Seattle, Washington – As Microsoft approaches its 50th anniversary, co-founder Bill Gates has shared the company’s original source code, created by himself and Paul Allen in BASIC on a PDP-10 mainframe at Harvard. In a nod to nostalgia, Gates has released a 157-page PDF of the scanned, yellowed pages, describing it as “the coolest code I’ve written to this day.” The inspiration for this code came from a 1975 issue of Popular Electronics featuring an Altair 8800, setting the stage for the impending PC revolution.
Gates and Allen’s journey began with a letter to MITS, the company behind the Altair 8800, claiming they had a version of BASIC to run on the personal computer. When this proved untrue, they took it upon themselves to build a BASIC interpreter to make the code accessible to the computer. With the challenge of not having the Intel 8080 chip that the Altair ran on, Allen developed a program to simulate it on the PDP-10. Over two months, the duo, along with a third friend, Monte Davidoff, dedicated themselves to this project.
Delving deeper into the origins of Altair BASIC, Gates has recently released a new book titled Source Code, where he provides a detailed account of the creation process. This release sheds light on Microsoft’s humble beginnings, with Gates emphasizing that the company’s foundation lies in this very code. Despite the nostalgic trip down memory lane, the PDF released lacks substantial utility, signaling a reflection on Microsoft’s initial steps in the tech industry.
While the PDF may not offer much practical use, an annotated disassembly of Altair BASIC 3.2 is available on GitHub for further exploration. This journey back in time showcases the evolution of Microsoft, starting from its roots in code written by the company’s co-founders. The impact of this early work continues to resonate in the tech world, reflecting on the innovative spirit that sparked Microsoft’s journey towards becoming a tech giant.
The significance of Gates’ decision to release the original source code lies in the historical context it provides, allowing enthusiasts and historians to delve into the early days of Microsoft. By sharing this piece of tech history, Gates offers a unique perspective on the origins of a company that has left an indelible mark on the tech landscape. As Microsoft approaches its milestone anniversary, this gesture serves as a tribute to the enduring legacy of innovation set forth by its founders.