The Ultimate MSX Page of Koetje MSX

What's MSX?
Frequently visitors of my site asked me what the MSX exactly is. So I came on the idea to create the "What's MSX?" page, I hope you'll like it. Then around 1977 the first microcomputer appeared on the market, one of the problems was that none of the bigger computers had an usual programlanguage, which could be used for the micro's. The memory was too low for languages as: Cobol, Fortran and Pascal. So they had to find another solution. They found this in the form of BASIC [Beginners All-purpoSe Instruction Code]. Now was BASIC not through his designers not meant to use it as an educational appliance. That's the reason why BASIC is missing several commands, which you needed for the bigger work. Several manufacturers had build these capabilities as well in their computers, but in their own style. Basic was small enough to work on the first microcomputers and so an American firm, named Microsoft, produced the first BASIC-translator, a program which made it possible to work in BASIC. But a computer needs also an operating system. An operating system is a kind of a frameprogram, in which for example BASIC can do his work. A well known firm on this area is Digital, with the very popular (at that time) CP/M, wich means 'Control Program/Microcomputers'. Japan wanted a standard system. This standard came, in the form of MSX [MicroSoft eXtended ]. Every MSX computer uses the same operating system, while the BASIC-translators of the both versions [MSX1 and MSX2] 'upward compatible' is. Through that can programs, which has been written on a Sony MSX 1 without problems been used on a Philips MSX 2. MSX 2 is namely expansion on MSX 1, throug which un written program by the MSX 1 also can work on a MSX 2 computer. From MSX 2 to MSX 1 is not possible, because the MSX 2 knows more capabilities and commands then MSX 1. MSX-BASIC is one of the best, or better MSX-BASIC is the best !!!!! MSX-BASIC contains also several commands for sound, graphics and colours. MSX 2 has compared with other homecomputers the most graphical possibilities. CP/M was the best on the business-market till the time that everyone was gonna use [quicker] 16 and 32-bit processors. The MSX operating system looks very strong on the operating system in PC's; both are written by Microsoft. It's even so strong, that a futuristique 16 or 32-bits MSX will be more compatible than the current MSX 1 and MSX 2. The End of the History about the MSX Computer. But keep this in your mind : The MSX is alive and will never die.