Cool AppleSoft BASIC trick I never thought of before

From: Vintage Computer GAWD! <foo_at_siconic.com>
Date: Wed May 17 22:59:45 2000

On Wed, 17 May 2000 technoid_at_cheta.net wrote:

> I have a prototype multitasking operating system in 6502 machine language
> for the Atari 8-bit series machines. Might be useful if I get the gist of
> what this topic is about. The main purpose was to run several BASIC
> programs simultaniously and give each a timeslice. The timeslice for each
> task is adjustable.

This is indeed what we are talking about. Sounds cool!

> If true timeshareing is not required then I'd look to Tom Hunt for his
> AMAZING program "SNAPSHOT". Snapshot swaps images of ram to disk and

Slow?

> produces the effect of multitasking but the tasks on disk are of course
> halted.... It is incredibly compatible. Tom Hunt is a God on 6502. He
> mainly wrote in ACTION! - a C-like language unique to the Atari from OSS
> (Optimized System Software - they used to be Sheperdson Microsystems and
> wrote Atari Basic in addition to many other things in the 8-bit world).

Sounds familiar. Didn't they also write DOS for the Apple ][? I've heard
the names before (Sheperdson and OSS) but can't quite place what products
I associate with them. I know there was a company that developed
primarily for the Atari but also did Apple DOS. I have their website
linked from the VCF links page but am too lazy to go looking.

> Action had the benefit of a runtime package for distribution and very fast
> program execution when compared to most other languages for the Atari.
> Action! programs ran at near machine code speed.

Interesting!
Received on Wed May 17 2000 - 22:59:45 BST