There were many kinds of BASIC created over the years. Some were incredibly limited interpreters for computers with 1kB available working memory, and decades la

There were many kinds of BASIC created over the years. Some were incredibly limited interpreters for computers with 1kB available working memory, and decades later others were full-fledged desktop languages with structured programming and objects and GUI event loops. Is TypeScript in 2023 the same language as JavaScript in 1996? The various BASICs were even more different than that. It’s impossible to say that they were all categorically horrible or perfect. But they did enable millions of people to discover computing, on everything from ZX-81 to Windows 95.