Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has released the source code for Altair BASIC, the software that launched the tech giant. The release coincides with Microsoft's 50th anniversary, which falls tomorrow, April 4. Gates describes the anniversary as "bittersweet" and a celebration of innovation.
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has released the source code for Altair BASIC, the software that launched the tech giant. The release coincides with Microsoft's 50th anniversary, which falls tomorrow, April 4. Gates describes the anniversary as "bittersweet" and a celebration of innovation.
Altair BASIC, written by Gates and Paul Allen in 1975, was the first product of the fledgling company. It was designed for the Altair 8800 microcomputer, a revolutionary device that inspired Gates and Allen to create software to make computing technology accessible to more people, writes Windows Report.
The source code, which is available here , is written in Intel 8080 assembly language, is over 150 pages long, and represents a turning point in the history of personal computers.
Gates recalled the early days of Microsoft, long hours spent programming on a PDP-10 computer at Harvard. He described Altair BASIC as "the coolest code I ever wrote" and expressed pride in its role in shaping the PC industry.
The tech giant turns 50 this Friday, and according to reports, Microsoft may also hint at the company's future by introducing some big surprises.
