79 or '80 had a copy and sold at least one other.
IMSAI sold Fortran for around $80.
Which product would you have bought?
Also note that Dartmouth BASIC had matrix functions when I learned it in '68, MITS BASIC and all implementations of Microsoft BASIC that I am aware of didn't bother. Processor Tech 8K and IMSAI 12K did. Which would you buy, software with more features or with fewer?
Don Senzig, Jr - dsenzig@execpc.com - http://www.execpc.com/~dsenzig
Is your biological clock year 2000 compliant?
______________________________________________________________________
