Harry McCrackenTom Kurtz, who co-invented BASIC—probably the piece of software that has meant the most to me—has died at age 96. When it turned 50 ten years ago, I wrote a VERY long article about why it was so important, and I’m very grateful that he helped with it. RIP. https://time.com/69316/basic/
Brian Grinter@harrymccracken @flargh for so many of us it was the first language we learnt. VIC-20, Extended BASIC on the TI-99/4a, Amiga Basic. My first job was supporting a legacy system in compiled QuickBASIC
Peter Cohen@bgrinter @harrymccracken Level 1 BASIC on the TRS-80 Model 1 was my first experience with it at 8 or 9, then later at 11 or 12 delving heavily into Extended BASIC on the TI. Highly portable, was able to take what I already knew and adapt it to the new environment. It was our lingua franca.
@flargh @harrymccracken magazines would post code for popular platforms like the Spectrum or C-64, the challenge was to convert them to TI Basic.
@bgrinter @harrymccracken 99er magazine was a lifeline too.
@flargh @harrymccracken used to be really hard to get in Australia, however there was a brilliant user group TISHUG who’d import them. Their monthly meetings were looked forward to, although being in Darlinghurst we’d have to catch the train to Kings Cross - can’t believe I was allowed to do that alone at 13…