Learning Apple II BASIC
This was the book I really wanted to write because I knew Applesoft BASIC like the back of my hand. The Apple II wasn’t as revolutionary as the Macintosh, but it was still a massive leap forward from the TRS-80, the original platform of the manuscript. As a result, I had to do a lot of rewriting and add new material to cover the unique features of the Apple II. One chapter even covers loading and saving programs to cassette tape—though by 1984, most Apple II users I knew had long since moved on from cassette storage.
Delays and the TRS-80 Rivalry
CompuSoft’s deep roots in the TRS-80 world led to an obvious delay in releasing the Learning BASIC series for the Apple II. I imagine Dr. Lien was under pressure to make it happen, as the Apple II’s popularity was quickly overtaking that of the TRS-80. Back then, the rivalry between Apple II and TRS-80 users wasn’t just about the machines themselves; it was an all-out battle of fanatics. The TRS-80 enthusiasts were fiercely loyal, often dismissing the Apple II as a toy or a gimmick, while Apple II users—boasting color graphics and a growing software library—saw themselves as the cutting edge of personal computing.
The Apple II vs. TRS-80: A Battle of Fanatics
The TRS-80, with its “haze gray” casing, might have looked more professional to some, but it lacked the Apple II’s vibrant, high-resolution color graphics and impressive sound capabilities. The TRS-80’s ecosystem couldn’t match the Apple II’s explosion of software titles and extensive variety of hardware peripherals, either. Apple II fans were often quick to point out that their machines were the true powerhouse of the home computing world, with everything from educational software to games, business applications, and beyond. As the Apple II continued to grow in popularity, the TRS-80 slowly lost its luster in the consumer market.
Bad Timing
I think CompuSoft saw the writing on the wall. With the Apple II’s growing popularity, they finally acknowledged it was time to tackle a proper version of the Learning BASIC series. Unfortunately, it was probably too late, giving the book only about a two-year run. Shortly after publication, Apple released the Apple //c, with the same built-in Applesoft BASIC. By 1986, the 16-bit Apple IIGS was announced, and Apple users were keen to explore exotic programming languages other than BASIC.
“Apple II BASIC” is a Funny Title
Right? The built-in BASIC on every Apple II series computer is called Applesoft BASIC, yet the cover never mentions it by name.