[jantypas2]

BASIC itself can't be defined -- which basic? Altair 4K, Apple ][+, Microsoft QuickBasic? Some BASICs are quite advanced, others not so much. Honestly, later versions of QuickBasic were worlds ahead of what I did on the Apple.

[ikari_pl]

"which BASIC" is the first question the article answers.

Turns out it was Dartmouth BASIC, much simpler than the ones on C64, CPC, XL/XE or a ZX.

[jantypas2]

A blast from the past, but you have no idea how jealous I was that the PC users had "Good Basic" but not the Apple. They could use "Real Pascal" -- I think that's what drove me to C. (Yes, I probably was one of three people who had the 6502 C Compiler.

Old kodger powers -- ACTIVATE! *Form of,an 80s programmer! (My sidekick will form something liquid like a case of Jolt)

I miss those days, because anyone could learn to do whatever they wanted -- it was just work, not layers of corporate. Granted, it was mostly assembly language to get anything done, but it was all open

And just so you know-- I have other things I can change into like:

Form of - a paper tape reader/punch!

form of - a modem without an AT command set!

Form of - 64KB of RAM -- or less!

Form of - the GOOD Byte Magazine -- but if I had to, I'd settle for an Interface Age or Creative Computing

Form of - that snooty guy at the Byte Shop who wouldn't talk to this kid because he had no money

Maybe I should have called them Blue-Smoke powers -- I certainly made enough of that.