Date   : Tue, 20 Apr 2004 11:01:55 +0100
From   : "MARK of EALING" <m-and-m@...>
Subject: Re: Anyone seen a BASIC III?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sprow" <info@...>
To: <bbc-micro@...>
Sent: Monday, April 19, 2004 11:27 PM
Subject: Re: [BBC-Micro] Anyone seen a BASIC III?


> In article <003201c4264b$25681f80$640ebfac@...>,
>    Darren Izzard <zysyshelp@...> wrote:
>
> > >>The easiest way I can think of to work out
> > >> if you have one is to type
> > >>  10 COLOR 128
> > >>  LIST
> >
> > >Doing the above test shows the same word 'COLOR' after LISTing. So I
think
> > >it's not BASIC III but just version II.
> >
> > I tried this on my B+ too and got the same result. Was there a special
> > American NTSC version of the B+? That might be a good place to look for
a
> > BASIC III.
>
> Bingo.
>
> I'm not after a potted history of BASIC or any particularly cunning
methods
> of working out which version is which - I'm just in search of buying a
> physical ROM, or a copy of a ROM image.
>
> BASIC III as has been pointed out was supplied with the American build of
> the beeb (along with a set of screen definitions in the MOS to drive NTSC
> tellys) - hence my test to find if the alternative spelling of COLOR is
> accepted.
>
> It would appear from the machines people have been trying (along with my
own
> tests) that the B+ is BASIC II, so I guess we may be looking for anyone
with
> an American beeb too?
> Sprow.
>
    I have an American B.B.C.b somewhere,  From what I can understand it was
one of  a batch sent over to the U.S.A., Converted to their system for sale
there. I assume they were a poor seller as they in my opinion were over
priced.  In England  £400 for just a box with keyboard and many empty slots
for more chips was all you got no matter what way you looked at it. Compare
that with U.S.A. prices and they must have been in shock. However, a batch
came back to England, reconverted back to U.K. specs with some U.S.A.
extras. These were advertised in The Micro User for about £100 and I bought
one. As and when I find it, if it has a BASIC III ROM, I can do a disc image
of it on a 5 .25 floppy 40T or 80T and post it to whomsoever. I  haven't
got a clue how to on how to transfer from B.B.C. to P.C. to send down the
line.
    On another subject, how do I unsubscribe from these newsletters? I am in
the process of changing my I.S.P. and would like to come back later to these
newsletters.

Kind Regards, Mark.

P.S. One thing I can say for these over-priced machines, they have NEVER let
me down and I wouldn't get rid of any in my collection.