Lesson plan

Atari Microsoft BASIC

The Atari Microsoft BASIC and Atari Microsoft BASIC II variants of the 6502-version of Microsoft BASIC ported to the Atari 8-bit computers. The first version, released 1981, required 32 KB of RAM and was supplied on floppy disk. The second version, released the next year, had most of the code on a ROM cartridge with additional functions on an optional floppy. Atari Microsoft BASIC was highly compatible with contemporary Microsoft BASIC releases such as Applesoft BASIC and Commodore BASIC, in contrast to Atari BASIC which was a somewhat different dialect developed by Shepardson Microsystems and incompatible in several ways. Like Atari BASIC, Atari Microsoft BASIC included a number of new commands and features to take advantage of the Atari platform. These were only partially compatible with the similar features of Atari BASIC.

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Article summary

The Atari Microsoft BASIC and Atari Microsoft BASIC II variants of the 6502-version of Microsoft BASIC ported to the Atari 8-bit computers. The first version, released 1981, required 32 KB of RAM and was supplied on floppy disk. The second version, released the next year, had most of the code on a ROM cartridge with additional functions on an optional floppy. Atari Microsoft BASIC was highly compatible with contemporary Microsoft BASIC releases such as Applesoft BASIC and Commodore BASIC, in contrast to Atari BASIC which was a somewhat different dialect developed by Shepardson Microsystems and incompatible in several ways. Like Atari BASIC, Atari Microsoft BASIC included a number of new commands and features to take advantage of the Atari platform. These were only partially compatible with the similar features of Atari BASIC.

Key claims

  1. release date: 1981 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  2. release date: 1979 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  3. release date: 1981 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  4. release date: 1982 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the release date is "1981". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. The record states that the release date is "1979". What evidence would count against this claim?
  4. The record states that the release date is "1981". What evidence would count against this claim?
  5. The record states that the release date is "1982". What evidence would count against this claim?
  6. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  7. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1377841031

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.