Diary

So, once again, I reiterate that languages are behind me. I didn't really want to do Assembler work anyway, especially not for MATH functions, editing, hi-res graphics, etc.

I MUST move forward on into the 16-bit world. Stay with C.

BUT I WANT MORE MONEY. Why? I don't use all I have now. What I really want is ideas + time to develop them. To be creative. To do something for me with someone else.

I'd rather work on something I'd enjoy creating rather than making big bucks. But I do want respect, and a level of income that will give me self-respect. ---------PLAN: All I have to do then is put my finances onto D+S and then negotiate a long-term agreement with Bill, for next two years. I won't start in with a salary I don't feel comfortable with.

Other problems with C64 MUSIC

1) Only 3 voices. Quite often you want one note + a three-note chord! 2) ADSR only provide 16 choices for each aspect. I would preprogram these, of course, since no user would know what to do, and that may present a problem. 3) Can't adjust relative amplitude of harmonics, for chords soft + notes loud or vice versa.

So it wouldn't have been all that rewarding anyway.

I think I'd prefer doing my own music as a hobby with Apple synthesizer and appreciating other peoples work on audio.

Become an expert at artificial sound production!...?

[red ink] WHAT NEXT [arrow to right]

I can't look for work away from Microsoft since 1) I want to stay here for now, since I have nowhere I want to go 2) I want to do PF 3) Fun so far this fall. But I must feel good about my salary, and if I don't I won't be able to do good work. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------AT THIS POINT, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO AVOID 6502 PROGRAMMING. IT MEANS LITTLE TOME PERSONALLY. IT'S NOT A NEW EXPERIENCE. IT'S NOT AN EGO TRIP. REGULAR COMMO BASIC NEVER WAS (TIL NOW). IT'S NOT FUN FOR ME PERSONALLY, NOT EVEN THE MUSIC PART.

THE ONLY REASON IS MONEY + WANTING TO TAP THAT HUGE MARKET OF COMMODORE 64'S.

KEY [arrows down] VERY FEW PEOPLE HAVE THE SOFTWARE PENETRATION THAT I HAVE, BUT SO MANY MORE HAVE MONEY. ******************

THE POINT NOW IS TO GET VERY EXCITED ABOUT PF. AND CREATE A DESIGN OVER THE NEXT MONTH. AND THEN AT REVIEW, GO FOR BIG, LONG-TERM RAISE + COMMITMENT. 2 YEARS \ [noted in green ink]These aren't HE CAN FIRE ME. / new factors 11/17! [/note /green ink] $100K ON BASIS THAT THEAT IS WHAT THE WORK WILL BE WORTH ON AVERAGE OVER THAT PERIOD.

I WON'T BE ABLE TO RENEGOTIATE FOR A LONG TIME. TWO YEARS MAYBE. [green ink] THIS SHOULD FORCE ME TO THINK HOW I CAN GET $$, BUT NO WAY. [/green ink]

+ I DON'T WANT ANY PERCENTAGES OR ROYALTIES. I PRODUCE HELPFUL ANALYSES, BUT MY JUDGMENT IS NOT AS KEEN AS NEEDED TO TAKE RISK. BILL MAKES THE DECISIONS!!

HALF WAY THROUGH THE PROJECT I WILL FEEL LIKE I DESERVE $100K. [green ink] WHY??? 11/17 HOW CAN I CONVINCE BILL??? [/green ink] AND AT THE END, EVEN MORE. I JUST DON'T FORESEE ENTHUSIASM ON MY PART IF YOU DON'T THINK ITS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO PAY ME $100K.

7:00 DINNER, READ D+S, TALK W/BOB, THINK

11:00

It would've taken a year for Microsoft to get a Commodore ROM BASIC done: 4 months for design + testing 8k of 6502 Assembler 2 months of doc'n 3 months of field testing on disk 3 months of production + promo ----12

So if I'd picked up on Commo at NCC in June '82, I'd have probably just now gotten the project done. So I'm glad that someone else has complete it without any help from me! And it's best that it was created independently because, unlike Atari, Commodore Extended Basic must not be a whole new Basic. I would've probably wanted to take many more liberties. Even long variable names wouldn't work!

But Atari was a free for all as far as technical implementation goes, since that BASIC was not an extension of a previous one. I wanted that product to exist and I was the only one who could do it so I had to do it. Many can do Commo EXT.