Learning IBM BASIC

Learning IBM BASIC

The original IBM PC was the ancestor of most computers in use today. Even in 1984, it was clear that IBM’s entry into the personal computer market was a major step forward—one that helped bring BASIC to a wider audience.

This book covers BASICA for the IBM PC and its smaller, less successful sibling, the quirky IBM PCjr. If you remember the PCjr and its infamous chiclet keyboard, you’re either an old-timer or have an exceptional memory.

IBM PC BASIC was called BASICA (short for “Advanced BASIC”) because it was an enhanced version of Microsoft BASIC that required IBM’s proprietary ROM-based Cassette BASIC to function.

Here’s how it worked:

• The IBM PC included a minimal Cassette BASIC in ROM, which could run simple BASIC programs.
• BASICA (Basic Advanced) was a more powerful version that added features like graphics and disk support, but it needed the ROM-based Cassette BASIC to work.
• This meant that BASICA only ran on IBM PCs with the required ROM; it wouldn’t work on PC clones that lacked IBM’s proprietary ROM BASIC.

Later, Microsoft released GW-BASIC, which was essentially BASICA but fully self-contained, so it worked on non-IBM PCs.

Did the GW Stand for “Gee-Whiz”?

Yep, that’s the most common theory! “GW” in GW-BASIC is widely believed to stand for “Gee-Whiz”, reflecting its more advanced features compared to earlier versions of BASIC.

Microsoft never officially confirmed this, but it fits with the company’s informal naming style at the time. GW-BASIC was essentially a self-contained version of IBM BASICA, designed to run on non-IBM PCs that lacked Cassette BASIC in ROM.