Gates and Allen wrote an 8080 machine language BASIC interpreter using an emulator running on a mainframe at Harvard.
No one denies this.
They didn't invent BASIC, nor did anyone ever claim they did.
Precisely.
But writing a version of an existing language for a new processor is not "borrowing" code.
Well, that's what the debate is really about, isn't it?
Gates and Allen wrote their BASIC interpreter running on an emulator (that someone else provided the code for) on a mainframe running at Harvard (which gave Harvard a right to the code if it's sold commercially, not Gates and Allen) using the basics of the program that had been "borrowed" from other programmers.
Where it went from there is not relevant. Gates and Allen stole from other programmers (and stole from Harvard) then published their code and whined when other programmers borrowed right back.
Fact: If you or I did today (or even in 1980) what Gates and Allen did, we'd be sued into the poor house and likely jailed.
I don't particularly hate Bill Gates, well not anymore than I hate any thief.
I don't particularly begrudge him his fortune, other than the fact that the entire empire is built on the proceeds of criminal acts.
I just want Bill Gates and Co. to be held to the same standards as you or I.
Equal protection under the law and all that.
Well, that's what the debate is really about, isn't it?
Gates and Allen wrote their BASIC interpreter running on an emulator (that someone else provided the code for)...
Paul Allen (of Micro-Soft) wrote the emulator and the extensions to the PDP-10 assembler to allow them to compile 8080 assembly code.
...on a mainframe running at Harvard (which gave Harvard a right to the code if it's sold commercially, not Gates and Allen)...
So after all these posts where you keep changing your story about who wrote what code, you've finally come around to my original post on this subject?
"At best, I think you could argue that they misappropriated Harvard's computer time running their 8080 simulator."
Which may or may not be true. I have no idea what Harvard's usage policy was for their PDP-10 in 1975. Do you?
...using the basics of the program that had been "borrowed" from other programmers.
"John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz invented BASIC for use at Dartmouth College. They made it freely available to everyone who wanted to learn how to program computers." TrueBASIC
So Gates and Allen didn't "steal" anything, with the possible exception of PDP-10 time.
Let's recap. You've claimed:
You've been wrong on so many points and your argument keeps changing. I feel I'm wasting my time posting to you since you obviously have no idea of the history of what you're complaining about.