An old idea (for the Atari 8 bit computer)

[David Brown]

This idea I had is “instead of useing software to interpret BASIC use hardware.”

I do not have the skill to develop this idea but is seems a bit of a wast to let an idea go unused. I have even though of a name for it "HI BASIC" for Hardware Interpret. Does anyone want to use this idea.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

This idea I had is “instead of useing software to interpret BASIC use hardware.”

I do not have the skill to develop this idea but is seems a bit of a wast to let an idea go unused. I have even though of a name for it "HI BASIC" for Hardware Interpret. Does anyone want to use this idea.

Sorry, but it's a pretty silly idea :lol:

The whole point of a computer is that it's a programmable machine, as such you can make a relatively small number of simple hardware modules perform amazingly complicated tasks.

To implement a BASIC interpreter in hardware would be an incredibly complex task - certainly FAR more complex than building a modern hi-spec PC from scratch (and I mean from bare components, not modules!).

There also seems very little point (none at all?), just use a BASIC compiler that generates machine code from the BASIC source. Or, better still, use a more modern language all together!.

 

[tansis]

Now if you had the box it came in an' a couple of games
then it might be worth putting up for auction 8)




Oh the nostalgia of it!
the days when electronic games had vacuum fluorescent displays..
(can almost hear the young un's saying "what's a vac thingy..")

 

[williB]

how about nixi tube displays