Microsoft called the code—written by the company’s founder, Bill Gates, and its second-ever employee, Ric Weiland—”one of the ...

The BASIC source code was fundamental to the early era of home computing as the foundation of many of Commodore's computers.

“In 1977, Commodore licensed it for a flat fee of $25,000, a deal that placed Microsoft BASIC at the heart of Commodore’s PET computers and, later, the VIC-20 and Commodore 64,” explains Microsoft in ...

Microsoft released the source code for ' Microsoft BASIC for 6502 Microprocessor - Version 1.1 ' as open source on September 3, 2025. While the 6502 BASIC source code had previously been distributed ...

That was almost 50 years ago; since then, Microsoft has embraced open-source software. In recent years, Microsoft has started releasing some of its classic operating systems and programs as open ...

Microsoft just open-sourced 6502 BASIC (BASIC M6502 8K VER 1.1) from 1978. The code powered the Commodore PET, VIC-20, and C64, and underlies Applesoft BASIC on Apple II. Download it on GitHub to run, ...

Microsoft open-sourced Bill Gates’ 1976 6502 BASIC interpreter, showcasing early programming features and its historical role in shaping personal computing.

Microsoft has released the source code for the BASIC version it developed in 1976 for the MOS 6502 processor, a central component of many early home computers, The Register reports. As far back as ...