Go ahead, enter line-numbered lines right on it (no separate editor and compiler needed).
10 PRINT "HELLO MY FRIEND"Then run it with "RUN".
In early 80s, BASIC dominated the (personal) programming world. Yes, there were C and other "more professional" languages but they aren't so accessible. The Commodore 64 came with BASIC. DOS machines came with it. Some Apple came with it (I think, I never really owned one)... Although each BASIC is a little different but it lets you create something easily. After all, it is the Beginner's All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. If you had to fight pointers like in C then it will be too hard for most people. The sensation of able to tell the computer to obey your order is a nice feeling. (Feels even better if you make money for doing that)
Nowadays, given a new computer, although mostly free, you have to download a bunch of things to program something (and not so easily). BASIC lets you play with it right away... I wonder why Microsoft doesn't give you Visual Basic (note, no capital) in Windows... (well there is VBScript, and there is this VBA thing from Office.) Perhaps Microsoft may add a free fun programming tool to Windows Blue so it makes your computer fun again. (Doubtful)
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