Logitech Modula-2

A historically important Modula-2 compiler for 16 bit DOS and OS/2 developed by the Swiss Logitech company.

History
Originally introduced in 1982 as an CP/M-86 tool, in 1983 as a DOS compiler but in 1984 as a complete DOS development system including an editor, a mouse, a compiler, debugger and library, but the system previously existed as a DEC VAX application that could both produce native VMS applications and cross-compile code for DOS and CP/M, the VAX native version was sold until the shut-down of the M2 division and the cross compilation version continued to be sold as such for a few years after the introduction of the Logitech native x86 system.

Logitech started developing a XENIX version of their toolkit known as Modula-2/X, but somewhat unexpectedly dropped development of the system in the midst of a beta program in early 1988. This was taken by many as a sign that by this time the company was more interested in selling mice than to develop the M2 compiler on new systems.

The Multiscope division of Logitech was sold to Symantec in 1992 and they were really only interested in the debugger and shut down sales and development of the Modula-2 compiler shortly thereafter, although there was some minimal internal development to support the in-house use of the tool primarily as it was what the debugger and Time Line were written in. Some of the original developers in Switzerland founded their own company called Terra Datentechnik that offers compatible compilers and libraries to allow you to port Logitech M2 code to newer systems and offer a licensed version of the original DOS version of the compiler that has been updated.

Version

 * OS/2
 * 1.00 (1989)
 * 1.3W
 * Note DOS and OS/2 version numbers not in synch.


 * DOS
 * 1.00 (Mar 1984) previous to that compilers with 0.x version numbers had been sold.
 * 1.10
 * 2.00 (Apr 1986) instead of having to buy the whole system you could now buy it piecemeal with just the compiler retailing for USD 89 instead of 899 for the whole system.
 * 2.30
 * 3.0 (Sep 1987)
 * 3.03
 * 3.40
 * 4.0 - developed by Stony Brook Software
 * Note that the company continued to sell and support the v3 branch after v4 came out.


 * XENIX
 * Last known Logitech Modula-2/X system for XENIX: Version O.5

Links

 * Manuals
 * User manual for Version 1 - 1984


 * Reviews
 * A review of Logitech Modula-2 v0.3c
 * A review of Logitech Modula-2/86 v1.1 - From Software Review - 1986
 * Logitech Mouse programmers toolkit manual - 1986
 * S. R. Ladd,: Modula-2 Compilers: New Kids on the Block Mature. - Computer Language magazine March 1989 pages 99 to 110.

License

 * Commercial - OS/2 version discontinued, versions for DOS, VMS and Alpha Unix still available from Terra Datentechnik.

Author

 * Logitech S. A.
 * MultiScope Inc.
 * Symantec
 * Terra Datentechnik