What computer did you learn to program BASIC language on?

[Omega-TI]

I first learned BASIC as an teenager standing up at the TRS-80 Model 1 kiosk at the local Radio Shack whenever the folks came into the 'big city'. I ended up buying a book, writing small programs and then testing them when I went to town. A few years later I wrote a quick program at another Radio Shack that made me a date with one of the sales girls, we went out for years.

 

Interesting that even though I first learned to program on a TRS-80, and eventually became a CMM for the company, I used a TI-99/4A at home... if the company only knew!

[+Random Terrain]

I don't see a reply from me in this thread. VIC-20. Tried to learn assembly, but I wasn't smart enough. I'm stuck with BASIC.

[tep392]

My first experience with BASIC was on my high school computer labs TRS-80 Model 1, making cheats for Star Trek. But I did most of my learning on my 400 at home. That's also the machine that I learned 6502 assembly with.

[+Ransom]

An Atari 400 with the Rev A BASIC cartridge and a 410 program recorder.

The book I first learned from was Inside Atari BASIC.

To me, it remains one of the best examples of an introductory programming book.

[The Usotsuki]

FPBASIC on an Apple //c, and later GW-BASIC on an IBM PC, PCjr and XT, in that order. Wasn't until I was really coding my duff off on the XT that I could really call myself good at BASIC.

[bkrownd]

School tele-terminal dialed into a timeshared mainframe in Chicago - punch cards FTW!

[ledzep]

Ah, punch cards. In high school I learned FORTRAN on an old, donated IBM 1130 mainframe. No monitor, just an IBM Selectric printer and a giant 120(?) column printer (that perforated paper with alternating green and white rows, CHAchunkCHAchunkCHAchunk all day). I learned BASIC on the Atari 2600 "Basic Programming" cart... just kidding, nobody could learn to program on that (though I do remember trying, a friend's cart, I think?). I learned BASIC on my Atari 800 computer (that I still own) along with programming a little bit on other stuff (a friend's Apple ][+?) .

[Classic Pac]

TRS Color Computer 2

[Nebulon]

Apple II+ at school and then a CoCo 2 later at home.

 

For a very authentic retro BASIC on a modern PC, BLASIC is good (and it's free too).

 

Darned if I can find a link to it though...

[Nebulon]

Here's a link to the free BASIC for the PC that I mentioned above (it's the old-school style of BASIC like what you'd see on an Apple II, VIC-20, Color Computer, etc...):

 

http://blassic.net/

Edited December 23, 2014 by Nebulon

[Keatah]

I learned BASIC on the Apple II+ and TRS-80 Pocket Computer.. using these materials:

 

Getting Started With TRS-80 BASIC

https://www.google.com/search?q=Getting+started+with+trs-80+basic&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=U_qZVJbpONK0sAT1m4LQBw&ved=0CAoQ_AUoAw&biw=1024&bih=623

 

The Applesoft Tutorial

https://www.google.com/search?biw=1024&bih=623&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=The+Applesoft+Tutorial&oq=The+Applesoft+Tutorial&gs_l=img.3...18648.22291.0.22490.22.22.0.0.0.0.155.2174.12j10.22.0.ehm_loc...0...1c.1.60.img..12.10.1172.slepaaMzCSE

 

Not forgetting those Beagle Brothers' charts either!

http://beagle.applearchives.com/posters.htm

 

Arguably I learned the finer points and more sophisticated techniques via those charts.

[fujidude]

That's a real good question and I can honestly say that I can't remember which was 1st for sure. It was either the Apple II or the Atari XL. We had Apple at school and I had Atari at home. Most all of my BASIC exploration was on the Atari, but it is possible I might have poked around at the Aplle first (pardon the pun).

[skosh]

I first learned on an Atari 400 with a tape drive and recall a large Basic Programming Kit called the programmer with a basic cart and book to help you learn. I still have the book with all my answers to the questions. Interesting to see answers when you are young.

[Seob]

I was never good in programming, but i did learn a little on the cpc-464, later tried a bit on the pc (286-12mhz) with gw-basic and machine languages.

Edited December 24, 2014 by Seob

[BigO]

TI-99

[rasch_C]

My first BASIC experience came in the form of an IBM PS/1 consultant I got in 1993 (about 7th or 8th grade). I tight myself qBASIC from the DOS help files. I programmed flashcards for school and some simple games like slots which I later started to develop into a casino.

 

That was my first PC. My first computer, and only computer before that, was an Apple ][e in about 1989 that a family friend at the time gave me (or we bought from her). Unfortunately, I didn't really do much with it. I didn't know anything, and didn't have anyone for guidance (no one in my family knew anything about computers and I didn't really have much of a friend network)

[jhd]

I learned BASIC on my Coco I (Summer 1982), mainly using the included manuals. They did provide a decent tutorial.

 

We had a TRS-80 Model III at school, and I did a little bit with that system, but I mainly played games.

 

I really wanted to take the "Computer Class" in about Grade 7, but the School Administration decided that one must also take "Typing Class" (on a manual typewriter!) as a co-requisite, so I never got to do so. Back in the day, Tandy/Radio Shack actually produced workbooks for students to use to learn BASIC.

[Shephda]

A Tandy Color Computer 2.