[Coco] early OS-9 ads/articles compilation

[jdaggett at gate.net]

On 8 Mar 2010 at 22:17, Aaron Wolfe wrote:

> 
> Could be interesting.  Something odd went on with the many BASIC's of early OS9.
> The earliest BASIC09 is first called "Motorola BASIC09" and then
> "Microware BASIC09".  I don't know what caused this change or if these
> are in fact two different versions of Basic09.  The mystery of
> Microsoft Basic for OS-9 is another puzzler.

The change is based on the Copyright Laws and how licensing agreements work. . 

First off the original copypright and trademark of BASIC09 was Motorola's. If you also look 
very closely at the revsision level of BASIC09 for the COCO it states R1.00.01. The key is the 
last "1". That inducates a minor revision to the original work. Most likely done by Microware. 
Most Likely Mottorola supplied Microware a working copy, done is tandem with OS9, of 
BASIC09. From there any maintainance by Microware had to retain the original Copyright and 
their work is also copyrighted. Thus the dual Copyright label on the Coco version. The 
revised could then be called Microware Basic09. Microware then licenced the work to Tandy 
for usage in the Coco. 

I am more confident that Basic09 and BasicM either are the same or have the same roots. 
BASICM was sold with EXORset and EXORmac units operating under MDOS and not OS9. 
Therefore leaving the posibility that BASICM is a non OS9 version of the BASIC09 compiter 
all derived from a previous work.

Motorola had application engineers and software people to write applications as well as some 
of the OS. Albeit that was not a strong suit of the Semiconductor Group that they were apart 
of. 

james