Talk:Pascal MicroEngine

Compilers

While the manual on Bitsavers lists a Basic compiler as being provided with the MicroEngine, I don't think it was ever delivered. I bought one of the early machines in 1979 and it only had Pascal. After getting it fixed and upgraded in 1983 I found out that the Ada compiler was available, but at that time nothing else (other than Pascal and Ada) was supported by Western Digital.

Note that the manual on Bitsavers is a "Preliminary Edition" and may not reflect the actual system as delivered. -- RTC 02:27, 5 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I worked at WD on the MicroEngine ('81-83). Don't remember seeing a Basic compiler. --pbannister 02:37, 5 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The manual states that only one compiler can be active at a time; to use the BASIC compiler, one must rename various operating system files. However, I've never actually been in the physical presence of a MicroEngine, so I can't say for certain. I've made a note of this. --LordDimwit 15:43, 5 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Much of the text on the software in that manual looks like it was directly coppied unedited from UCSD's manual for Version II of the p-System, which did come with a Basic compiler (and an assembler). As I said I bought one of the early production MicroEngines at the end of 1979 for $3000 and did not get a Basic compiler (or an assembler, even though the command prompt still had the A(ssmble command that attempted to run SYSTEM.ASSEMBLER just like Version II did). -- RTC 06:40, 6 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]