Oh really?!? Windows is written in BASIC?
Oh really?!? Windows is written in BASIC?
No, but they are related....Microsoft started back in the late 70s selling a basic interpreter (written by Bill Gates). In 1977, they replaced it with AppleSoft Basic, which was written by... Microsoft. They paid $21,000 for an 8-year license.
When the Macintosh was being developed, Steve Jobs was scared there wouldn't be enough applications, so he gave Microsoft rights to use the GUI (used in Windows) in exchange for commitments to write macintosh software. When the macintosh release date was delayed, and Bill Gates threatened to suspend development unless they gave him a better deal. At the same time, the AppleSoft license was renewed (The Apple II was Apple's only profitable product at this point, and they needed AppleSoft) in exchange for canning Mac Basic.
In 1989, Apple sued MS for look and feel infringement, and identified 189 areas where the infringed. The judge declared 179 were covered by the previous licensing deal, and 10 were not copyrightable.
Of course, VB did let anyone write a windows application fairly easily, and has helped to keep windows in their dominant position.